SOUTH AFRICA | ZA1, Cosmos | ZA2, Buffalo Thorn | ZA3, Boland Fynbos & Buchu | ZA4, Citrus | ZA5, Aloe Davyana | ZA6, Protea Mundii & Fynbos | ZA7, Northwest Province Bushveld Honey | ZA8, Overberg Fynbos | ZA9, Yellowbox Eucalyptus | ZA10, Alewynspoort Multi-Flora | ZA11, Cat Thorn (Drogie) E. Cape | ZA12, Tsitsakamma Fynbos Honey |
ZA12, Tsitsakamma Fynbos Honey
|
|
|
|
The honey
What I love about Gero and Marie’s small-batch artisanal honeys is the meticulous care they take in noting each batch number. The Fynbos biome in their region produces honey of extraordinary character, but only if the extraction process honours the unique aromas and flavours of each nectar flow, a craft that demands precise timing and an intimate understanding of the local flora that their bees forage from.
Their March 2025 Tsitsikamma harvest captures this beautifully. Subtle warmth and toasty caramel notes hint at eucalyptus trees the bees may have visited. On the nose, it is understated yet layered: pineapple, green apple, hay, and herbal whispers mingle before the palate is seduced by a medium-sweet honey that balances bitter herbal undertones, tropical fruit brightness, and the faint, silky caress of lactic melted butter. The finish is what truly intrigues. Rather than lingering as a simple taste, it expresses itself through mouth feel and nerve sensation: an ever so slight numbness on the palate, known as a trigeminal sensation. In honey tasting, this refers to subtle sensations detected by the trigeminal nerve (e.g. tingling, cooling, astringency), or gentle numbness, that engage the mouth in a way beyond flavour, adding an intriguing tactile dimension that makes this honey uniquely memorable. The beekeeping
Established in 2019, The Honey Collective is a small-scale, start-up beekeeping outfit based in The Crags, Plettenberg Bay, on Garden Route of South Africa and is owned and managed by husband-and-wife team, Gero and Marie Lilleike.
Our flagship Tsitsikamma Fynbos Honey is produced in our Fynbos apiary, where we currently manage 5 honeybee colonies. The bees have undisturbed access to pristine Fynbos vegetation and Tsitsikamma Afromontane Forest, which forms part of the greater Cape Floristic Region. This floral mix gives our Fynbos honey a rich and unique flavour profile not found anywhere else in the world. |
