August 18, 2026 there were about twenty people in attendance for a presentation by Sean Collinsworth of Killer Bees Honey, who shared his experience as a Honey Sommelier. Sean started beekeeping at the young age of 12. He kept bees until he went off to college in California. Later Sean got back into beekeeping after finishing college and settling into a career in law enforcement. He is a level one honey sensory expert, and has been to Italy twice to the Natural Research Council (CNR). Sean now sells his honey all over the world from his bees in Lake Toxaway, NC, where he now resides on 75 acres. He has scaled down to 50 hives in 3 apiaries, now that he is semi-retired at age 70. https://www.killerbeeshoney.com/pages/our-story Killer Bees Honey is tested at a laboratory in New Zealand to ensure that it is pure.
The UK and Europe have strict restrictions on honey. The US gets most of its honey from Ecuador and Paraguay, via Vietnam, India, and China and imported honey does not have many restrictions. Mississippi is the only state in the US where the honey has to be made in Mississippi in order to be called local honey. Much of the honey that is purchased in US stores has been flash heated to 175 degrees for 15 minutes in processing plants. Heating honey denatures its enzymes.
Honey has over 600 volatile compounds. Honey should never be tasted using a metal spoon. The metal in your mouth changes the composition of the honey. You should use wood, plastic or organic glass to taste honey. When tasting honey samples, it is a good idea to take a sip of water in between tasting. Another good idea is to taste honey using thin slices of apple.
Honeybees add three main enzymes to nectar to create honey: invertase, which breaks down sucrose into glucose and fructose; diastase (amylase), which breaks down complex starches into simpler sugars; and glucose oxidase, which converts glucose into antibacterial hydrogen peroxide. Honey in our Appalachian mountains contains zinc and nickel. Both come from the soil derived from our “old” mountain region and are not harmful. Glyphosate is widely used in apple orchards for post-emergence weed control and isn’t good for human consumption. It is often found in honey where bees are raised near apple orchards. Many countries in Europe have banned Glyphosate stating it is carcinogenic. Raising bees near farms is not a good idea because of all the chemicals used in farming.
Sourwood honey is the honey of the southern Appalacians. It is best paired with a good biscuit and light cheese. Wildflower honey is a bit richer and darker. It is best paired with pork roast and heavier cheese. The glycemic index (GI) of honey generally ranges from 32 to 87, with an average score of around 50 to 61. This makes honey a medium-GI food that raises blood sugar slightly slower than regular table sugar (which has a GI of about 65). The exact GI score depends heavily on the floral or botanical source of the honey and its ratio of fructose to glucose. Fructose has a much lower GI than glucose, meaning honey with higher fructose content has a lower overall GI score.
After Sean’s presentation, we all had the chance to taste and vote on 13 jars of honey that were brought in by different members of the bee club. Each jar had the member’s name on the bottom, then wrapped in tin foil. No one knew whose honey was whose. Each tasting participant was provided a wooden spoon for each jar of honey and one black bean to place next to their favorite honey. Priscilla’s bee’s honey won the contest with six black bean votes. Sean then tasted most of the honey instructing the members on what makes a good honey. He also liked Priscilla’s bee’s honey as one of the best.
Mary, Buddy and Linn were the lucky winners of the various door prizes (cucumbers, tomatoes, mums, etc.). Each ticket was just $2.
Randy has put many hours and hard work into the main door prize, which will be given to the lucky winner once the club recoups the cost of the beehive/house. Tickets for the beehive are just $10 a ticket. If you can’t make a meeting to purchase a ticket, you may mail a check payable to TC Beekeepers Association PO Box 92 Brevard, NC 28712. You do not need to be present to win.
Hope to see you at our next meeting on September 15, 2026, 6:30 pm to socialize. The official meeting begins at 7 pm: 106 E. Morgan St. Brevard, NC.
