Commercial Meads

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JoshuaWhite5522

JoshuaWhite5522

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So I want to try my hand at some meads, melomels, and metheglins. However, I have never tried a mead before. The project intrigues me and my intrest is solely based on trying something new. What are some comercial examples I can try to see if I actually like the beverage? After all whats the point of investing the time, money, and fermenter spaceif I'm not going to like the end result from the get go. I'd like to hear about meads that range in quality. Some really good, some middle of the road, and some bad. I'm not so foolish as to think my first batch will recieve a first prize ribbon. This way I know what to expect and what to shoot for.
 
I'm very interested as well to see if there's any good commercial meads out there..I wanna try to make a mead some day but I want to know if I like it first! :)
 
Josh, I have never tried any commerical meads. I now that they are out there but I haven't heard or read many good reviews on commerical meads. I suggest going to a mega-store such as Specs and talk to the buyers or staff. The larger the store the more apt they are to cater to such things off of the beaten track.

Do you have a LHBS (local home brew store)? You could ask if they have a mead brew club locally. Perhaps googling it might get you some info for your area. Where there are mazers, there are people willing to share their wares. :)

Good luck!
 
Hi Josh. I'm not a mead expert, but enjoy it very much. I'm fortunate to have a good meadery near me, only a ten minute drive. Its called Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery and their website is at http://www.wildblossomwines.com/

I also remember hearing a Basic Brewing podcast with the mead-maker at Red Stone Meadery in Colorado - I've had one of their meads and it was good, although I don't remember any details, like what style of mead it was, etc. In any case, Red Stone's web site is at http://redstonemeadery.com/ and the podcast is at http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=basic-brewing-radio-2007
 
I've seen comercial one around, and now I'm kicking myself for not picking one up. Trader Joe's, and Specaility beer and wine store has had them. Just wondering if anyone here has some favorites.
 
Pappers, thanks I'll look into those. Even if I end up not liking their meads. I might still give it a go and see if I can tweek into something I do like. At any rate as long as I learn something or pick up a trick or two, it's a worth while endevor
 
not sure the availability of these meads in your area, but White Winter (Iron river Wis.), Winehaven (Chisago city,MN) and Hometown Cellars (Ithica, MI)

I do drink Chaucers Mead from time to time while not the best it is ok for a commercial mead.

I have to look for the empty's but there are some commercial meads I've tasted that are horrible.
 
Redstone makes a great blackberry mead that's slightly carbonated that I have liked. Getting something carbonated in your finished product might be tough on the first few go arounds. For a plain show mead, I really like Rabbit's Fott Meadery's product. I understand that Chaucer's is not a good one to try from what I've read here and from what I've seen on their labels.
it seems some of theirs is a wine with honey wine added. You may also check with your local LHBS as stated above. See if someone might trade you a bottle of their plain mead to get a try on.

GTG
 
While I haven't seen White Winter or Winehave,, I have seen Chaucers. I may give it try, since my first few meads might not be all that great until I get the process dialed in
 
If you ever make it to Colorado, go to Redstone Meadery. They let you taste about 10 or so different kinds... some still, some sparkling, some sweet, some dry, some like beer, some like wine, some like alcopop (in a good way). And I guarantee that you'll like at least one of them. I was amazed at the variety of mead you could make. So really, the question isn't, will I like mead, but rather what kind of meads will I like?

Redstone does distribute in Washington- you could check with their distributor about where you can find them.
 
JoshuaWhite5522 said:
So I want to try my hand at some meads, melomels, and metheglins. However, I have never tried a mead before. The project intrigues me and my intrest is solely based on trying something new. What are some comercial examples I can try to see if I actually like the beverage? After all whats the point of investing the time, money, and fermenter spaceif I'm not going to like the end result from the get go. I'd like to hear about meads that range in quality. Some really good, some middle of the road, and some bad. I'm not so foolish as to think my first batch will recieve a first prize ribbon. This way I know what to expect and what to shoot for.
Click to expand...

On the high-to-mid range of quality, you might be able to find:

- Redstone
- Rabbit's Foot (be sure to get one of their braggots)
- Honeyrun
- Honeywood
- Sky River (I've never had their mead but have read good things and they're in WA)
- Chateau Lorane

You might also be able to find some Polish meads. I know Bottleworks will carry those time to time (not sure how often you make it to seattle though).
 
Joshua,
Don't know if you can find it in your area but some really great stuff is "Honey Run" Meadery. Their blackberry mead, or melomel is superb. They make four or five kinds. After I drank some I was inspired to try my hand at the process. So, go for it and have fun! All the best.
 
Pappers said:
Hi Josh. I'm not a mead expert, but enjoy it very much. I'm fortunate to have a good meadery near me, only a ten minute drive. Its called Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery and their website is at http://www.wildblossomwines.com/
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Click to expand...

Wild Blossom is pretty good. The owner is great to talk to. I wish I lives closer to his HBS.


JoshuaWhite5522 said:
While I haven't seen White Winter or Winehave,, I have seen Chaucers. I may give it try, since my first few meads might not be all that great until I get the process dialed in
Click to expand...

I've never actually had Chaucer's, but I hear it is very sweet and different from what you'd be making yourself.
 
I just bottled my first batch. It's a metheglin with cinnamon and various other spices I have written down in my brew diary but can't remember offhand. I split the batch roughly in half and stored half still in wine bottles and made the other half sparkling for holiday parties. I lost to curiosity and poured myself a glass while bottling... and then another. I got a pretty decent buzz. Yay mead!
 
I recently had a "mead". So it was labeled. But it smelled just like normal White grape wine and tasted like it also. Very dry. I have also had a rasberry mead from a local brewer where I live (BBC) and I like that. So is it labeled wrong or is that how a straight mead turns out.?
 
Tywing said:
I just bottled my first batch. It's a metheglin with cinnamon and various other spices I have written down in my brew diary but can't remember offhand. I split the batch roughly in half and stored half still in wine bottles and made the other half sparkling for holiday parties. I lost to curiosity and poured myself a glass while bottling... and then another. I got a pretty decent buzz. Yay mead!
Click to expand...

Tywing, I do with all my mead/melomel now, 1/2 still & 1/2 sparkling. My latest batch of dried cherry/vanilla I split just yesterday. One gallon is nice and quiet and other gallon has started to bubble again. I am thinking one will be semi-sweet and the other dry. I am gonna let the dry be still and and semi-sweet is going to be carbonated. It's like hitting a 2 for 1 jackpot.:ban:
 
Ok, this is drifting from my original topic, but what’s an appropriate amount of CO2 for sparkling mead? Additionally what are some appropriate serving temps for the different styles of mead
 
What ever you do DO NOT DRINK Vikings Blod.. habiscus mead you will become addicted and its very hard to find.
 
I use honey to carbonate with.... 1/2 cup honey simmered in a bit of water for 5 gallons of mead. Rack your mead one last time into a bucket, add the honey-water mixture to the bucket. Gently combine, bottle & cork. This will carbonate in about 2 -4 weeks. You could also use priming sugar, but I don't know the measurements. I have read posts where some have used regular table sugar or brown sugar directly in the bottles before corking. Or then you could use CO2 gas.
 
Meadwitch, thanks if I do end up making sparkling meads I'll remember that. I always use DME for my beers, but I think malt extract would endup changing my flavor profile a bit too much
 
I have some Bea's Sweet Mead I bought at a local shop that also carries mead from Redstone, Fox Hill, and Lurgshall. I'm not an expert or huge fan of mead but Bea's seems to be a good example of a sweet mead. You can definitely taste the honey in it and it has amazing color and clarity. It reminds me of an ice wine as far as sweetness is concerned so it would work well as desert drink. I hope it's not some low quality mead that I'm offending the connoisseurs with haha :D
 
RustyShackleford said:
I recently had a "mead". So it was labeled. But it smelled just like normal White grape wine and tasted like it also. Very dry. I have also had a rasberry mead from a local brewer where I live (BBC) and I like that. So is it labeled wrong or is that how a straight mead turns out.?
Click to expand...

I know the Bunratty Mead brand is a white wine with honey 'infused'...It was the first 'mead' I ever had, so I didn't know the difference. It surprised me to find that a company would indulge in such mead heresy. I now pay extra attention to every commercial mead that I buy.
 

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