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fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
A good while ago, there was a thread that referred to different types of honey and there was a lot of mention about Buckwheat honey.

Now it so happens that it's an elusive little bugger to track down here, on the odd occasions when you can find it, it tends to be very expensive (the last 2 prices I found for it were £8 per lb and £5 per 12oz's).

So imagine my position when Marek (username male) said he could find some for me.

I started fantasizing about actually getting hold of some. Dreaming of the possible concoctions I could come up with......

After a number of PM's, we'd worked out the most sensible way of getting it ordered/sorted out etc. Shipping was initially looking like it might prove a bit of a PITA. Marek kindly got it ordered and arranged for it to be delivered to the family of a Polish chap who used to work at my company (since changed jobs but I can still get hold of him Ok).

Sebastian, the other chap, said it was fine to get it sent to his house in Poland and when he was there on one of his relatively frequent trips home, he'd bring it back with him.....

Today, Sebastian turned up at my home, clutching a large(ish) package that appeared to be buried in white sticking tape - baring the legend "Opened by HMRC for inspection".

It would appear that there was no convincing the tin pot hitler at Dover that honey could be that dark, and that there is lots of genuine, legal, private commerce that goes on and that they can do nothing about within EU member states (or as it's still in "pure" form, as a foodstuff, it's zero rated for VAT/sales tax so he couldn't try and tag on an import levy).

Plus I suspect that the customs nazi probably didn't speak or read any Polish.

So Marek, I can't thank you enough for your assistance in helping sort this one out. I can't wait to start mixing my first batch;D8)

regards

fatbloke
 

sandman

Premium Patron
Premium Patron
Feb 5, 2007
804
2
18
60
Hartford, Huntingdon, United Kingdom
I picked up a few gallons of that awesome polish buckwheat over Christmas when we went to visit Marek and his family. It was easier for us since we drove.

It's definitely a strong tasting, really dark honey, and I'm also looking to make some serious meads with it. I've just been waiting for the right chance to start a big batch. The time is coming soon... I can feel it.

Thanks again for the help getting it Marek. You're awesome. ;D
 

Tannin Boy

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 6, 2010
332
0
0
Webster, NY
Not meaning to steal a thread here..

Local Buckwheat honey purchased from a store here
was a bit high at $40US, should have gone to public
market and would have paid $30US for #10 / Gallon Container.???

Had a bug about starting this new batch off on the same day, so I
stopped to the local yeast supplier for Wyeast Sweet Mead Yeast
and off I went. My first liquid yeast attempt as well as this buckwheat
I have also read and heard so much about.

Just a simple cranberry melomel that is always a good before dinner choice
of preparing the taste buds for what is sure to come. Well, put the ingredients together and followed the yeast smack pack instructions with a temp. range of 68 degs's Fahrenheit. Hmmmmmm? Four days later and almost no bubbles:mad:

Got myself online and shipped via FedX a pad heater to the doorstep...Ok, I'm back in business....Turned this baby on and selected 74 deg's and it took a day to turn on, but I did not expect a 5 plus week high speed ferment, this stuff has some legs to it for sure. Now I'm at the 7 week stage after racking to the 2nd. carboy and cooler temp's. in the basement to clear a bit more.

Well, I had a quart of this buckwheat honey left and I said to self, what should we do now? So I head to the fridge and look to see what may go with this wonderful flavored honey? Well, low and behold a batch of Kabanosy ( sausage sticks ) that I had made last week was looking me in the eye, so I thought a dipping sauce would make for a lovely snack. I took a bit of this honey and mixed a touch of mustard in and proceeded to test this combination of flavors. It stood up quite nicely with the Kabanosy :p

Hope your adventure with this wonderful honey is all you hope for. I have been very pleased so far and look forward to this new Mel.

Good Brewing
 

male

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 30, 2008
104
0
16
Poland,Jelenia Góra
Fatbloke, nothing special has happened, it was very easy for me to made an order for your honey.As long as you have a contact with Sebastian, you can receive such sweet buckets from Poland.This year meadmakers from my website forum ordered more than 2700 kg of honey.
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Fatbloke, nothing special has happened, it was very easy for me to made an order for your honey.As long as you have a contact with Sebastian, you can receive such sweet buckets from Poland.This year meadmakers from my website forum ordered more than 2700 kg of honey.
It's the anticipation and waiting that are the worst Marek :).

I know that making arrangements like this takes time, what with you making the order, then it getting Sebastians house and then having to wait until he goes home, travels back and then finds time to hook up with me.

Ha ha!, I'm not very good with patience - especially when the thing I'm waiting for offers such wonderful possibilities - like this honey.......:cool:;D

It really is amazing. Not a strong "honey-like" flavour but the aroma and the malty taste seem so wonderous.......

I wonder if I'll find time to mix a batch today....... here's hoping ???

regards

fatbloke

p.s. as for 2.7 tonnes of honey? Damn! that would be mead making on a grand scale..........
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Sounds very cool that you guys were able to arrange honey shipments around Europe.
It's also down to a fair amount of luck and a smattering of technology.....

I wouldn't have had any way of knowing Marek except from here at gotmead.

Then his kindness to be able to arrange the actual order/purchase.....

Then a little more technology i.e. Paypal, which might not be the best way of arranging the money, but it's certainly convenient.

Factor in that there is still, a relatively new community of Polish people who have moved over here to work, while still retaining their family roots in Poland (my former colleague Sebastian.....), and move to and fro - not forgetting Sebastians offer to bring the honey back here for me.

Brilliant, I just can't put into words how grateful I am to both of them for their efforts.

The only annoyance is that I'm now looking for other, unusual, difficult to obtain honeys that might make good meads - if used correctly......

It's another thread here, that's got me on the look out for Avacado honey, as that also seems to be a rich, dark, distinctive honey......

Plus a conference call with my friend in Oklahoma, to look (from his point of view) to the South American countries. The Bee Folks in Maryland seem to stock a few likely candidates.....

So for that, it'll be putting a little more money aside to be able to make it financially viable (I'd have to ship 5 gallons - via USPS - to make it possible/affordable).........

Right, now off to dig around here to try and find recipes/methods that will do the buck wheat honey justice........

regards

fatbloke
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Fatbloke, the avocado/buckwheat mix that my local honey supplier calls "California Crude" (or sometimes "that California crap" depending on his mood), is available to me in bulk here in Colorado at approximately US$1.25/lb including a fee for the container (roughly £1.80/kg at today's exchange rate). It is truly unfortunate that there is no easy/cheap way to trade honey at this distance, or I would gladly offer an exchange of some of my "black gold" for some of that Polish buckwheat honey. :crybaby2:

Marek, I wish I had a friend/relative who made frequent trips to Poland! ;)
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
2,373
4
0
Elk Grove, CA
I could probably stash smallish amounts of honey in my daughter's luggage when she heads over to the UK for grad school in September, but not a 5 gallon bucket. :)
 
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