Well over the weekend I was pleasantly surprised to find some mead at my local store. I picked up two bottles of the semi-sweet and one of the sweet. Not to go into the whole hint of bla... thing which has always irked me somewhat but to say the least the semi-sweet is all gone. It was light with just a hint of honey at the aftertaste and made me want another glass before I was finished with the first, and at $9.50 a bottle I can't fault it. The sweet mead was just that, sweet. It was a little too sweet by my taste and hinted an odd taste to me that I can't really describe well. I'll finish that bottle but I doubt I'll buy anything other than the semi-sweet to tide me over until my own mead is ready (and maybe continue bying if mine is horrible, which I hope it's not) I'm considering taking gravity readings on it just to see what it is. The website is http://www.skyriverbrewing.com It's a local meadry for me and I might have to pay them a visit.
Sky River Brewery
- Thread starter gryphon
- Start date
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To me Sky River Brewery is Great
Despite what anyone says...ahem...Sky River Brewery is exceptional. I have recently tried all of the selection that they have to offer and I couldn't be more pleased. Most people that have a taste for wine like it semi-dry or dry, while everyone can have their own opinion...I for one enjoy the sweet meads the best...they have a great flavor that is more attributed to what mead is supposed to be...in my own opinion...if you want dry wine....try a merlot.
Despite what anyone says...ahem...Sky River Brewery is exceptional. I have recently tried all of the selection that they have to offer and I couldn't be more pleased. Most people that have a taste for wine like it semi-dry or dry, while everyone can have their own opinion...I for one enjoy the sweet meads the best...they have a great flavor that is more attributed to what mead is supposed to be...in my own opinion...if you want dry wine....try a merlot.
mtmead,
I have to disagree with you here for a couple of reasons. First, I think gryphon was actually stating that the Sky River Mead was very good, but that the Sweet one was a little too sweet for his tastes. At no point did he say he preferred Dry Meads and his opinion seemed fair and positive.
Second, your statement "what Mead is supposed to be" is incorrect. Mead is whatever the brewer wishes it to be based on his or her likes and dislikes. If you mean that all Mead is supposed to be sweet because it comes from honey, then you are missing the wonderful flexibility that is possible. Some dry Meads bring out the subtle flavors of a fruit more than others (White Winter Winery Raspberry for example). Also, if you happen to like sparkling Meads, you are never going to be able to find one that is sweet (unless you force carbonate one yourself). In other words, do not reject Dry Meads as a substitute for Merlot. It is a different beverage entirely with its own unique flavors and character.
Angus
I have to disagree with you here for a couple of reasons. First, I think gryphon was actually stating that the Sky River Mead was very good, but that the Sweet one was a little too sweet for his tastes. At no point did he say he preferred Dry Meads and his opinion seemed fair and positive.
Second, your statement "what Mead is supposed to be" is incorrect. Mead is whatever the brewer wishes it to be based on his or her likes and dislikes. If you mean that all Mead is supposed to be sweet because it comes from honey, then you are missing the wonderful flexibility that is possible. Some dry Meads bring out the subtle flavors of a fruit more than others (White Winter Winery Raspberry for example). Also, if you happen to like sparkling Meads, you are never going to be able to find one that is sweet (unless you force carbonate one yourself). In other words, do not reject Dry Meads as a substitute for Merlot. It is a different beverage entirely with its own unique flavors and character.
Angus
mtmead,
You posted almost the exact same message as the one below in another area so I deleted the post. I don't know why you felt you need to post that again, but it seems suspiciously like trolling or spamming. Are you affilliated in any way with Sky River Brewery? If you are, then you need to state up front that you are affiliated with them.
The duplicate post was removed. If you have a problem with this please feel free to PM me and we can discuss it further.
Cheers,
Oskaar
You posted almost the exact same message as the one below in another area so I deleted the post. I don't know why you felt you need to post that again, but it seems suspiciously like trolling or spamming. Are you affilliated in any way with Sky River Brewery? If you are, then you need to state up front that you are affiliated with them.
The duplicate post was removed. If you have a problem with this please feel free to PM me and we can discuss it further.
Cheers,
Oskaar
I did rather note a hint of a zeal in the reply, the kind of response you'd get if you bash someone's team. All considered it's a little out of place as individual tastes vary greatly and not everyone is going to like everything.
One addition that I was popping in here to note is the lack of any date on the bottles as to what year it was made and as meads generally improve with age how would I know I'm getting the same year that I liked? I do intend to call and discuss it with them later as it's a fairly standard practice and I see no reason why they shouldn't as it aids people in finding what they like and potentially improves the sale value later.
One addition that I was popping in here to note is the lack of any date on the bottles as to what year it was made and as meads generally improve with age how would I know I'm getting the same year that I liked? I do intend to call and discuss it with them later as it's a fairly standard practice and I see no reason why they shouldn't as it aids people in finding what they like and potentially improves the sale value later.
A quick overview of the dry mead from Sky River. I had a bottle last night, and John and I tried it.
Color is a light straw, with very little legs, as it should be in a dry mead. The mead had many small bubbles, not expected in a still like this.
The nose was honey, overlaid with an off note that we concluded was acetyl in nature. It had a 'plastic' quality about it.
Taste was delicate honey, with the same off note of plastic, which increased in the finish, which was fairly short.
All in all, an acceptable mead, but it seems to have acquired an off note from the yeast, the storage, or the traveling. We weren't sure. I saw some of this at the Festival, and am wondering if the Sky River meads might have issues with travel.
Vicky - test-driving meads in Montana this week
Color is a light straw, with very little legs, as it should be in a dry mead. The mead had many small bubbles, not expected in a still like this.
The nose was honey, overlaid with an off note that we concluded was acetyl in nature. It had a 'plastic' quality about it.
Taste was delicate honey, with the same off note of plastic, which increased in the finish, which was fairly short.
All in all, an acceptable mead, but it seems to have acquired an off note from the yeast, the storage, or the traveling. We weren't sure. I saw some of this at the Festival, and am wondering if the Sky River meads might have issues with travel.
Vicky - test-driving meads in Montana this week
Sky River is a local brewery for me. There's is the first mead I tasted, I was handed some of there semi-sweet at a friend's wedding last summer. It was O my God what is this stuff? Been on a quest for more and different mead sense. Don't like there sweet, but then I don't like sweet wine either. There semi-sweet and dry are both good in my opinion. Never had any with small bubbles or plastic after taste. It might not travle well.
Hey, jfisherman7,
I do want to make one comment on general forum policy and etiquette that is applicable here; for the most part we'd prefer if you read something in one of these older threads that you want to comment on, that you start a new thread rather than just replying to something that is two years old. It keeps things neater and more current in the thread listing. It also cuts down on the potential confusion of anyone casually reading the older posts and thinking that they are current.
That said, thanks for your comment on Sky River meads! I happen to have liked the semi-sweet that they brought to the IMF a couple of years ago, but the samples that I've tried since all have the "plastic-y" phenolic character that Vicky mentioned in her earlier post. I think they may have either lucked into the batch that impressed me so much earlier, or they may indeed have problems with storage and/or transport. So much the better that they're local for you!
I do want to make one comment on general forum policy and etiquette that is applicable here; for the most part we'd prefer if you read something in one of these older threads that you want to comment on, that you start a new thread rather than just replying to something that is two years old. It keeps things neater and more current in the thread listing. It also cuts down on the potential confusion of anyone casually reading the older posts and thinking that they are current.
That said, thanks for your comment on Sky River meads! I happen to have liked the semi-sweet that they brought to the IMF a couple of years ago, but the samples that I've tried since all have the "plastic-y" phenolic character that Vicky mentioned in her earlier post. I think they may have either lucked into the batch that impressed me so much earlier, or they may indeed have problems with storage and/or transport. So much the better that they're local for you!
