We have a winner. By a score of 72 votes to 64, Maine wild raspberry defeated Pennsylvania alfalfa in the final of The Naturalist's Notebook's 2nd Annual Sweet 16 Honey-Tasting Tournament, which ended yesterday afternoon. We had to cut the final short because we're down to our last half-jar of the raspberry, which for the next few days will go head-to-head against the 2009 tournament champion, Washington State fireweed, in what we're calling the Super Honey Bowl, or the Honey Pot for short.
Pennsylvania alfalfa—down by a dozen votes yesterday morning—closed to within eight by late yesterday afternoon but ran out of time.
Yes, for those of you who are wondering, we are trying to order more jars of the Maine raspberry, as well as popular third-place finisher Washington pumpkin blossom and some other top performers. We've had requests to put together a package containing the Final Four. It wasn't really our intention to use the tournament to sell the winning honeys but I guess that might have to change.
The 2009 champion makes its return this week in a Super Showdown with the 2010 winner.
We are taking suggestions for varietal honeys to include in next year's Sweet 16. I've already said yes to two nominees—one from Massachusetts and one from Tasmania (if we can get enough jars of it). That's right, like so many other sports, the Notebook's honey-tasting could be going global.
P.S. Hurricane report: Earl dumped rain on us and kicked up a little wind but for ferocity I wouldn't rank it in the top 10 of storms we've had here (including blizzards) in the last two years. A lot of people will be driving to Acadia and Schoodic to watch the waves, which could be 10 feet or more.