Got this beaut of a bottle from my one love, The Beer Engine. This was my first mead so maybe my analysis of this style is skewed, or not as well informed. First off, I LOVE the label, the bottle and the process of unwrapping this, my first mead. The bottle is maybe a half inch-thick gunmetal enamel with some serious heft to it. I honestly felt like a little girl at Christmas unwrapping a present she knows is going to be crazy awesome.
The color is a beautiful golden amber, unctuous against the glass like a thinner cognac. The aroma is so complex: honey, grass, a little musty like the inside of a hive or a dried up comb. The flavor is sweet, boozy with a silky mouth feel. Warmed, the flavors are even silkier. Talk about a winter warmer, the warmth down the throat relaxes the body and makes you want to snuggle down in blankets by a fire. It was pricey at $31 but I honestly believe it was worth it — it’s like having a snifter of warmed brandy only better, why shouldn’t we pay for quality? Simply because it’s another style of fermented alcohol — one of the oldest styles of fermented beverages — doesn’t mean it shouldn’t deserve the respect that Maker’s Mark enjoys. I think I just became a mead-head and possibly found my calling — a lady brewer of hard cider and mead.
