Never had it

[actech]

I really wanna try my hand at this BUT. I dont know if I even like it. So if I was buying a commercial brand what would I look for? Like a dummy last time in a beverage store I saw they had a few brands but didn't pay attention much. Any brand to avoid? I know subjective to taste.

 

[JonM]

I have enjoyed B. Nektar. It's from Michigan, so you can probably get it in IL. They have a lot of melomels, etc. but I'm pretty sure they make a simple wildflower honey mead.

 

[worlddivides]

One thing to keep in mind is that meads vary QUITE a bit from brand to brand. I happened to love the first mead I tried some 12-14 years ago, but since then, when trying out new brands, there have been several that I've absolutely hated. I guess it could be compared to how I hated the first beer I had, but I adore beer in general now (and still hate the first beer that I ever had. It's not that my tastes changed there).

That said, where I live now I never see commercial mead ANYWHERE (with the exception of a local meadery). Not at liquor stores, supermarkets, or wherever. So I don't even know what I could recommend...

 

[jtratcliff]

Just make a JOAM and/or a BOMM... Quick and easy as meads go, then you can decide if you like those

 

[bernardsmith]

What exactly are you looking for in a mead? It's not that what anyone says about a mead is always "subjective" , tho' it can be, but I think folk CAN describe any wine or mead in ways that are not "subjective" and in fact are very meaningful and useful. Are you looking for a sweet or a dry mead? A mead that is sparkling like champagne or still like a white wine? A mead so high in tannins that it makes your lips pucker or one with few tannins? Are you looking for a very acidic mead or one that has less kick? Are you looking for a mead that has many floral "notes" or one that tastes less complex? Are you looking for a mead that is very high in alcohol or one that is lower or low in alcohol content? Are you looking for a mead that tastes only of the honey it was made from (if so , what varietal of honey?) or for a mead that was fermented with fruits - and if so , what fruits? If you know what you are looking for then it is always easier to find (or make yourself). If you don't really know what you are looking for then it is really very difficult to successfully find what you are searching for...

 

[actech]

What exactly are you looking for in a mead?

I dont know never had it. Thats why before I spent money on honey I'd like to try it. Kinda like .. Hell no i dont like scotch I've had it . what kind ? Cutty Sark. Oh hell try this Johnny Walker blue label and tell me you dont like scotch. I have no clue what it tastes like smells like nothing. Guess Ill buy a couple brand. saw they had single 22 oz bottles I think. Thought one from St Louis area.

 

[JonM]

Just make a JOAM and/or a BOMM... Quick and easy as meads go, then you can decide if you like those

This. Make a one-gallon batch and try 'er out. (And the OMM in BOMM stands for "one month mead," so it'll be ready in no time.)

 

[Maylar]

I've never had one either. I asked the same question at GotMead and they told me not to bother trying a commercial mead. You might get a Cutty Sark and it'll turn you off from making your own. I already had a 1 gallon carboy sitting around, so I figured a minimal investment of 3.5 lbs honey and I'll have something different to serve come Thanksgiving. I have a JAOM, my first mead, fermenting now. If it ends up being yucky then I'll just stick to cider.

 

[rich5665]

I've had a really great commercial mead that I can't remember the name of and a really bad mead that I can't forget. Especially since it's brewed in my home state. Jersey Devil mead almost turned me off from mead.

 

[skadalajara]

Around here (AZ) there's not a lot of commercial mead available. Redstone, which I like a lot, a local I'm blanking on the name of, a few polish and a restaurant that serves tej. Oh, and Chaucer's, which is so syrupy sweet I can't drink more than an ounce.
If you have an Ethiopian restaurant near you, go and order a glass of tej. Then tell us what you think of it and we can point you in the direction of something you might like.

 

[fuelish]

Only commercially available mead around my parts, to my knowledge, is Chaucer's, and, imho only, it was terrible.....I honestly dunno if it was actually mead, or white wine sweetened with honey and they're calling it mead....tastes nothing like any mead I've ever made....thankfully

 

[valverij]

Depending on where you are in Illinois, you should be able to find stuff by B. Nektar, Crafted, and Redstone, as well as some other miscellaneous brands. I haven't had anything from Redstone yet, but I like most things I've had from B. Nektar and Crafted (both have won medals at the Mazer's cup). Around here in Ohio, most wine stores carry a decent selection of mead. I've also found some at Whole Foods, but it was mixed between the beer section and the wine section.

Just avoid Chaucer's (extremely sweet), Oliver (have not heard good things), and Bunratty Meade (not actually mead).

 

[actech]

I think I have seen Chaucers, sounds like a good thing I didn't try it. I have an empty gallon glass wine jug. So I guess I'll see what I can get 3-4 lbs. of honey from a local bee keeper and give it a whirl.

 

[On-target]

Bo mm is a good start. In time you can learn how to make a mead that is the way that you would like it to taste. My first meads were barely drinkable. Now I can make some that I (and my friends) find delicious. A good mead can be many different things depending on who is drinking it. If you don't find one you like , learn how to make one that you do. There are many people in this forum who can help you do just that. Good luck.

 

[Dr_Floyd]

Bunratty Mead (delicious) is sold in every BevMo I've ever been to in California, the Desert Wine Section. I believe it's technically a Pyment (Mead and White Wine Mix specifically for this Mead.

Otherwise I'd say Moonlight Meadery is excellent and available in California at least.

If you happen to be in Tucson or Atlanta at any point I can recommend 2 places that carry Mead in Bar.

 

[actech]

I tried a sample pack from a St louis area place liked the sweet dry ok chocolate less ok raspberry peach nope. so I just got a 1388 next buy honey and make a bomm