Speaking of dark honeys, I got this in Tenerife, it’s different from our heather honey but the description says it’s mainly heather. Doesn’t taste like our heather either. Very nice though! Also a spring honey.
Spanish heather types in general have a different flavour and colour to that from the UK, and even within the UK there are variations. The minority honey types in them gives a different colour, often darker and reddish rather than the more orange here.
However, the most common dark honey we produce is Bell Heather, Erica cineria. In Spanish and in particular Canarias the most common yielder is Erica arborea. It does have a somewhat different flavour and colour to OUR bell heather but is nonetheless sold as heather honey, or tree heather.
If going for something to completely blow the theory out of the water go the other way. Acacia (more precisely the false acacia, Robinia pseudacacia)...one of the whitest and mildest yet delicious honey types out there. Nowadays grows widely in SE England esp around London....and they don't come a lot woodier than this tree. Its one of the favoured firewoods in its range as it is very hard and burns with a high heat output. (Irrelevant I know but just interesting.)
In support of Antipodes, we used to handle a fair amount of eucalypt honey in the distant past. Very variable according to species all the way from Extra Light Amber (ELA) to Medium Amber. Most common would be Light Amber which in all honesty is a misnomer as it is anything but light when in the jar. A friend still does handle a fair amount though much of it is now from India rather than Australia. It is also an amber honey rather than pale. I have to confess I really enjoy the taste of Eucalypt honey.
