Raw Arbutus Honey - 5kg - Out of Stock

Awarded a coveted Two-Star Prize in the Great Taste Awards 2021

According to the judges: "A dark honey with an intense aroma. The taste really hits you with a burnt caramel flavour which has an almost smoky after effect, reminiscent of molasses. A really unusual honey, the likes of which we had never tasted before.

A rich dark honey with a wonderful deep colour and aroma. There is a slight cloudiness which adds to the appeal. The flavour is full bodied with caramel notes, a great length of flavour and complexity that deserves to be commended.

A lightly viscous, smokey, deeply bitter honey - clearly arbutus and highly characterful. Happily the floral notes are as persistent as the bitter tones - indeed, its persistence is remarkable. An even, mouthfilling delivery throughout - this is an excellent example."

Rossend's raw arbutus honey is an incredibly unique type of honey. Alongside its honey sweetness, it is quite bitter, like strong dark coffee or very dark chocolate. It has a beautiful after taste, but many are surprised by its initial flavour. It is one of the most overt tasting varieties we have experienced! Very light in consistency but very dark brown in colour. This is a connoisseur variety for those with a love of unique and potent honey.

WARNING: If you have not had arbutus honey previously and are not sure if you would like bitter honey then we would recommend trying a tester before purchasing a full-size jar as the flavour is bitter.*

Colour: This particular honey is a very dark brown when runny with a shade of purple and a hint of deep red in the light.  The colour lightens significantly when crystalised to something similar to a coffee with a splash of milk. It often separates into distinct runny and crystalised layers.

Where does the honey come from? Our arbutus honey comes from Catalonia in Spain. The Catalonian Pyrenees are known for their pristine forests, high peaks and heavenly meadows, rushing rivers, winding streams and thundering waterfalls.

Who produces this honey? This arbutus honey comes from Rossend. He treats honey like an art form and you can really tell. It has such a perfect consistency and the varieties range from very subtle to very overt. He has won many awards for his honey including from the well renowned iTQi (International Taste and Quality Institute) who rated several of his honey varieties at the top level in the superior taste award category.

What about the plant the honey comes from? The Arbutus unedo bush is an evergreen, also known as madrono in Spanish and is nicknamed 'strawberry tree' due to its fruit, which look a bit like strawberries. However, these berries are not overly sweet, leaning more to acidic, but they are apparently very refreshing. The fruit of this bush is sometimes used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Common uses: Arbutus honey is known as a gourmet honey by connoisseurs and those with adventurous tastes, so it really adds a unique flavour to dishes. Savoury foods really benefit from its rich, bittersweet taste.

Arbutus honey facts: Arbutus honey is a rare variety, which is only found in good quantity in 3 places in the world - Portugal, Sardinia and Greece, and it's one of the most potent tasting varieties you can find. It contains homogentisic acid, which gives it its brown pigment as well as other unique properties. Arbutus honey is also being researched by scientists for potential chemopreventive treatments for colon cancer.

Important Note on Returns:

Due to its large size and expense, this item is not eligible for our normal extended returns policy

Please know that raw honey does crystalise and this is a natural process that occurs mainly due to the natural glucose in raw honey. For more information on why honey sets visit this article and for a more scientific explanation go to wikipedia.

About Us - Here at The Raw Honey Shop we take honey very seriously and we believe honey should be RAW, unpasteurised and 100% natural. Since 2008 we've been introducing our customers to a whole new world of pure all natural unpasteurised raw honey. With a product catalogue consisting of over 30 different raw and organic honeys we have a variety to suit all tastes.

Thank you for visiting our shop and we look forward to introducing you to a world of raw, pure and truly wonderful natural honey, the way the bees would want it!

*Product photo is representative of this product. Honey colour and texture may vary depending on the season and level of crystalization. Please check the product title and description for accurate contents.*