Thanks to Carmel Honey Company, sage never tasted so sweet.

Sage honey

Remember when honey came in a cute plastic bear-shaped container? Every once in awhile, the label might promise “clover,” otherwise honey was just that – a monotone syrup of unknown origin.

Thankfully, a growing culinary awareness and a new crop of small producers rescued honey from its plight. Take, for example, Carmel Honey Company’s sage, a smooth and rich honey that starts with a lean sweetness, building in intensity. An herbal notion appears on the palate as things ease toward a finish and then lingers, developing an earthy undertone.

The backdrop of flowering herbs and dusty minerality lend weight to the finish. So what began as a soothing, delicate and easy sweetness seems hearty and deep, with a caramel note sounding through the sweet taste.

Beekeeper and owner Jake Reisdorf may be young – he is a high school student – but he clearly knows how to coax something special from good spring grasses and an active hive.

Oh – and it comes in a jar, with the dominate herb clearly labeled.

CARMEL HONEY COMPANY Ocean Avenue and Mission Street, Suite 118 (Carmel Plaza Shopping Center), Carmel. 687-8511, carmelhoneycompany.com