Goldenrod Apiaries

This honey tastes tooooo sweet! makes me suspicious

I cannot recommend this honey. I’ve tried multiple local raw honeys from various areas (it’s a favorite souvenir when traveling) and something about this honey doesn’t add up. It’s too sweet, it doesn’t age like every other raw honey I’ve ever bought… it’s just not right. Sorry guys, I really wanted to like it since I bought a huge jar. :-(

Direct Question for the Owners of Goldenrod Apiaries:
Is your Raw Honey, I purchased tonight at Clemons, REAL RAW HONEY? Where was it made or harvested? I purchased «Orange» Style? Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

This stuff is NOT local. I’m not sure if it is even real honey…
A little background: I bought their «raw» wildflower honey because Goldenrod Apiaries was one of the only local honeys I had yet to try. I use honey on a daily basis in everything from my espresso to baking and I consider myself an amateur enthusiast if not a Honey Nut (I even plan to keep bees when I get my hands on some equipment). Once I got the bottle home I put a bit on a spoon for a taste. The initial flavor was SUPER sweet with an overwhelming aftertaste. Granted, honey is supposed to be sweet but this was suspiciously sweet. That, coupled the weird aftertaste led me to believe the honey had been mixed with something else. (
)
After reading the Nini G’s review I called the owner asking for more information on where they get their honey from (they haven’t kept their own bees for years) and he wouldn’t tell me. He actually got defensive about the fact that I wanted to know (I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t trust a place that wont tell you where they get their product from) He also told me that the honey was tested by the state. The only testing done on honey in Florida is done by The National Honey Board which is voluntary and Goldenrod Apiaries is not listed on their website as a trusted source. I asked for some sort of documentation for the testing but was refused.
Apparently, I take my honey seriously or else I would not have gone through so much trouble, but also I feel like these types of companies take advantage of consumers by labeling their product with buzzwords (haha!) like «raw» when they are far from it (
). Please do your body, taste buds and local beekeepers a favor and buy raw honey from reputable sources (
).

Raw honey? Bee pollen? And right around the block? Yes, please. Just picked up some raw wildflower honey and some bee pollen on the way home. I couldn’t wait to try the honey, so as soon as I got home I opened it up and smelled it. My mouth watered! Same with the bee pollen. I’m hoping this will help alleviate my allergies. The bee pollen must be what heaven smells like! The honey (three teaspoons later) is some of the best I’ve ever had.
They also sell in Whole Foods stores, but with them in my ‘hood it’s a bonus!

I know it seems kind of silly to write a review for a product, but it comes from a local business so I guess it’s ok.
The Goldenrod Apiaries produces several types of local honey for us. They don’t offer tours of the facilities, since it’s you know, covered in bees! However you can find their products at many of the smaller produce stores around town.
Top Produce and Fancy Fruits & Vegetables on Goldenrod and Curry Ford carry it and Harvills Farmers Market on 436 and Howell Branch has a good selection of their different varieties.
They have Wildflower, Tupelo, Orange Blossom… I may be forgetting one. This stuff is great for replacing sugar in coffee, tea, yogurt, or just about anything!
Check your labels folks, and if you see stuff from the Goldenrod Apiaries, buy it! You won’t be disappointed. It’s the best local honey you can find AND by eating local honeys you build up immunity to local allergens. It’s a truefact!