jth6373

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I am interested in making a batch of mead, but I have never tasted it before. I live in eastern Pennsylvania and would like to know where I could buy a bottle or two? Searching on the net did not come up with any results. Thank you.

GilaMinumBeer

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Oklahoma's market is no comparison to Pennsylvania so thius may mean absolutely nothing.

I have found Bunratty (sp) mingled in with Wine.

Hated it! And from what I have heard from others, most packaged meads are too sweet. After drinking the Bunratty crap I was on the fence about mead and then I tasted a dry apricot homemade and was sold well above market price.

Why not try your hand at a 1 gallon batch. This is what I do. I like mead, wouldn;t go so far as to have it on hand all the time. 1 gallon makes about 10 bottles depending on how full you fill the jug. I ferment mine in 1 gallon jugs from the HBS.

CBBaron

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I have seen a few bottles where they have a really big selection of wine and beer. Around here I picked up a bottle at Giant Eagle once but there was none available last time I checked. An upscale food market had a couple bottles. And my LHBS which is primarily a wine a beer store had a few bottles in the speciality wine section near the ports and icewines.

Mead can be very tough to find.

Getting a gallon jug and making a 1 gallon batch following the instructions on here will probably cost you less than a bottle and likely taste better too.

Craig

Brandon O

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If you have an AJ's food store or whole foods near you I would try them.

Your best bet is to go with a lower alchahol mead, say 11% or there abouts.

Some of the higher ABV stuff like 16%, has some strong flavors.

If you make a batch, make the Joes Ancient Orange Mead and use bread yeast it will turn out drinkable in a month or two.

atwaterville

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I don't know if they have a distribution channel in PA but you can try contacting Readstone Meadery Redstone Meadery

I had a chance to stop by their Colorado meadery a few years ago and tried their products. It's pretty good.

homebrewer_99

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I spent a day at the Bunratty Castle in Ireland once, but also disliked the Bunratty Mead sold here. When you do find mead for sale be sure to read the label and make sure it's not fortified with wine.

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HB Bill

Tusch

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Yeah, quite a few of the "meads" I've seen are actually white wines flavored with honey. So while you may like those, you might want to find a real mead to taste as well.

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Meads: Leap Year, MAOM, Habanero/Serrano Capsicumel \m/ Oo \m/, Show Mead for Berry Melomel and Cinnamon Vanilla Metheglin
Ciders:3 Ciders with differing additives TBD, Strawberry/Apple Cider
Wine: Trader Joe's Triple Berry Wine for SWMBO, Cherry Port, planning my Black Currant Vanilla Wine, Banana Wine

The Blow Leprechaun

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I'm sure it's scary to brew something without ever having tasted it, but it really is better in the case of mead.

There are practically no commercial meaderies that make anything like the kind of product craft breweries make for beer... 90% of mead on the market is the mead equivalent of budweiser. Would you really want to judge whether or not to make beer based on how Bud tastes?

Plus, you can make 5 gallons of mead for what it would cost to buy 2 750ml bottles of commercial mead. If you have a 1 gallon jug, you can make your own for less than it would cost to buy it in the store.

I really wouldn't bother looking for commercial examples - see if you can prevail upon someone here to maybe mail you a bottle of mead, or just take the plunge and make it yourself.

jezter6

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As you live in PA, check the state stores. It's technically a wine and would be found in most of the same places you see wine.

Depending on where in PA you're at, there's an excellent store northeast maryland called State Line Liquors and is just the greatest place on earth.

As for trying something you've never had, I recommend getting a mix of dry to semi-sweet to sweet. Personally, ultra-dry tastes like rubbing alcohol to me, so I like semi-sweet to dessert style.

I'd bet if you like wine, your dryness tastes would be very similar.

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I am a member of the Maryland Brewday Group - http://www.homebrewtalk.com/groups/md-brew-day/

MD Dec Brewday 12/11/10 - http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f20/md-pa-de-dc-winter-brew-day-195534/

Cugel

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Jezter - I hereby nominate you to bring some commercial samples of mead to the next MD brew day! Much appreciated. State line liquors is waaay to far to go for us DC-ites.

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Relax, don't worry etc. and so on.

Primaries: Old Ale, Barleywine, ESB, Scottish 80/.
Secondaries: Lime Wine, Strawberry-Banana Mead, Carmenere (from 144 lbs of grapes!), Engl. Barleywine, Modded JOAM, Concord Grape Pyment.
Kegs: Choc/Coffee Stout, Saison, Dry Stout.
Bottles: Belgian Str. Dark, Dubbel, Cider X 2, Modded JOAM, RJS Pinot Noir, RJS Aussie Cab. Sauv.
Coming soon: Blueberry Mead.