First off, I don’t want to show any disrespect to Joe. I know he is a very talented mead maker and I respect him. But my JAOM did not turn out as I had hoped. I have read so many good reviews of JAOM that it makes me wonder if I did something wrong…
I put together 2 gallons of JAOM about 10 months ago. Well honestly, one gallon was JAOM to the T and the other one was modified JAOM made with Lalvin ICV D-47 wine yeast. I just bottled them on Saturday (which means just over 10 months sitting in the primary) and they both taste awful. I am not sure what went wrong, I understand that the Lalvin mead didn’t work out, but the Fleishmann’s bread yeast didn’t either. Did sitting them on the lees for 10 months ruin it? Or is it that I just don’t like orange spice mead. My best friend also dislikes it and my wife won't even try it (after seeing our reactions)...
It doesn’t taste off, it just tastes like orange rinds and spice mixed with alcohol. I was careful to keep the spices to the minimum recommended, but it is still overwhelming. Even if this mellows I can’t see me liking it. The Lalvin version is slightly less sweet, tastes like it needs to mellow a bit, but is very similar to the Fleishmann’s one. I have made a few meads already, one cranberry and one blueberry, both tasted great! My Strawberry/Rhubarb mead is also coming out great. So it isn't mead in general...
I put together 2 gallons of JAOM about 10 months ago. Well honestly, one gallon was JAOM to the T and the other one was modified JAOM made with Lalvin ICV D-47 wine yeast. I just bottled them on Saturday (which means just over 10 months sitting in the primary) and they both taste awful. I am not sure what went wrong, I understand that the Lalvin mead didn’t work out, but the Fleishmann’s bread yeast didn’t either. Did sitting them on the lees for 10 months ruin it? Or is it that I just don’t like orange spice mead. My best friend also dislikes it and my wife won't even try it (after seeing our reactions)...
It doesn’t taste off, it just tastes like orange rinds and spice mixed with alcohol. I was careful to keep the spices to the minimum recommended, but it is still overwhelming. Even if this mellows I can’t see me liking it. The Lalvin version is slightly less sweet, tastes like it needs to mellow a bit, but is very similar to the Fleishmann’s one. I have made a few meads already, one cranberry and one blueberry, both tasted great! My Strawberry/Rhubarb mead is also coming out great. So it isn't mead in general...