Why is it so hard to find good commercially produced mead?

[NeverDie]

I've tried about 10 different bottles now from different vendors, and, all but one or two seemed pretty bad (definitely not worth buying again). Why is that? I can pretty easily find a good bottle of wine, but finding a good bottle of mead is almost like searching for the holy grail.

So far I've had better results from homebrewing mead, but I would have thought that professional brewers, with all their resources and experience, could do at least as well and maybe better and that competition would elevate those with better products and that stores would have reason to carry the best of what's available.

 

[cooper]

Have you tried ordering online? I haven’t had any from Michael Fairbrother but it’s supposed to be really good.

https://www.moonlightmeadery.com/

 

[Miraculix]

I guess it is because honey is very expensive and it is a niche market, unlike wine.

I also only had one nice commercial one which was a sweet session mead from London. But haven't tried much else tbh..

 

[bmd2k1]

Bee Well Meadery in Northern Michigan makes some tasty ones...though I've only had em on tap [emoji111] The meadery emerged after decades in the honey biz.

 

[Maylar]

Bee Well Meadery in Northern Michigan makes some tasty ones...though I've only had em on tap [emoji111] The meadery emerged after decades in the honey biz.

Michigan is also home to B. Nektar and Acoustic meaderies. I want some Zombie Killer, but they don't ship it here.

Moonlight Meadery has a great reputation here in New England and I believe they're positioning themselves for world wide distribution. Hope it doesn't turn them into Bud Light..

 

[bob1852]

"Good" is subjective....especially in the mead world...

 

[RPh_Guy]

I've tried about 10 different bottles now from different vendors, and, all but one or two seemed pretty bad (definitely not worth buying again).

I have the exact same experience with cider and with beer. I hate most commercial cider and most commercial beer. Hop bombs, bitter bombs, sugar bombs, coffee bombs, pepper bombs. Or the opposite end of the spectrum -- insipid, and a lot of it stale.
I also have similar experience with cooking. If I spend just a little effort I can make far better food (to my taste) than 95% of restaurants in my own kitchen.

Industrialization decreases the spirit of craft, and supply/demand dictates quality. People apparently don't want to pay for high quality hand crafted products.
Notice how Budweiser and Barefoot are the biggest names in their respective industries? These beverages are treated as a commodity, making profit rather than making the best possible product. It's business. High quality lowers profit margin, and you cannot make up for that with volume.

To compound this problem, we all have different tastes, so there's not a clear target as to what makes quality.

Why is mead different than wine? My guess is that a tradition of striving for high "quality" never developed because of the historical difficulty in raising bees and crafting drinkable mead in a relatively short timeframe (controlling fermentation). Mead is also a very different-tasting product than wine so it's not the best comparison.

Personally I haven't made much mead since I'm focused on beer and cider, but most of the commercial mead I've had wasn't great. I suspect I'll be able to do better pretty soon.

 

[madscientist451]

So far I've had better results from homebrewing mead,

Perhaps you should quit looking and just make more mead?
The commercial meads you don't like ARE appreciated by some one, but if you've found how to make something you like you are way ahead the game; keep doing what is working for you.
PS: Most commercial meads don't suit my taste either, and as pricey as they are, I've quit buying them.

 

[NeverDie]

Maybe the honey they use has something to do with it. Last Saturday I visited a local meadery, and they referenced one of the pallets of honey that I could see in the back. IIRC, they said it was 3600 lbs, which was more, they said, than any one honey bee keeper could supply them with, and so it was blended from a number of different sources.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Also FYI bee keepers in the US typically can't profit from honey sales alone (at least not on a large scale) because the demand for local honey is so low.
This leads to less interest in producing quality varietals right from the start, as opposed to wildflower and clover.

 

[bob1852]

People apparently don't want to pay for high quality hand crafted products.

Have you seen the prices on the secondary market for high-end meads like Schramm's, Pip's, Superstition, etc?

Of course, the OP has stated that Schramm's mead isn't good (at least to him/her), so my earlier point about "good" being subjective, especially in the mead world, is important to remember....

 

[NeverDie]

Also FYI bee keepers in the US typically can't profit from honey sales alone (at least not on a large scale) because the demand for local honey is so low.
.

According to the meadery I visited, one hive produces only about 5 gallons per year. So, for most hives, the payback alone will be longer than a year, unless renting them out for pollination serivces.

 

[RPh_Guy]

No I actually haven't seen the prices since it's near impossible to find ANY mead in local stores/bars/restaurants/wineries and I don't care to online shop for alcohol. (Viking Blod is available and I hate it.)
Even when you try to go to a meadery they typically don't have very good business hours, especially compared to breweries.

But your point about subjectivity is fair enough.
Those of us that like subtle flavors and balanced complexity don't find much enjoyable product. Hopped bananas foster coffee sack mead from clover honey? No thanks.

 

[RPh_Guy]

According to the meadery I visited, one hive produces only about 5 gallons per year. So, for most hives, the payback alone will be longer than a year.

I'm not just talking short-term. It's generally not a sustainable business. Most of the income for most beekeepers comes from helping to pollinate almond crops, which does not produce but rather consumes honey. Watch the Rotten series on Netflix.
Beekeepers here on the forum say you can't profit from selling less than ~$12-15/lb or so.

 

[NeverDie]

Of course, the OP has stated that Schramm's mead isn't good (at least to him/her), so my earlier point about "good" being subjective, especially in the mead world, is important to remember....

Yeah, my tastes may or may not be different (apparently they are different in the case of Schramm's, which is why it was sucha shock), which is why I'm curious if in general others feel the same or not. So far, it sounds like maybe so.

 

[NeverDie]

What about you AZ_IPA? Have you found commercially made ones that you like?

 

[hezagenius]

@NeverDie

Superstition and Moonlight both ship to TX. I'd start there. Not cheap but they make good mead IMO.

 

[bob1852]

What about you AZ_IPA? Have you found commercially made ones that you like?

Brimminghorn
Melovino
Meridian Hive
Author
Moonlight
Ancient Fire
Schramm's
Sap House
Lost Cause

Are all meads I've enjoyed.

Schramm's are definitely on the super sweet fruit bomb side of things, but in my opinion are the gold standard for that style.


In general, I usually don't like dry meads (or even off dry). And, I've had my fair share of what I consider flawed commercial meads (meaning, even if it's not my favorite style to drink, they're just poorly made), so I do get where you're coming from.

What styles of mead do you like (sweetness level, fruit, other additives, etc.)?

Cool thing about mead right now is there is something out there for everyone. Bad thing is that production volume is low and distribution is generally horrible (for many reasons).

 

[NeverDie]

Schramm's are definitely on the super sweet fruit bomb side of things, but in my opinion are the gold standard for that style.
...

Yeah, it may be the category killer for fruit bombs. It tasted more like super sweet fruit wine to me than like mead per se. I just wasn't looking for that.

What styles of mead do you like (sweetness level, fruit, other additives, etc.)?

I like sweet meads, but not super sweet. Both Minstrel, by Texas Mead Works, and Redstone's Honey Wine were both too sweet for me, almost like overly sweet candy.

 

[MaxStout]

Check Total Wine, they usually carry a few. I like Sky River, from WA state. TW usually has both the sweet and semi-sweet. I've seen Chaucer's a few places, didn't care for it, thought it tasted like chemicals.

 

[Miraculix]

I found it hard to find dry or semi sweet mead when looking for it last time ... I'm not a big fan of sweet alcoholic drinks in general, I mean a bit sweetness is ok but, for example, 1.01 residual sweetness in a strong mead is usually already way too much for me.

 

[DevilDogmeadguy]

I've tried about 10 different bottles now from different vendors, and, all but one or two seemed pretty bad (definitely not worth buying again). Why is that? I can pretty easily find a good bottle of wine, but finding a good bottle of mead is almost like searching for the holy grail.

So far I've had better results from homebrewing mead, but I would have thought that professional brewers, with all their resources and experience, could do at least as well and maybe better and that competition would elevate those with better products and that stores would have reason to carry the best of what's available.

1. Because you're a home brewer 2. Because you are a home brewer you have a more refined taste and know exactly how you want your Mead 3. Just because they're a commercial Meadery doesn't mean they make good Mead. 4. Try these guys https://grimfrost.com/collections/mead

 

[Maylar]

This one is available to me here in CT - I like it.

http://www.honeyrunwinery.com/scripts/winePg.cfm?wn=5

 

[NeverDie]

This is the first commercial mead I tried, and is actually what turned me on to mead:
https://specsonline.com/shop/wine/thorins-viking-mead/
I liked the taste of it a lot. The only problem was I had a weird allergic reaction to drinking it. Not sure if that was a fluke with the particular bottle I had or just what was up with that, because I haven't had any such reaction to either my own mead or any other commercial bottles of mead. Maybe there was too much sanitizer mixed in with it or something? I have no idea.

I may try another bottle of it from a different source at some point in the future. I guess if it had worked out (without the allergy) the first time I wouldn't be here griping, because I really did like the way it tasted.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

This place is just around the corner, a pleasant walk from my home. And they ship.

https://www.wanderingbardmeadery.com/

The mead they produce is decent enough tasting, but I like sweet meads, and they specialize in dry. (Even his idea of medium sweet is my idea of dry.) Still, it's fun to walk over on tasting days and chat with the owner while trying some of his varieties; He's given me some good advice on technique.

And that peach/Carolina reaper mead is just the thing if you've got a cold coming on.

 

[Maylar]

I stopped into my local wine/liquor shop yesterday and noticed they actually put a sign on the "mead" shelf. I guess people have been asking for it. But all they had was a couple from Moonlight and a 6-pack of cans from Meridian Hive. Cans

I have more mead fermenting in my basement than they had for sale.

 

[jcav]

Good info here from everyone. I was wondering the same thing as the OP. I think I might try some of the meads suggested here. Thanks all for chiming in!

John

 

[NeverDie]

I picked up another bottle of Thorin's Viking Mead, and no allergic reaction this time, so I guess the first bottle was a fluke. From what I hear, they are the main provider for the renaissance faire, and they sell a lot of it on tap there.

It's a very basic mead. 12.9% ABV. And it's not even clear. Definitely hazy. But it's the taste that matters. I like it.

It has sulfites, so I presume they backsweetened it. It's a sweet mead.

 

[RPh_Guy]

It has sulfites, so I presume they backsweetened it.

FYI sulfite preserves flavor, it doesn't prevent fermentation.

 

[NeverDie]

Reporting back: I finally found a good one: Gl. Dansk Mjod. It's from Denmark. It says it's based on a recipe from the 1700's. It comes in a corked, heavy, glazed ceramic bottle, I guess as an homage to that time period. ABV is 19%, though I couldn't taste it per se.

 

[nfunk]

I have tried several commercial meads. The only one that I found note worthy was "Honey Sun Iqhilika - African Herbal Blossom" mead. It is semi-sweet at 12% alcohol by volume. It is a product of South Africa. I found that this mead had a complexity that surpasses every other commercial mead I have tried. The label says, "...with subtle hints of cinnamon, apple rosehip and hibiscus flowers." I found this mead at Whole Foods, but not every Whole Foods carries it.

 

[NeverDie]

I have tried several commercial meads. The only one that I found note worthy was "Honey Sun Iqhilika - African Herbal Blossom" mead. It is semi-sweet at 12% alcohol by volume. It is a product of South Africa. I found that this mead had a complexity that surpasses every other commercial mead I have tried. The label says, "...with subtle hints of cinnamon, apple rosehip and hibiscus flowers." I found this mead at Whole Foods, but not every Whole Foods carries it.

Cool! I never even thought to look at Whole Foods for mead.

 

[Maylar]

I had one at Easter that I'd buy again - Honey Run Elderberry. Kinda sweet but very tasty. Unfortunately after visiting their web site it seems they're going out of business. Which is too bad cause they're about the only mead that my local wine shop sells.

 

[wasully]

I'm not just talking short-term. It's generally not a sustainable business. Most of the income for most beekeepers comes from helping to pollinate almond crops, which does not produce but rather consumes honey. Watch the Rotten series on Netflix.
Beekeepers here on the forum say you can't profit from selling less than ~$12-15/lb or so.

So is it all hobbyists then? Because almonds don't exactly grow everywhere.

 

[deere322]

https://www.hiddenlegendwinery.com/

I've bought a few from these guys and really liked all that I tried.
Ones that stand out where the dark cherry and dark mead.

 

[Blacksmith1]

So is it all hobbyists then? Because almonds don't exactly grow everywhere.

I see hives in orange groves, and on large agricultural properties here in FL. There are also some on otherwise vacant lots here in town. So I'm guessing it's both.

 

[NeverDie]

So is it all hobbyists then? Because almonds don't exactly grow everywhere.

I'm sure he meant almonds as an example of pollination services, not the entire market for such services.

 

[bob1852]

Because almonds don't exactly grow everywhere.

That's why it generates so much income. They can charge a hefty price to truck their bees from all over the county to California for almond pollination season...

 

[wasully]

What makes almonds so lucrative?

 

[bleme]

The only problem was I had a weird allergic reaction to drinking it.

I'm curious what your reaction was. I won a 6-pack of homebrew mead in a raffle a few years back and a single bottle would make my face numb.