Redstone Meadery Mead with Juniper Berries.

[David Baldwin]

I was so geeked when my brother found this. We both love gin, so were really looking forward to this.

We must have gotten a bad bottle. I won't even try to evaluate this mead based on the bottle we tried.

Presentation is spectacular in the 1 litre cobalt blue swing top bottles.

Aroma was maybe a bit oxidized but nothing truly "funky" about the smells.

The taste was simply horrible. I can't even clearly begin to describe it.

The color and clarity give me the best clues as to the possibility of a bad bottle. There was lots of sediment in the bottle and the mead was cloudy - almost muddy looking. Color was gold to almost green.

Production date on the bottle was 2003.

Fortunately (I think) we have another bottle, and will try it again later this Spring.

I'll take better notes next time and present a better evaluation.

David

 

[abejita]

Wow, that sucks. I've tried both their Solstice brew (vanilla/cinnamon) and their boysenberry nectar and I liked them both a lot, there wasn't anything off about them.

 

[Greenblood]

You got a bad bottle. I have never had a cloudy bottle from Redstone before. Redstone's Juniper mead, is one of my favorites (big gin drinker here). It is very unique. Give it another try. You will regret it if you do not.

Greenblood

 

[David Baldwin]

Greenblood,

Thanks for the encouragement. I suspected that it had to have been a bad bottle. We do have another and will open it sometime this spring at a mead tasting.

David

 

[Wi1s0nX]

I have had this mead from the bottle and at a tasting at the meadery and it is one of my favorites. It sounds like maybe the seal failed and the mead spoiled this is unfortunate for your first experirnce with redstone as they have always, in my opinionf, put out one of the most drinkable commercial products.

You might try contacting them through their site to let them know.....


-eeg

 

[David Baldwin]

Good idea I'll do that.

I haven't set my opinions for Redstone's meads by this one bottle. I suspected right away that something had gone wrong with that bottle.

I willl check the other bottle to see if I find sediment in that one.

I was hoping to make it to the Mead Festival this year, but unfortunately plans have had to change. I had been looking forward to this since the 2004 festival too...

David

 

[pain]

Bummer that we won't see you, David. I would definitely get up with Redstone, though. They are really big on quality, and would want to know about this. I like all the meads of theirs I've had, and am looking forward to the solstice mead that Julia set aside for me.

Just as an FYI, in the spring when they step up production, check out Smokehouse Winery's juniper mead. It rocks. I have one more bottle put by, and am hoarding for spring. I've already told John Halberg to put aside at least one bottle of everything he makes for me.

 

[jaysbrew]

I haven't tried the Redstone, but I'll second the recommendation for Smokehouse Juniper. My favorite of John's. Sublime!


Cheers,
Jay

 

[byathread]

David,
Do you recall if there was a clear plastic seal over top of the swing top? If that was still intact, it is unlikely that the bottle could have been opened or contaminated after bottling. I can't imagine how you would have gotten such a bad bottle unless that seal had been broken or was missing.

 

[David Baldwin]

Byathread,

Yes the seal was intact on both bottles.

I double checked the second bottle with a bright light. That bottle is full of lots of something stringy and vile looking.

That explains the bad taste of the first bottle.

If anyone is going to Meadfest and is anywhere near Grand Rapids, MI between now and then, I'd like to send the other bottle along. I'd like Redstone to be able to check it out.

David

 

[ScottS]

I'll take it.

 

[David Baldwin]

Thanks Scott,

It was great to meet you this morning - even if it was for just a few minutes.

Have fun - I'm absolutely green with envy! ;D


David

 

[BeerBaron]

Slightly off topic, but i love juniper berries and Ive read about the commercial juniper berry meads but havent found a single recipe for a mead or wine for that matter with a very strong juniper flavor. Anyone here know of one?

 

[storm1969]

I have had a couple of their melomels that were cloudy, but good, with no off flavors.

brian

 

[jaysbrew]

Beerbaron,

If you want a strong juniper flavor, I'll send you a dozen bottles of mine! I over-spiced it and now I only drink it blended with other meads. Hopefully someday it will mellow, but even after 1.5 years it is too sharp.

I used 3 oz of juniper berries in a 5 gallon batch of average strength off-dry mead. I recommend going with about 1 oz. Maybe 1.5 oz.


Cheers,
Jay

 

[Dan McFeeley]

Slightly off topic, but i love juniper berries and Ive read about the commercial juniper berry meads but havent found a single recipe for a mead or wine for that matter with a very strong juniper flavor. Anyone here know of one?

Here's a few -- simply adjust amount of juniper berries to your taste:

http://www.pbm.com/pipermail/hist-brewing/1999/001238.html

http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/recipens/(Flat)/57B3C3AE.htm

http://www-ssc.igpp.ucla.edu/~newbury/russcook/recipes/honey_wines.html



From the venerable Mead Lovers Digest number 50 December 1992:

Date: Fri, 4 Dec 92 15:48:54 CST
From: Jacob Galley <gal2@midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #49 (December 04, 1992)

I brewed my juniper metheglin last night. This is my fifth mead (in my
first year of meading), but there were some lot of firsts. I better
give my recipe so you know what I'm talking about.

Forest Mead (until I come up with a better name)

For 5 gallons:
5 lbs Buckwheat honey
~3 lbs Clover honey
1/2 cup Fresh juniper berries, ground up
1 oz Fresh rosemary leaves
2 Bay leaves
1 pot Really strong pu--erh tea (very earthy flavor, high tannin)

1 liter starter:
1 lump Brown sugar
2 T M&F light malt extract
Belgian Ale Wyeast (having faith in opinions posted here recently)

I tried not to boil the must, for the first time. But then I didn't
want to skim the white scum off too quickly, because I was afraid of
removing the juniper pulp before it could flavor the mead. So I waited
about an hour first. By this time, all the scum had disappeared! and I
had nothing to skim. What happened?

Also, Jilara says:
> Initial gravity/honey-to-water ratio is personal taste. I like my mead on
> the dry side. I use 5 lbs of honey to 2 gallons of water. If you like
> sweeter mead, increase the ratio.

But says she prefers ale yeast to wine. Can ale yeast really ferment
that much honey? Anticipated lower attenuation, which is why I only
put 8 lbs of honey in the must this time -- not knowing whether it
would be dry or sweet.

Cheers,
Jake.