JAOM Orange Pithy Taste

[jrsdws]

I made my first ever mead, JAOM, right after Christmas. The recipe was followed exactly, but I decided to let the orange slices fall to the bottom before bottling it.

The fruit went down about a week ago so I bottled it over the weekend. I used beer bottles because it's what I have and just seemed appropriate.
I was very careful to keep from disturbing the yeast during bottling. The last bit in the very bottom went into a 2 liter soda bottle and into the fridge so any yeast would settle.

I just decided to try a sip and WOW.....it's not so good. It's pretty strong alcohol wise but the orange peel smell and taste is quite overwhelming.

Can I expect this to mellow out in the bottle over time and do I have that kind of time in beer bottles with crown caps?

 

[Arpolis]

Yes it gets better. JAOM is toted to be drinkable at 3 months. That does not mean it will be a favorite. But it will not be unbearable at that point. My first JAOM was taste tested every 30 days and you will be surprised at how much it actually changes. I really started enjoying it at the 7 month mark. That seems to be norm that 6-9 months of aging is required for a JAOM to mature.

 

[jrsdws]

So am I alright with it bottled in beer bottles or should I sanitize a one gallone jug and let it all age in bulk?

 

[Arpolis]

No bottle aging is fine. The only reason people bulk age is for consistency. With bottles you may have some get more sun light than others or some bottles sit at a different temp than others so the aging is inconsistent. But that inconsistency is so minuscule compared to what a JAOM is that it really doesn't matter.