Breakfast with a beekeeper

Our morning at the beekeeper's residence began with apples served on a beeswax slab, marmalade on toast, plum jam and stewed rhubarb, accompanied by the perfume from a glass of chardonnay. The palate was like brown sugar on oak, almonds and banoffee pie with vanilla cream. Water introduced honey liqueur and melted butter to the nose, with top notes of hedgerow berries and orange bitters. The finish was bourbonesque, ending on cherry liqueur, bubblegum and caramel sauce. After 10 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this to a first fill, heavily toasted, medium charred hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.