Local Appalachian Wildflower Honey

Honey & the Hive's specialty is local, raw (unpasteurized) wildflower honey from local bees and beekeepers. We're proud to carry many different varietals from many locales throughout the Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachians region. Local honey just tastes better, and it's better for you, too!

Each varietal we carry is different from the others, as bees forage 3-5 miles out from their hive. It's an extremely localized snapshot of the flora in the area the hives are! This means that each wildflower honey contains the pollens and nectars of many different plants, which is what makes them taste so complex, deep, and various. Below you can find our tasting notes listed by area and varietal.

The availability of each varietal is quite limited, as we only get a bucket or two of each from each small-scale beekeeper we buy from or from our own apiary. Such is the nature of apiculture, so savor the flavors of each season and locale while you have them!

Tasting notes of current varietals

• Bakersville NC 28705 : Amber spring/summer wildflower; slightly lemony and tannic, like Southern sweet tea with lemonade
• Black Mountain NC 28711 : Light spring/summer wildflower; sweet, syrupy and zippy, somewhat like a real tart lemonade
• Franklin NC 28734 : Amber spring/summer wildflower; rich, sweet, and buttery with a light fruitiness, very full flavor that fills the mouth for a while
• Horse Shoe NC 28742 : Amber summer wildflower; sweet and light caramel-candy notes on top of a more muted tangy-fruity flavor
• Swannanoa NC 28778 : Amber summer wildflower; rich and fruity with lots of sweet herbaceousness, reminiscent of summer tree flowers like basswood

Note on filtration: Some beekeepers filter their honey at different levels, and this means pollens and some little bits of beeswax can remain in the honey. Usually there are virtually none, but you may encounter a tiny pale-to-dark piece of beeswax or two. This is edible, but if that doesn't appeal to you, you can scoop it out!