Trader Joe's Thyme Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

New product; see Trader Joe's description of it here. $2.99 for a 250 ml bottle.

Two of Trader Joe's balsamic vinaigrettes--the original and the reduced fat--are among my true staple items; you could launch a surprise inspection of my kitchen anytime, and you'd find not only an open bottle of each in use, but a spare of each ready to go, so that I'm never without either one.

So when I saw this item on the new-products shelf at the Asheville TJ's, I was happy to give it a try. Take something I already like and add honey to it? Yes, please!

Sadly, that's not what this is.

I hate to be quoting the click-baity Popsugar site, but they pretty much nailed it with this two-sentence review:

The new Thyme Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette is a bit disappointing. It's hard to detect any notes of thyme or honey, but that's not to say it tastes bad — it really just tastes like olive oil.

Now, that's not quite true. I think it tastes like sweetened olive oil--but not sweetened by honey, specifically. In fact, I, like the folks at Popsugar, can detect neither thyme nor honey here. The sweetness is also not the nice, gentle, fruity sweetness of other balsamics. It's just generically sweet. 

To make matters worse, it's so olive-oily that it freezes in the refrigerator in the lower half or so of the recommended temperature zone. No other salad dressing I have had in the three years I've been in this apartment has done that. 

Will I buy it again? 

No. In fact, after using five salads' worth, the rest is going back to the store for a refund. I don't want the rest of it.

Nina's View

Honey + oil with a hint of balsamic does not a salad dressing make. Banished be!