higher ABV?

[Maatmes]

Hi
First
Gleaned much info from the threads, thanks.

Seems trend is to get high ABV 12% too low? 16% not high enough. 18% seems very high. Is this a flavor thing, ego(I have biggest) or going for bigger buzz?

 

[Riverat]

Hi
First
Gleaned much info from the threads, thanks.

Seems trend is to get high ABV 12% too low? 16% not high enough. 18% seems very high. Is this a flavor thing, ego(I have biggest) or going for bigger buzz?

To each their own, 12 to 14% is a nice place for me!

 

[MikeTheElder]

I made some apple cyser with EC1118 and ended up about as high alcohol as you can get, ~19%ABV, very harsh, drinkable but strong,I hope the harshness ages out.

Now I like high alcohol brews but not throat burn hot(unless I'm drinking whiskey) so I try to keep my mead around 14-15%ABV

 

[joemirando]

Hi
First
Gleaned much info from the threads, thanks.

Seems trend is to get high ABV 12% too low? 16% not high enough. 18% seems very high. Is this a flavor thing, ego(I have biggest) or going for bigger buzz?

Speaking for myself, I have one sack mead aging now. Just under 20%. I know, I know, "it can't be 20%!", but it is, at least according to the hydrometer. Honey and water went in, none of it came out (no siphoning off to make room for more honey, etc.)

I step fed and added nutrients in steps, aerated and degassed, watched the temperature and just generally spent all too much time babying it <grin>. For me, the objectives were two-fold:

1. To see if the copious amount of honey lent a 'fuller' taste. The small portion of the honey that ain't sugar and ain't water... that's what I was looking to find out about
2. I wanted to get away from the "it tastes just like white wine" thing when the uninitiated taste it.

I can report that the larger concentration of honey did provide a richer, fuller taste without being syrupy, and that, despite pushing the Premier Cuvee past its listed tolerance for alcohol, it was not even as 'hot' as other meads I've made at 14%.


I will probably oak some of this one to see how that feels, but it's pretty darned good as it is, I have high hopes for it after it ages. Its not something to drink a couple of glasses of. Its something to be savored and sipped at with a good cigar and good company.



Will I ever be able to do this again? Who knows. THAT will be in the hands of the Powers That Mead. But I'll experiment again when I can and, if I'm lucky, learn something from it either way.


Joe

 

[bernardsmith]

high ABV and flavor?

Speaking for myself, I have one sack mead aging now. Just under 20%. I know, I know, "it can't be 20%!", but it is, at least according to the hydrometer. Honey and water went in, none of it came out (no siphoning off to make room for more honey, etc.)

I step fed and added nutrients in steps, aerated and degassed, watched the temperature and just generally spent all too much time babying it <grin>. For me, the objectives were two-fold:

1. To see if the copious amount of honey lent a 'fuller' taste. The small portion of the honey that ain't sugar and ain't water... that's what I was looking to find out about
2. I wanted to get away from the "it tastes just like white wine" thing when the uninitiated taste it.

I can report that the larger concentration of honey did provide a richer, fuller taste without being syrupy, and that, despite pushing the Premier Cuvee past its listed tolerance for alcohol, it was not even as 'hot' as other meads I've made at 14%.


I will probably oak some of this one to see how that feels, but it's pretty darned good as it is, I have high hopes for it after it ages. Its not something to drink a couple of glasses of. Its something to be savored and sipped at with a good cigar and good company.



Will I ever be able to do this again? Who knows. THAT will be in the hands of the Powers That Mead. But I'll experiment again when I can and, if I'm lucky, learn something from it either way.


Joe

So is the high ABV mead to be drunk like scotch rather than like wine or beer? And wouldn't the high concentration of alcohol mask subtle flavors? Wine makers might mask flaws by producing sweet wines. Do mazers mask their flaws by producing fermented honeys at near distilled levels?

 

[Marshmallow Blue]

I don't think ABV masks flavor, I don't know why people desire to have it... But some of the best red wines I've had have been well over 15%

 

[joemirando]

So is the high ABV mead to be drunk like scotch rather than like wine or beer? And wouldn't the high concentration of alcohol mask subtle flavors? Wine makers might mask flaws by producing sweet wines. Do mazers mask their flaws by producing fermented honeys at near distilled levels?

One of the reasons I wanted to try this was because of that tiny fraction of honey that "ain't sugar and ain't water". THOSE came through quite well, I'm happy to say, even though it was cheap store brand honey.

And I don't see it as scotch-like. Nor is it like heavy sickeningly sweet dessert wines. It's really something unique. And I can already see that it will go nicely with a good cigar.

Joe

 

[Medsen Fey]

Ethanol will mask aromas and flavors so high ABV batches with delicate honey may not give the best results. High ABV batches can make an excellent apéritif.

 

[Honeyhog]

I had a high ABV accident that turned out wonderfully. I made a pumpkin cyser and added honey like I was making a traditional mead. I had forgotten about the sugar content of the apple cider I used and I ended up with a SG of 1.155 and I pitched an EC-1118. It fermented down to 1.033 giving me about 18.5% ABV. It was completely enjoyable in a couple of months, in fact I only have one bottle left because I only made a gallon. It is very nice as an appertif.