When it comes to the world of manuka honey, Steens is one of the most well-known names and for good reason. The husband and wife team that founded the company now have over three decades of experience in producing some of the highest quality manuka honey on the market.
Over the past year or so, the company has gone through some changes including a rebranding and also becoming a licensee of the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMF HA), which means that jars of Steens manuka honey now also have the UMF label.
This Steens UMF 15+ Raw Manuka Honey is therefore quite a potent and pure manuka honey with a UMF rating of 15+. It has an initial strong earthy aroma that is not overpowering and this is followed by unmistakable smell of sweet toffee.
The colour of this honey is a glorious light brown toffee colour with a definite hint of orange, and it has a runny texture that makes it easy for spreading on your morning toast or then for spooning a generous dollop in with some Greek-style yoghurt, for instance.
Steens UMF 15+ Raw Manuka Honey is seriously delicious and is packed with sweet fruit and toffee style flavours and has a long sweet aftertaste. Some manuka honeys sometimes have an almost astringent taste, often described as earthy and herbal, but this is not the case with this manuka honey, but the sweetness is wonderfully balanced.
Jars of Steens manuka honey also have a batch tracker so you can see where the apiary is located. This UMF 15+ Raw Manuka Honey came from an apiary located in a pristine and beautiful area of New Zealand called Hicks Bay 186km from Gisborne.
Steens have a reputation for producing excellent manuka honey and on the basis of this tasting that reputation is totally justified! Delicious, high quality manuka honey.