Monarch's Choice Bulk Honey

[Baabaadoo]

I'm searching for a good quality and fair priced bulk honey (preferably local to my area). Just curious if anybody has brewed mead using monarch's choice bulk honey. It's a great price, but I am skeptical of the organic title. Why not say raw? Is it filtered, pasteurized or treated as a typical commercial honey? Which IMHO isn't really honey after all the processing.

What's the mead brewer's take on it?

 

[Burquebrewer]

I've never used monarch. What part of the country are you in? I get my honey bulk from Honeyville, CO, just outside of Durango. I believe you can order it online... The prices are great, as is the honey. Raw, unfiltered, never heated, and delicious.

 

[Baabaadoo]

Saint Louis, Mo. These are the ones I've found. Only used buxton.

Have access to: Buxton Honey, The bees knees honey, and Honey hive farms.

 

[CKuhns]

I recently purchased a 5 gallon pail of Monarchs Choice Wildflower Honey. Image is a copy of the document that came with the order.

This honey in my opinion is much better than the cheapo honey from the big box stores but not as good as local wildflower honey that is filtered but not otherwise processed.

Monarchs Choice Wildflower Honey delivered to my house was $2.29 a pound considerably less than the local apiary.

I have no affiliation with Monarchs Choice honey but have made a number of very good Melomels with it. If you want the honey to "shine" in a show Mead then go for the varietal local raw honey.

 

[Baabaadoo]

Wow. That's perfect! In what ways is it not as good as local wildflower honey that is filtered but not otherwise processed? Is it highly viscous or more like commercial maple syrup in viscosity? How quickly did you use it all? How long is it okay to sit around? Would you say this is a good honey to use in flavored mead in general where certain aspects of the honey are overlay by additives (spice/herbs/fruit)?

 

[CKuhns]

Wow. That's perfect! In what ways is it not as good as local wildflower honey that is filtered but not otherwise processed? Is it highly viscous or more like commercial maple syrup in viscosity? How quickly did you use it all? How long is it okay to sit around? Would you say this is a good honey to use in flavored mead in general where certain aspects of the honey are overlay by additives (spice/herbs/fruit)?

In my opinion raw Wildflower or varietal Honey from a local apiary has more aromatics, it just smells and tastes better than anything commercial. I believe most commercial honeys are filtered and to speed the process they often will heat it a bit. Any amount of heating will drive off some flavor and or aromatics.

It is nowhere near maple syrup viscosity, Monarch Choice tends to be a bit thicker. However viscosity is pretty dependent upon temperature.

I have 2 to 4 five gallon batches in process at any given time. The last pail lasted a month as i was out of honey then started two batches and started two additional batches immediately after the first two were through primary. I did have a half pail around a few years back for about 6 months and it was just fine.

Honey may crystallize a bit or even a lot after a year or so. It depends upon the amount of moisture it collects, however if heated slightly it will re-liquefy. Honey can last a very long time as long as it is tightly sealed. By sealing it tightly you will keep it from collecting additional moisture and if it is in the 18 - 20% range then it is pretty resistant to any kind of spoilage. (18 - 20% is pretty common for honey)

I would say that this honey has worked well for Melomels, Cysers, Methaglins and OK for just plain Mead with no additions other than Oak. If you want the honey flavor to be predominant then this will work but again, local varietals in my opinion are better for these.

One final note. I always buy the best quality ingredients my budget allows. In my opinion the Mead will reflect the quality. For honey some times Monarchs Choice and other times a local varietal is what the budget allows.

 

[ljewels4u]

I recently purchased a 5 gallon pail of Monarchs Choice Wildflower Honey. Image is a copy of the document that came with the order.

This honey in my opinion is much better than the cheapo honey from the big box stores but not as good as local wildflower honey that is filtered but not otherwise processed.

Monarchs Choice Wildflower Honey delivered to my house was $2.29 a pound considerably less than the local apiary.

I have no affiliation with Monarchs Choice honey but have made a number of very good Melomels with it. If you want the honey to "shine" in a show Mead then go for the varietal local raw honey.

View attachment 399124

I actually have this particular honey in my check out cart right now and I'm debating on getting this and the bakers honey by Monarch - 20$ less and I thought would work as well for meads and specifically the caramelized mead recipe I've been eyeballing ???? do you still recc. this brand??

 

[CKuhns]

YES still do I recently purchased two pails 1 Bakers Honey and 1 Wildflower. (My FED EX Delivery Gal will no longer bring them to the door but just sets them, by the garage. Has nothing to do with social distancing I just think she hates me...)

Used most of it up with the following and very happy with all of them except the Pineapple (Not the honeys fault I just didn't use enough fruit.)

To answer your question I Made a Bochet with the Bakers by Caramelizing the Honey to Toffee (Hard Ball) temps (took part of it and made a batch of peanut brittle). Worked amazingly well with Guajillo peppers, Red Pepper flakes Vanilla and Oak also did a couple of Tart Cherry Hydromels that I carbonated and kegged. With the Wildflower I did a Methaglin by dry hopping a more traditional mead and two Melomels Mixed Fruit and Pineapple (Fruit added to secondary).

As you can see none of these were the more "traditional" mead . Monarchs Choice, Dutch Gold, Sue Bee etc all work well when adding additional flavors as the honey notes are there but less prominent. Again if you want a better traditional (Show) Mead then my opinion still is to find a local apiary and purchase from them the honey its better quality and much more aromatic.