Linden Blossom Honey

Organic Linden Blossom Honey from Austria: aromatic and spicy from the Waldviertel region

The organic linden blossom honey from the BIO Imkerei Neber comes from the linden forests of the Waldviertel in Lower Austria. Greenish-yellow to delicate yellow, liquid, aromatic, with a light minty finish. A single-varietal organic honey from Austria, with no additives and no flavorings.

Organic linden blossom honey is an aromatic, finely spiced varietal honey made from the nectar of summer and winter linden trees, harvested by BIO Imkerei Neber in June and July in the Waldviertel, Lower Austria. Anton Neber, a master beekeeper since 2002, brings his Carniolan honey bee colonies to the hilly landscapes north of the Danube during the linden blossom season and processes the harvest in his own "Honig-GENUSS-keller" (Honey-Enjoyment-Cellar) in Sankt Lorenzen im Mürztal. What arrives in the 250-gram jar is organic honey from Austria – single-varietal, natural, and free from any other ingredients.

Aromatic, spicy, and slightly minty

In the jar, the linden blossom honey reveals a greenish-yellow to delicate golden hue; on the palate, it unfolds a fruity sweetness with the minty finish typical of linden. Unlike mild acacia honey, it is aromatic and bold, yet not overly sweet despite its light color – the minty tone comes from the linalool in the linden nectar and gives it its characteristic profile.

Linden blossom honey is among the rarer nectar honeys in Austria: for a linden tree to bloom profusely, it requires loose, deep soil and sufficient water, and the tree is not blessed with an abundance of blossoms every year, as Anton describes the nectar flow calendar during a discussion of his range. The bees collect the nectar only in good weather, when the blossoms are particularly fragrant – even into the evening, which gives the linden tree a special status among nectar sources.

Linden blossom honey – spicy with cheese and tea

On a lightly toasted Vinschger Paarl from Ultner, the organic linden blossom honey shows its full depth – the hearty, dark South Tyrolean bread pairs beautifully with a generous spoonful. The honey also makes a strong statement on a slice of aged mountain cheese, where the fruity sweetness plays against the salty notes.

In hot herbal tea, one teaspoon per cup is sufficient, and in a salad dressing with apple cider vinegar and walnut oil, the minty linden honey complements the nutty flavors. For a relaxed Sunday breakfast, a teaspoon on a slice of bread, dissolved in water below 40 degrees, is enough to preserve the delicate linden notes.

Three generations of beekeeping from Upper Styria

Behind the BIO Imkerei Neber are Anton and Gerlinde Neber, a third-generation family beekeeping business from Sankt Lorenzen im Mürztal in Upper Styria. Anton completed his master beekeeper examination at the Styrian Beekeeping School in 2002 and has since worked with the local Carniolan bee, a bee breed adapted to the Alpine region for centuries. Gerlinde manages the partnership and handles sales in the Honig-GENUSS-keller.

For centuries, the linden tree was the "tree of life" – there used to be a beautiful tradition of planting a linden tree at the birth of a child. Since 2007, the honey has been extracted gently in the in-house Honig-GENUSS-keller, left unheated, and bottled by hand in small batches. Beehives are made from untreated wood and metal. In the range of the BIO Imkerei Neber, you will find other single-varietal organic honeys from Austria.

In tea, no hotter than forty degrees

Darkness and temperatures between 10 and 18 degrees are good for organic linden blossom honey. It dissolves best in tea when the water is no hotter than 40 degrees; otherwise, the delicate linden notes and the natural enzyme structure are lost. Enjoy it on a cheese platter directly from the jar, about a scant teaspoon per piece, accompanied by a slice of pear. You will discover why linden blossom honey is one of the most aromatic honeys in Austria.

Organic inspection body AT-BIO-301 Austrian Agriculture