Quote Originally Posted by Soft sign View Post
The word «отобранный» (in the second phrase «Отобранный у лучших пчёл») could be translated as ‘selected’, ‘choise’. One can expect a phrase like “selected/choise honey”, but in this context «отобранный» has the meaning ‘taken away’. «Отобранный у лучших пчёл» — “Taken away from the best bees”.
отбирать из - to select from
отбирать у - not just "take away from" but "strip of" - "take away violently from"

The best bees have been stripped of this honey.