Biosota MGO 2000+ Organic Manuka Honey: Our Review

Is Biosota Manuka Honey worth buying?

Biosota is an Australian manuka honey producer, which claims to have produced the highest MGO rated honey ever, at MGO 2000+. 

But is the honey as good as they say it is? 

Let's take a look.

Who is biosota?

Biosota is a family owned business based out of Australia, but its origins actually come from Europe. The family started beekeeping in the 1950s, but moved to Australia in 1996 with a goal to make quality manuka honey.

Biosota means "natural hexagon", alluding to the hexagon-shaped clusters in honeycomb which bees create to protect their honey.

The owners of Biosota, founded in 1999, are Andrey and Oxana Zubko, who have making high-grade manuka honey their life's mission from their new home in Australia.

Their honey is produced in remote forests to ensure pure, organic manuka honey.

Product overview:

The Biosota MGO 2000+ manuka honey is the top of the Biosota range. The claim is it's the highest MGO honey ever created, although we do know of at least one other MGO 2000+ honey that's been produced in the past.

Nonetheless, and MGO reading of 2000+ is certainly impressive and one of the most potent manuka honey readings ever recorded.

This particular honey is harvested on Australia's east coast. Very specific micro-climates are required to produce a honey of this calibre. As we've explained in the past, for extremely high UMF or MGO grades to be achieved, conditions practically need to be perfect, and for that you are at the whim of Mother Nature. If the climate is a little too warm or cold, if the manuka flowers don't bloom for long enough, or if other flora ends up contaminating your harvest, achieving MGO ratings above 1500 become close to impossible. Often, producing honey of calibre this high only comes once or twice in a generation.

One very cool feature we do love is Biosota's temperature reading lid. The lid measures the temperature and humidity of your honey, to ensure you're storing it in optimal conditions. After all, you've spent a pretty penny on it, the last thing you want is for it to spoil!

We also love that the honey is certified glyphosate free. Glyphosate is still legal in New Zealand and Australia, so contamination with glyphosate can be a real issue. We always recommend checking for glyphosate free honey.

Finally, as we said, conditions to produce honey this good do not come around all the time. For this particular harvest, Biosota was able to produce 500 jars. If you do get yourself a jar, know you're in possession of a limited edition product, and it's not certain when such a honey like this will be made again.

Grading

We like that Biosota manuka honey has been independently tested for MGO, NPA, HMF and DHA content. These are all components required to garner a coveted UMF grading from the UMF Association.

Unfortunately, however, probably because Biosota is based in Australia, it hasn't been tested by UMF approved labs. 

This doesn't mean the grading is illegitimate. We're actually quite confident the readings are accurate or close to accurate, and the levels achieved are impressive. Take a look:

Based on the MGO reading alone, this would be the equivalent of a UMF 35+ honey or even higher.

However, here's where it falls short. 

You'll notice the HMF grading is 85 mg/kg. And you'll also notice, there is no leptosperin testing. If you take a look at the requirements to achieve a UMF grade, they are as follows:

Based on this, Biosota MGO 2000 manuka honey would likely not even receive a UMF grade, because its HMF content is too high.

HMF content refers to the degree the honey has been exposed to high heat, as high heat can damage some of the honey's enzymes, and increases the level of HMF. If the honey has HMF readings above 40, this makes it ineligible for a UMF grading, and the HMF reading of Biosota MGO 2000 honey is 85mg/kg, about twice as high as the permitted level.

Secondly, UMF graded honey requires at least 200 mg/kg of leptosperin (leptosperin is a compound found exclusively in manuka honey, if it's not present, it means the honey is not genuine manuka).

We do not know what the leptosperin content of Biosota honey is as it has not been UMF tested and was not tested for during their independent testing.

This is the reason UMF grading is so valuable. It is a fully comprehensive system of testing all components of a genuine manuka honey. You can read more about grading systems here.

Once again, let me be crystal clear - this does not mean we are saying Biosota manuka honey is not real manuka honey. We believe it certainly is genuine manuka honey and a very high quality one. However, do we think it outranks some of the higher UMF grade honeys that we recommend, such as the UMF 28+ honey from NZ Honey Co? 

Hard to say.

Packaging

One of our favourite things about this honey is the packaging.

The honey is packed like a luxury perfume in a crafted box, which is fitting for a premium product. The temperature reading lid is a nice addition, and something unique to Biosota. We also love the glass jar - manuka honey in plastic never feels right to us. 

Taste

The Biosota MGO 2000 is an earthy honey, caramel-like in texture and has a classic bitter aftertaste.

One thing we noticed is it has a very subtle different to New Zealand manuka honeys that we weren't quite able to pinpoint. Perhaps it could be described as "herby" or "flowery". 

As for sweetness, it's about what you would expect. Manuka honey is not overly sweet in general, we think this honey had a great balance.

Overall, we don't think you'll be disappointed with the taste. Honey lovers like us found it delicious, and we think most people will too!

value for money

The Biosota MGO 2000+ range is not cheap.

A bottle 500g/17.5oz jar will set you back around $700 USD.

Considering UMF 30+ honeys generally cost around that much, it's not a huge surprise.

Is it worth it?

Overall, yes, we think it's a fair price. Generally honey of this calibre is not purchased to stir into your coffee - it's usually for medicinal benefits such as wound dressings, helping with illness, or dealing with stubborn infections.

Manuka honey is a wonder of nature, and getting some of the highest potency manuka honey ever produced is not expected to be cheap. We don't think the price is extravagant, so if you're after a high purity manuka honey, this could be a decent choice.

suggested uses and benefits:

As I mentioned, manuka honey of high grades are generally not for baking and eating.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with using them for that purpose! However, a UMF 20+ honey that will cost a fraction of the price can do that job just as well.

A manuka honey with an MGO reading of 2000 is medicinal grade. This means using it for staph infections, wounds that won't heal and perhaps even skincare are more common uses. There are many benefits manuka honey offers, and a product of this quality would be a good agent for almost all of them.

overall summary:

FAQ

Why is biosota honey so expensive?

Biosota MGO 2000 honey is one of the highest MGO levels ever achieved in a manuka honey. Conditions to produce honey of this quality only occur a few times in a generation. It also comes in premium packaging, violetglass jars with a temperature sensing lid. It might be expensive, but it's justifiably so, and not any more expensive than other honeys of a similar grade.

Is biosota Manuka Honey genuine?

Yes, Biosota manuka honey is genuine manuka honey made from real manuka plants and nectar and is independently tested for HMF, MGO, DHA and NPA - all essential components of a real manuka honey.

Is Biosota Manuka Honey UMF Graded?

No, Biosota manuka honey has not been graded by the UMF Association.

Is it safe to eat biosota Manuka Honey every day?

Yes, it is safe to eat Biosota Manuka Honey every day. It is a natural food and very nutritious. However, it is high in sugar content, so eat it in moderation.

Where to buy:

To ensure your Biosota Honey is genuine, we recommend purchasing it directly from their website here.