Light and Mead

I started making 1 gallon batches of mead on the side, while I brew mostly beer. But dont know the effects of light and mead. I plan to bottle most of my meads in beer bottles, but wanted to have one out of each batch in a clear wine bottle. Will the light effect the meads taste in anyway?

TIA

Yes. UV light can also affect mead, as it also does wine (which is why it is surprising to go to fancy wine stores and see displays where the wine bottles are not only laid at a 45' angle with corks up but pointed in such a way that they get maximum light exposure).

I don't think, though, that mead is AS susceptible to lightstrike as wine is. Though it doesn't have the tannins that red wine does (which protects it from lightstrike), it doesn't have the B-vitamins in it (as far as I know) that react with UV rays to create DMS and other compounds.

I might be wrong, though, and I'd be interested in what others have to say. I HAVE read a few posts (here or Gotmead, not sure) by people who have claimed lightstruck mead. I guess, better safe than sorry That said, you could put it in clear glass bottles then store them in a cabinet.

Goût de lumière is the term the French use for it. The "taste of light" - you'd think that would be something good, but alas, it sucks. Meads are susceptible to becoming lightstruck. When that happens you get sulfur odors like burnt rubber. There is production of sulfur containing thiol compounds that cause this, and there are also dramatic differences in the levels of various esters measured in wines as can be seen HERE.

For some interesting reading check the Rational Denial wineblog test HERE and HERE.

So I guess leaving out a bottle as a display would be a bad idea. Oh well, guess I will just have to only break them to show my buddies. Then back in the cabinet to age.