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2026 Black Jar International Honey Contest Winners

For the 15th Annual International Black Jar Honey Contest, 98 honeys arrived from 19 countries. Every entry was judged on taste alone.

Each honey went into a glass jar marked with a randomized number, then into a small black bag that hid its color, clarity, and grain. Our judges never knew where a honey came from, who made it, or what it looked like. The contest is open to beekeepers of any size, anywhere in the world, and the blind judging means a few backyard hives can compete with a few hundred.

This year, 12 awards went to beekeepers in six countries: the United States, New Zealand, Türkiye, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Thank you for your patience. These results took longer than any of us wanted. Honey For Good is run entirely by volunteers, and this year we rebuilt the contest after losing our founder last year. It came with a steep learning curve and a few logistical surprises, and we’re grateful to every beekeeper who waited with us.

Overall Winner

Cristy and David Binz Binz Bizy Beez · Harvard, Illinois, USA

Finalists

2nd Place Jody Mitchell Kaimai Range Honey · Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
3rd Place Gökhan Aydogdu Apimaya Natural Bee Products · Çanakkale, Türkiye
4th Place Nicole Lindsey Detroit Hives · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Category Winners

Light Amber, North America Robert Goettling Village Farms · Asheville, North Carolina, USA
Light Amber, International Gökhan Aydogdu Apimaya Natural Bee Products · Çanakkale, Türkiye
Dark Amber, North America Bob Clark The Fir Farm · Colts Neck, New Jersey, USA
Dark Amber, International Lucía Parente Romero Mel Aialma · Souteliño, Laza, Ourense, Galicia, Spain
Pale, North America Tammy Loomis Loomis Apiary · Billings, Montana, USA
Pale, International Joseph Cartwright Bee Blessed Mercantile · Darlington, England, UK
Creamed Hekenoa (Taawi) Te Kurapa Maunga Honey · Ruatahuna, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
Monofloral Keisuke Fukada Fukada Bee Farm · Gujo, Gifu Prefecture, Japan

Congratulations, and Thank You

Gökhan Aydogdu took home two awards with two separate jars. Because every entry was judged anonymously, nobody tasting knew those honeys came from the same beekeeper. Each one won on its own.

To every beekeeper who sent us a jar, thank you for trusting us with your honey. To our judges, our volunteers, and everyone who joined us at the Black Jar Masquerade Gala, this contest runs on you.

We hope to taste your honey next year. Details for the 2027 contest will be posted here and in our newsletter.

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