Weird Mead Taste

[Stout Man]

Ok, so I made some 16.5% alcohol mead 4 months ago that I back sweetened with 2 lbs of strawberries to give it a final gravity of 1.036. In the unopened bottle it is a perfectly clear light yellow. It normally has a very strong aroma and sour aftertaste due to my addition of many herbs and spices a month after it started fermenting. My friend loves the stuff but I think it is still too young. One day I poured some into a mason jar and didn't finish it. I left it there for literally a week. When I came back it was a very pretty red. The strong aroma was gone and it tasted extremely better. No sour aftertaste as well. I wondered what was up and tried this again, only I left the mead out for only a day. The color wasn't as red, more orange, and it tasted almost as great as it did before. I can guess what might be happening with the aroma but I don't know what is is accounting for the increased quality of taste.

 

[GrantLee63]

Your mead will take on a whole different character after it ages for at least another 2 years. As difficult as it is to wait, meads require patience.

-GL63

 

[malkore]

sounds like you are getting oxidation after opening/pouring into these jars. oxidation = stale...all these flavors you added are being rapidly degraded.

 

[Jaybird]

I almost tossed my 2 year old MEAD two years ago cause I thought it was a lost cause. We opened a bottle 3 days ago (@ 4 years old) and its KILLER its the first time we could drink any at all (we drank 5 bottles) give it time LOADS OF TIME
JJ

 

[Stout Man]

One thing I should have done is let it sit in the carboy for longer. My friend urged me to have it bottled by x-mas so I did. I should have left it for at least another month so that any of that, well, spicy harshness and overwhelming aroma had some time to die off. At least I know what to do now when I want to drink some.

 

[Tusch]

I would suggest just hiding it from yourself for at least 4 more months. Your weird oxidation trick seems to be matching your taste bugs, but aging with do wonders for your brew on a whole.

 

[67coupe390]

You should try the WIKI first mead. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2644/emead.html I made it about 9 months ago and I still have a hard time leaving it alone. Hopefully I can let it sit a few years. Man its good!!!!!!

 

[GrantLee63]

One thing I should have done is let it sit in the carboy for longer. 'snip' .

Yep ..... that's what I do - all of the meads I make these days are bulk-aged for a minimum of 2 years. I know it sounds difficult when you first get into mead-making, but the key is to make a LOT of mead so that you always have some to drink while others are aging away.

- GL63

 

[Fire_travels]

I am in the same boat with new meads and I keep thinking i @%#! it up but I am ageing right with my mead...Let it go!!!