An interesting point. It seems that this would hurt mead's reputation to the public. If someone wanted to try mead and age wasn't a consideration when they went to buy it (as it wasn't for you or I) , and Chaucers is the only one widely available, then they may never try mead again. What's worse is that there is another drink you may have heard of that is just as widely available called "Meade" which isn't mead at all but white wine with a little honey added. I hear it tastes nothing like mead. These things could keep mead away from the public for some time, frustrating the mead sages and commercial meaderies alike.
Commercial Mead
- Thread starter Norskersword
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An interesting point. It seems that this would hurt mead's reputation to the public. If someone wanted to try mead and age wasn't a consideration when they went to buy it (as it wasn't for you or I) , and Chaucers is the only one widely available, then they may never try mead again. What's worse is that there is another drink you may have heard of that is just as widely available called "Meade" which isn't mead at all but white wine with a little honey added. I hear it tastes nothing like mead. These things could keep mead away from the public for some time, frustrating the mead sages and commercial meaderies alike.
The industry is marketing all wrong anyhow. They're producing mead as an alternative to wine and trying to get a share of a very snobbish market. Mark my words, a good braggot marketed at folks such as myself who don't know a Chardonnay from a Merlot is the ticket. It's all in how you market it. I read a post somewhwere in which the guy said he just wanted 2% of the wine market for mead. I want 2% of the beer market for my mead.
I bet you already have a name for a company if you some day decide to start one. ;D
By the way I posted twice before in case you didn't see it.
By the way I posted twice before in case you didn't see it.
I noticed we had kinda a chatroom going on here.I bet you already have a name for a company if you some day decide to start one. ;D
By the way I posted twice before in case you didn't see it.
Don't have the name of the company, but I do have four distinct recipes planned out and named ;D Two braggots, a still metheglin, and a sparkling metheglin.
;DThey must be wonderful, ingenius names. Names that if we heard we would say "Wow! I wish I thought of that!" ;D
Hey Wikd,
Just wanted to let you know that someone already stole "Goat Scrotum Braggot!"
I was appalled when I found out that someone already took "Arrogant Bastard Ale" that was going to be my franchise mead name. LOL
Oskaar
Just wanted to let you know that someone already stole "Goat Scrotum Braggot!"
I was appalled when I found out that someone already took "Arrogant Bastard Ale" that was going to be my franchise mead name. LOL
Oskaar
Though not a mead, I would like to recommend a beer I discovered today. JW Dundee's Original Honey Brown honey flavored lager from High Falls Brewing in Rochester, NY. I found it in Krogers, which I'm fairly certain is a national chain. Maybe more info can be found on their site, www.highfalls.com
There's no mistaking it's a beer, but it does have a noticeable honey taste to it. I'm really excited about my braggot now that I've sampled something sort of close.
There's no mistaking it's a beer, but it does have a noticeable honey taste to it. I'm really excited about my braggot now that I've sampled something sort of close.
In addition to the Reserves from Redstone (very impressive), a mead that has been consistently delightful to me at the Meadfests is the Mead Liqueur from Maxwell's in Australia. It is aged in oak, and has tremendous complexity and mouthfeel, with a commensurate aromatic profile and finish. It is just dynamite, and would complement any number of deserts, spicy food entrees and would also hold its own with a Cohiba.
Here's the rub; it is not imported, to the best of my knowledge. A portion of the Maxwell's line (some darn fine Shirazes and Cabs) is imported by Peter Weygandt, who has a very impressive assemblage of labels in his armory. It would serve us well to respectfully press Mr. Weygandt to exploit the commercial potential of Maxwell's mead here in the US.
KDS
Here's the rub; it is not imported, to the best of my knowledge. A portion of the Maxwell's line (some darn fine Shirazes and Cabs) is imported by Peter Weygandt, who has a very impressive assemblage of labels in his armory. It would serve us well to respectfully press Mr. Weygandt to exploit the commercial potential of Maxwell's mead here in the US.
KDS
Bought a bottle of Kasztelanski Polish Mead, (trojniak), last weeked, thinking I was buying a bottle of heavenly nectar.
So I did a search and uncovered this dated review.I'm with you Pete, definately not to my liking. Tasted so much like raw, buckwheat honey/barnyard/sorgham molasses, I wondered if the cork had gone bad (it was a very coarse and short (a little over an inch long)). The periphery of the label on the back has notches presumably for a date, but I don't know what, specifically the date is attributed to, nor do I have the secret docoder ring to interpret A, B or C. What I do know is that the date code "notches" are for November 3rd, with the letter "A" being notched out as well.
In any case, after reading the review, it may not actually have gone "bad", just a very differnet flavor/taste than what I am looking for.
Eric
ive tried four meads from somewhere in germany from the nordwelt company,the best ones i had was definitly the vikingblood (cherry) and the original honig-met they produce...however the other two i tried was the orange and the vanilla...those last two though didnt taste like anything good to me personally...but i'd drink that cherry vikingblood all day long if i could...took about 45 days for it to get through customs and finally arrive in socal though
http://www.nordwelt-versand.de/waren/index.php/en/Mead-Vikingblood-Mead-and-liquors/l-WG95
http://www.nordwelt-versand.de/waren/index.php/en/Mead-Vikingblood-Mead-and-liquors/l-WG95
Bought a bottle of Kasztelanski Polish Mead, (trojniak), last weeked, thinking I was buying a bottle of heavenly nectar.
I'm with you Pete, definately not to my liking. Tasted so much like raw, buckwheat honey/barnyard/sorgham molasses, I wondered if the cork had gone bad (it was a very coarse and short (a little over an inch long)). The periphery of the label on the back has notches presumably for a date, but I don't know what, specifically the date is attributed to, nor do I have the secret docoder ring to interpret A, B or C. What I do know is that the date code "notches" are for November 3rd, with the letter "A" being notched out as well.
In any case, after reading the review, it may not actually have gone "bad", just a very differnet flavor/taste than what I am looking for.
Eric
What you're tasting, Eric, is the Polish mead-making style. They love their buckwheat and spices over there. Their meads are generally sweet, and the meads you get from them here are probably from 8-12 years old. Sometimes you can turn up a 25 year old bottle of Jadwiga, but mostly the stuff that makes it here is less than 15 years old. The older, the better with these meads, they have a long aging life with their spices and honeys.
It is definitely an acquired taste, and one that you remember once you've tasted it!
This is only partially true. The three bottles I referenced are definitely not top quality mead from Poland and the flavors, while familar as Polish mead, were not up to the same standard and also exhibited oxidized, possibly light struck notes. Press it up against a bottle of Jadwiga and there's no comparison.
Cheers, Oskaar
Moniack mead is one of the best meads I ever had.
I tried about 18 to 20 commercial meads back in the mid 1990s. Most of the US stuff was trashed after a sip or two. The Europe meads (Polish, German, Scottish) were the best hands down. Sorry I threw my tasting notes away a long time ago from losing interest and being disgusted with US meads.
Just sent for a bottle of Sweet Desire. Looks good, but the price is going to be too high to drink it other than a novelty.
Then only commercial meads I thought were somewhat drinkable were Chaucers and a company that made Vandal Gold. But this was in the late '90s' and don't think it is the same company as listed in this review. Maybe they changed their name?
http://www.classiccitybrew.com/blind_mead03.html
I tried about 18 to 20 commercial meads back in the mid 1990s. Most of the US stuff was trashed after a sip or two. The Europe meads (Polish, German, Scottish) were the best hands down. Sorry I threw my tasting notes away a long time ago from losing interest and being disgusted with US meads.
Just sent for a bottle of Sweet Desire. Looks good, but the price is going to be too high to drink it other than a novelty.
Then only commercial meads I thought were somewhat drinkable were Chaucers and a company that made Vandal Gold. But this was in the late '90s' and don't think it is the same company as listed in this review. Maybe they changed their name?
http://www.classiccitybrew.com/blind_mead03.html
keepitlow, if you find a way to get Moniack here in the US again, please let us know and also grab a glass, taste it again, and post your detailed comments and reactions here. I for one would love to try this one some day, and lacking that I'd at least like to have someone else's comments to reference when I'm next in the UK, if I find an opportunity to try some over there.
