I've been sampling my mead at random to see how it's aging. It's still rough around the edges, a strong burn really overpowers any subtle flavors. There are a couple things missing that I had hoped to achieve. First, it's not very sweet. I can add more honey after a while to fix that, so it's not a big deal. Second, it's not as "dark" as I had wanted it to taste. I don't know how else to describe the taste I was looking for, maybe "rich". Anyhow, I solved that with a single-serving steeping bag of coffee. The coffee bag hung in the secondary for just a few hours to impart some extra flavor. Being as the bag is designed to make one cup of coffee, adding it to nearly a gallon of mead didn't have an overpowering effect, but it sure does taste good! Now I'm thinking about a small amount of vanilla to kind of round it out. I'm finding that the secondary is a wide-open area of experimentation.
Playing with the secondary
- Thread starter WikdWaze
- Start date
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Wikdwaze wrote:
Ken , in his book talks about the experimenting with flavors post secondary. But you haven't reached that point yet. One can make up striaght meads in the winter and let it age some to establish where it is going in taste and then modify it with flavorings.
In a few months or so, even your level of sweetness will appear different. It is usually best to wait til all has stabilized and rounded until flavorings are added. Why? Because as others here will tell you, the mead you have now with buckwheat and all your other ingredients (started ~ Oct 14) as your first mead is no where ready to drink or judge how it will taste with age (which is always better unless one has an infection). In other words, you are drinking and tasteing a green mead. It may be wonderful in 6 months or more but it doesn't sound like it will make it that long. And if YOU think it is good now with coffee flavoring, YOU will think it is heaven in a year. The amount of flavoring at this point to add is tricky since the mead is really not finished. I would recommend you wait at least a few months first.
If you talked to the braggot makers at the festival you would find it is not like beer which you can drink right away. Most there were well over 1 year old.
Joe
That's pretty normal since you went to the alcohol limit of your yeast. If you left it alone for a couple months it would taste a world of difference, you may not believe me now but you will if you waited.
Ken , in his book talks about the experimenting with flavors post secondary. But you haven't reached that point yet. One can make up striaght meads in the winter and let it age some to establish where it is going in taste and then modify it with flavorings.
In a few months or so, even your level of sweetness will appear different. It is usually best to wait til all has stabilized and rounded until flavorings are added. Why? Because as others here will tell you, the mead you have now with buckwheat and all your other ingredients (started ~ Oct 14) as your first mead is no where ready to drink or judge how it will taste with age (which is always better unless one has an infection). In other words, you are drinking and tasteing a green mead. It may be wonderful in 6 months or more but it doesn't sound like it will make it that long. And if YOU think it is good now with coffee flavoring, YOU will think it is heaven in a year. The amount of flavoring at this point to add is tricky since the mead is really not finished. I would recommend you wait at least a few months first.
If you talked to the braggot makers at the festival you would find it is not like beer which you can drink right away. Most there were well over 1 year old.
Joe
The biggest mistake I made as a newbie was messing with the mead before it had aged sufficiently. Jmattoli is right - wait at least a couple months before doing anything with it. It will almost always end up sweeter than your first impression, and subtleties will always come out that you don't get right away.
I want everyone to bear witness to this oath I am about to swear. I will not sample or molest my mead until the 22nd of December. That will be a solid 7 weeks since I combined the two batches, and will allow me to see if it is ready for the family to sample during the holiday. I'll see how far it's progressed by then and use that to judge how long to wait before sampling again.
What does it taste like now??? How's the color since it's been combined? What is the aroma like at this point?
Oh . . . sorry . . . :
I was uh just trying to get an idea of what it is like now so we know how it has progressed at the Dec 22 deadline.
LOL, ain't I a stinker!
Cheers,
Oskaar
Oh . . . sorry . . . :
I was uh just trying to get an idea of what it is like now so we know how it has progressed at the Dec 22 deadline.LOL, ain't I a stinker!
Cheers,
Oskaar
The last sampling was only a few days ago, it was pretty tastey. All it really needs is for the alcohol to mellow out. That may not happen by the deadline, but I need to check so I know whether to take to to my folks' place for the festivities.
tastey but what does it taste like. how about aroma/ nose , after taste, sweetness, tartness etc..
Joe
Joe
Hard to describe exactly. The coffee I added is noticeable, but not overpowering. There is just a hint of honey. The alcohol really overwhelms any subtle flavors. It is very viscous, probably far beyond the taste of wine afficionados. The aroma is of honey and coffee, and alcohol. Probably the best way to describe it is "dark". I don't know if that makes sense to anybody but me, but that's the word that first comes to mind. The color is tea-like, just a few shades darker. There is no real aftertaste, which I find odd. I know the honey will be more prominent once the alcohol smooths out, but right now it tastes like a sweet, chewy whiskey.
Hmmm,
Sounds like the Redhook Double Black Stout that is made with Starbuck's Coffee. Mmmmmmmmmmm, one of my favorite stouts ever! Good stuff but sadly production was stopped in 2002. This stuff stomped all over Guiness IMNSHO!
http://www.redhook.com/ales.html
Oskaar - plotting to purloin the Double Black Stout recipe from Redhook!
Sounds like the Redhook Double Black Stout that is made with Starbuck's Coffee. Mmmmmmmmmmm, one of my favorite stouts ever! Good stuff but sadly production was stopped in 2002. This stuff stomped all over Guiness IMNSHO!
http://www.redhook.com/ales.html
Oskaar - plotting to purloin the Double Black Stout recipe from Redhook!
