17.5 OUNCE

Stretching from sandy shores to the peaks of high mountains, and with every type of abundance in between sunny Catalonia is a microcosm of the Mediterranean world. Its people are independent in spirit and in their cuisines, enjoying the bounty of the sea, the plains, the hills, and the mountains. They are some of the most discerning palates in all of Europe.

To the southwest of Barcelona lies the region of Lleida, one of the most bountiful in Catalonia. Extending from the fertile plains up to the rugged Pyrenees, it is a land of people who are warm and welcoming, and a people who gained centuries of knowledge in working that land and in preparing and consuming its abundance.

The lands of Lleida still preserve a wide variety of craftsmen, including butchers who make unbelievable sausages, olive growers whose presses run green with flavor, grape growers that turn out silky smooth vintages, shepherds and farmers that toil to produce exquisite cheese, and of course beekeepers; the different professions spread across the different local districts and have managed to preserve these millennial traditions.

This rich landscape yields an almost endless supply of fields, orchards, and wild tracts for nomadic beekeepers to work their bees. Cami la Plana produces some wonderful honeys from the abundant flora on the hills and plains of lower Lleida. Honey made from the flowers of wild oak trees is a true rarity, and one taste of this broodingly dark honey will let know why it rarely makes it to our shores.

Pourable and smooth in texture, this delicious honey has caramel and molasses notes as well as an aromatic finish without a hint of bitterness. It possesses an agreeable amount of acidity that keeps the sweetness in check and makes for a great finish.

It is milder but more complex in flavor than any chestnut honey we've ever tasted. This one is a must for the honey aficionado and dabbler alike. A glass of olorosa, a piece of Cabrales, and a drizzle of wild oak honey…ah, heaven.