What do you think of this honey?

[Kneller]

I've been researching economical but quality honey sources and have come across dutch gold honey, which has been recommended in multiple posts on multiple platforms. I was looking through their selection and found:

https://dutchgoldhoney.com/product/bakers-special-honey-60-lb-pail/

which is significant less expensive than the rest (works out to $1.42/lb, which is way way better than the $8-9 lb. local honey). Basically, I'm wondering why it is so inexpensive, even compared to their other products (which run about $150/60lbs.). Is it just a mix of leftovers from other lots? Do you think they just toss a HCFS filler in there? Anyone with experience with this brand can share some insights? Thanks!

 

[Maylar]

Baker's honey is from the cappings of the comb. When the beekeeper slices off the wax to extract honey some is left behind in the wax. They heat it and melt the wax. It's generally considered to be an inferior grade for mead.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Bakers honey is the last of the honey on the racks that hold the combs. It is removed using heat. The flavor is a bit different as it has been cooked a bit. Can be used as is or cooked more to make a true bochet.
Usually sold to bakeries as it doesn't matter so much when used in breads and such.

 

[CKuhns]

Bakers honey it is true is as described by Maylar and Blacksmith1. It will carry more near 21% water than most honeys and the very light honey notes we love with wildflower or other variatals are not as present. I use DG Bakers regularly and would suggest it is a good product for use in Bochets, braggots and dark fruit melomels blackberry, curents, blueberries, oak and vanilla tend to pair well. The color is dark and flavor is more like a very light molasses due to the heating to melt out the wax. Is it a orange blossom light and aeromatic honey? Definately not. But will it produce some very acceptable mead. I would suggest it does, when you are looking for a good dark mead with other additions as mentioned above.

Try anexperiment, at these prices 5 pounds would let you see what its made of...

 

[CKuhns]

This is a 3 year old DG Bakers mead oaked. 1.125 OG 1.001 FG. is pretty darned good.

 

[bernardsmith]

This is a 3 year old DG Bakers mead oaked. 1.125 OG 1.001 FG. is pretty darned good.View attachment 631502

always hard to taste a mead (or wine or beer) from a photo. I guess my taste and sight senses are not as well interconnected as they might be...

 

[specialkayme]

This is a 3 year old DG Bakers mead oaked. 1.125 OG 1.001 FG. is pretty darned good.View attachment 631502

Carbonated or still?

 

[Kneller]

I use DG Bakers regularly and would suggest it is a good product for use in Bochets, braggots and dark fruit melomels blackberry, curents, blueberries, oak and vanilla tend to pair well.

Try an experiment, at these prices 5 pounds would let you see what its made of...

Once I wrap my head around the basics, I definitely want to get into bochets and more earthy/oaky/vanilla meads. I'll definitely keep this in mind. Thanks!

 

[madscientist451]

I've been to Dutch Gold in Lancaster, PA, and I asked them what the Baker's Special consisted of. They said that they filterered all of the varietal honey that comes in and there is always material that won't pass the filter, but still contains a large amount of honey. This is then heated in some way and filtered differently and it all goes into a common tank. The exact blend of the Baker's Special depends what kinds of honey they were filtering while the tank was being filled. Dutch Gold is a somewhat industrial operation with tanker trucks of honey coming in all the time.
From the Dutch Gold Website:
Baker’s Special Honey is a dark honey consisting of wildflower and other honeys and was created specifically for use as an ingredient.

 

[NeverDie]

works out to $1.42/lb

Came to $2.56/lb when I added in their shipping and handling.

At that price, you may as well buy Costco or Sam's Club honey, if you have no other choices.

 

[CKuhns]

always hard to taste a mead (or wine or beer) from a photo. I guess my taste and sight senses are not as well interconnected as they might be...

LOL - Yep I guess that was kind of a silly post....

Carbonated or still?

This one is still

 

[CKuhns]

Came to $2.56/lb when I added in their shipping and handling.

At that price, you may as well buy Costco or Sam's Club honey, if you have no other choices.

With DG I am pretty well convinced they source their honey from reputable (or as reputable as possible) producers in North America. Im not so sure about C@stc@ or WM and in my opinion only you may not always be getting 100% honey.
Disclaimer - This is conjecture only and my opinion but there is a significant difference in flavor and aroma.

 

[Dralarms]

I purchased the 5 LB containers from Walmart (yea I know). It’s 12.48 here. Not the best but it’s labeled pure clover honey. I’m looking a local source for some but haven’t been lucky yet.

 

[NeverDie]

With DG I am pretty well convinced they source their honey from reputable (or as reputable as possible) producers in North America. Im not so sure about C@stc@ or WM and in my opinion only you may not always be getting 100% honey.
Disclaimer - This is conjecture only and my opinion but there is a significant difference in flavor and aroma.

Which DG honey do you like the most?

 

[NeverDie]

I purchased the 5 LB containers from Walmart (yea I know). It’s 12.48 here. Not the best but it’s labeled pure clover honey. I’m looking a local source for some but haven’t been lucky yet.

Printed on the cap are the countries it is supposedly sourced from. Allegedly, Viet Nam, Ukraine, and India are code for China.

I tried the walmart honey, and to me it tasted more like pancake syrup than honey. YMMV.

 

[Dralarms]

Printed on the cap are the countries it is supposedly sourced from. Allegedly, Viet Nam, Ukraine, and India are code for China.

The first batch of mead I made got rave reviews from an old mead maker that gave me a bottle a couple years ago that he did in 1989.

 

[CKuhns]

Which DG honey do you like the most?

I like the DG Wldflower and of course Bakers, if im going to buy a variatal like Orange Blossom I source it from a local bee keeper.