Terrible mead turned awesome after 3 years

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Undead8

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When I started homebrewing about 3 years ago, one of the first brew I made was a mead. I used a dry wine yeast and enough honey to give me around 10% alcohol. 2 weeks after bottling, I tried to drink one. It had an awful taste of alcohol and you couldn't say there was honey in that. It was dry, didn't smell anything but alcohol and tasted rocket fuel.

1 month later, I tried another bottle. Still the same... undrinkable.

3 months later, it was the same bad, undrinkable fuel.

So I decided to get rid of it... 20 bottles down the sink. That was totally a mistake.

I forgot about it for many years, started brewing AG beer, had fun making cider... and last week my brother said 'hey, do you remember the mead we brew together 3 years ago? I just found 10 bottles of it in my basement'.

So I tried it again... It was like smelling a honey pot, and it had a dry but mellow taste. It was perfect. I could not believe that I got rid of it 3 years ago.

Now I keep the remaining bottles for special occasions... So please, never throw away mead! It will age out well.
 
Wonder if its the same that happened to me. I made some mead fermented it at a high temp) mid 80s. it was my first brew ever too and thought well yeast like warm temp so mid 80s should be good. Its been bottled for 4 months now and it still has a bitter rocket fuel after taste to it. Only taste good when it has been cooled seems to mellow out the harshness. Wonder if forgetting about it and trying it out years would help.
 
having my first mead with champagne yeast going at the moment.
ferm temp is a stable 72. Good too know if it tastes bad let it sit for a very long spell.
 
With traditional meads, it just isn't a good idea to judge them until they are at least 1-2 years old. I have had mead that was still crappy after 3 years, and I suspect that it will never be anything but crappy as time will not cure all sins.

Medsen
 
Does anyone know this this aging idea applies to oxidized mead? Mine got just a bit too much air when transfering/bottling, and it has a bit of a sherry/carbboard taste going. I stuck a few bottles in the cellar, but I don't know if its even worth it.
 
I have intentionally oxidized some and it can make an interesting beverage in some cases, but I have not seen the oxidation change reduced by aging over a period of 3 years.
 

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