Honey Basics

The Art of Honey Sommeliers: Professional Honey Tasting

Krista Bugden

Published at: January 23, 2025
Updated at: January 23, 2025

6 minutes

Executive Summary:

Professional honey sommeliers undergo extensive training to detect subtle variations in taste, aroma, and texture, similar to wine experts.
Proper honey tasting follows a systematic approach using specific tools and techniques, including wooden spoons and careful sensory evaluation.
Each honey variety tells its own story through unique characteristics shaped by its floral source, with Manuka honey distinguished by its rich, creamy texture and caramel notes.
Creating a home honey tasting experience requires careful preparation and can include food pairings that enhance each honey’s natural flavors.
Authentic Manuka honey, sourced from New Zealand's remote wilderness, offers a complex tasting profile influenced by the native Manuka tea tree’s nectar.

The Art of Honey Sommeliers: Professional Tasting

Much like wine experts who detect subtle notes of berries or oak in fine wine, honey sommeliers explore a fascinating world of flavors. Their trained palates reveal the secrets hidden in every golden drop—with each honey variety offering unique characteristics shaped by its environment.

Beyond simple sweetness, each honey variety showcases a world of distinct tastes, textures, and aromas—turning honey tasting into a true art. In this article, we explore what a honey sommelier is, the art of honey tasting, and how to fully appreciate each unique type of honey to the fullest.

What Is a Honey Sommelier?

A honey sommelier is an expert who analyzes, evaluates, and shares knowledge about different honey varieties. These specialists train their senses to detect subtle variations in honey’s taste, aroma, and texture.

In fact, professional honey tasting requires years of dedicated practice and study. Sommeliers learn to identify honey’s geographic origins, floral sources, and unique characteristics.

Beyond tasting, sommeliers understand how different honeys interact with foods and beverages. As such, they often guide chefs and consumers in selecting the perfect honey for specific culinary applications.

Several organizations also offer formal certification programs for honey sommeliers—such as the American Honey Tasting Society and the Italian National Registry of Experts. Both of these organizations have courses with examinations to test your honey-tasting knowledge. However, it’s worth noting that these courses are quite extensive with even the first phase of the Italian National Registry of Experts for honey tasting taking over 28 hours to complete.

The Art and Techniques of Honey Tasting

Professional honey tasting follows a systematic approach that engages all of the senses. Like wine tasting, each step builds a complete picture of the honey’s unique character and origin story.

While generalized, the complete honey testing process often involves the following steps:

Hold the honey jar up to natural light to assess color and clarity.
Gently warm the honey between your hands to release aromas.
Take a deep inhale to capture the honey’s fragrance profile.
Place a small amount on your tongue using a wooden spoon, allowing it to coat your entire palate before swallowing.
Notice the lingering flavors and aftertaste.
Commonly, honey-tasting professionals will document their observations.

While this process may seem simple, mastering honey tasting requires attention to detail and practice. Professional tasters develop these skills through years of experience and careful observation.

When participating in professional honey tasting, you may also hear similar words used to describe fine wines. Your leader or instructor might note subtle hints of butterscotch, vanilla, citrus, or fresh grass while also describing qualities like a clean finish, lingering sweetness, or bright acidity. Again, the more practiced you become, the more you’ll notice these small differences between different honeys.

When participating in a honey tasting, you may also want to keep these tips in mind to further enhance your experience:

Always use wooden or stainless steel spoons; never metal (The metallic notes can interfere with the honey’s natural and subtle flavors).
Keep room temperature water nearby for palate cleansing and use it between each tasting.
You may also choose to use plain crackers between samples to reset your taste buds. It’s also recommended to wait at least one minute between each sample.
Taste no more than five to six types of honey in one session.
Start with lighter honey types before moving to darker varieties.

Exploring the Diversity of Honey Varietals

Like wine grapes from different regions, honey derives its character from its floral source. Each flower variety contributes unique flavors, aromas, and properties to the final product. For instance, orange blossom honey brings about bright, citrus notes. Lavender honey offers delicate floral undertones. Meanwhile, buckwheat honey presents rich, molasses-like qualities. Each variety tells the story of its origin!

Among these diverse varieties, Manuka honey provides a tasting experience unlike any other. Native to New Zealand’s remote wilderness, Manuka honey comes from bees that pollinate the Manuka tea tree during its brief six-week flowering season.

Manuka honey is well-known for its distinctive profile. The rich, creamy texture carries subtle caramel notes, making it particularly interesting for sommeliers. This type of honey also has global recognition for its potent nutrient profile—which includes Methylglyoxal (MGO), unique antioxidants, and prebiotics.

At Manukora, in particular, we are proud of maintaining traditional and ethical beekeeping practices to produce this one-of-a-kind honey. Our careful harvesting methods preserve the honey’s natural properties and unique compounds—while also keeping the bees’ health in mind.

Our commitment to quality starts with choosing the right harvest locations. We place our hives in remote areas within the dense Manuka tea tree forests. This ensures our bees only retrieve nectar from the Manuka tea tree flower. Each Manukora jar also includes a QR code that reveals its origin, beekeeper, and test results—ensuring you get authentic and pure Manuka honey every time!

Incorporating Honey Tasting into Culinary Experiences

Discover the joy of honey tasting by creating your own adventure at home! Start with a selection of three to five different honeys, including Manuka honey, to explore their unique flavors and textures.

Grab some friends and set up your honey tasting by:

Arranging the honeys from light to dark for an easy flavor progression.
Using separate wooden spoons for each variety to preserve their distinct tastes.
Offering water and plain crackers to cleanse the palate between tastings.
Keeping notepaper handy for jotting down impressions.
Ensuring the space is well-lit with natural light.
Serving all honey at room temperature for the best experience.

Honey tasting also opens the door to endless pairing possibilities. For example, soft cheeses like brie perfectly balance the creamy texture of Manuka honey, while fresh fruits elevate honey’s natural sweetness in delightful ways. Here are some options you may want to try:

Manuka honey with aged cheddar
Light honeys with fresh goat cheese
Dark honeys with blue cheese
Any honey paired with warm, crusty bread
Honey drizzled over fresh fruit
A spoonful stirred into herbal tea

For an even deeper dive, many specialty food shops offer guided honey tastings where you can learn from experts and connect with fellow honey lovers. You can also join online communities dedicated to honey appreciation.

Explore Mother Nature’s Liquid Gold

The world of professional honey tasting highlights the incredible diversity of honey around the world. Each variety takes you on a unique sensory journey that’s both fascinating and rewarding to explore! Just like wine enthusiasts develop their palates over time, your appreciation for honey will grow with each tasting.

Kick off your honey journey with Manukora’s premium Manuka honey. Its rich, complex profile and creamy texture make it the perfect starting point for practicing professional tasting techniques. Explore our store to find a range of MGO-certified Manuka honeys. Each jar offers an opportunity to sharpen your tasting skills!