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2010 Winners Circle Mead Tasting - Boulder, Colorado

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Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
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Dec 26, 2004
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The 2010 Mazer Cup International event committee is pleased and excited to announce the first

MCI Winners Circle Paired Mead Tasting

Online ticket sales will begin on 02/14/2010 at http://www.mazercup.com/mcic_winners_circle.htm

This public tasting will be held on Friday, March 26, 2010 at 7:00 PM, in the Boulder Outlook Hotel. Tickets are $25 and will be distributed via will-call at the door the evening of the event. The 2010 Winners Circle will be limited in size, but we intend to increase the size of this event in 2011 based on the attendance this year. Please be sure to order tickets online while they are still available.

This event will consist of the 2009 Mazer Cup International Commercial Mead Competition gold medal meads paired with various foods that have been suggested by the medal winning Meaderies themselves. The pairings are designed to display how mead and selected foods enhance one another.

Attendees will receive a souvenir program listing the mead and food pairings along with a description of each Meadery and their line of mead. Meadery representatives and MCI staff will be on-hand to discuss individual meads and to answer questions regarding the Meaderies, Meadmakers, and general mead-related questions.

We look forward to seeing you there!

For tickets go to:

http://www.mazercup.com/mcic_winners_circle.htm
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
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Dec 26, 2004
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OK, we're actually getting the pairings up a little later than we wanted, but it took some time to wrangle all the information we needed to make some really nice flavor pairings. So here they are:

Bargetto Winery - Traditional - Chaucer's Cellar Mead - 11.0% ABV

This dessert-style beverage contains only. This wine should be consumed shortly after purchase to enjoy its natural and rich honey flavor
Tentative Pairing:

Peach pastry, ginger snap cookies, mead cookies

Celestial Meads - Pyment Raizin d'Etre - 14.0%ABV

A full bodied pyment made with Blackberry blossom honey and Zinfandel grapes and aged on oak. The beautiful zinfandel grapes are complemented by the blackberry blossom honey. The oak adds a buttery complexity that makes this a truly fantastic mead.
Tentative Pairing:

Buffalo mozzarella with bruschetta, mini burgers or barbeque

Celestial Meads - Scheherazade - 12.0% ABV

A semi-sweet spiced melomel made with cardamom, sour cherries, plums and a hint of pomegranates. This wonderfully complex fruity mead is made even more delicious by the unique eucalyptus/lemon flavor and aroma of the cardamom. The acidity from the fruits perfectly balances the honey.
Tentative Pairing:

Cream cheese stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto

Celestial Meads - Southern Heat - 12.0% ABV

A sweet traditional mead made with pure, raw tupelo honey from the swamps of northern Florida. Vanilla, persimmon, peach and nutmeg in the nosex gives way to toasted oak, complex spice, soft fruit and caramelized pears on the palate. The alcohol and acidity balance the sweetness of this complicated mead
Tentative Pairing:

Salty cheese such as stilton or gorgonzola, peppered water crackers

Intermiel Inc - Honey and Raspberries - 12% ABV

A sweet melomel (fruit mead) made with real raspberries where the rare bouquet of raspberry blossom honey delicately intertwines with the exuberant and luxurious aroma of raspberries.
Tentative Pairing:

Goat or blue cheese, raspberry pies, Dark chocolate or with roasted almonds

Mountain Meadows Meadery - Midnight Mead - 20.0% ABV

A full and luxurious dessert mead. This honey liqueur is made with honey spirits (distilled mead) and blended with a full bodied sweet traditional mead to bring you our Amsterdam inspired Midnight Mead.
Tentative Pairing:

Blue cheese, pear chutney, stilton with apricots, cambozola, goat cheese

Pasieka Maciej Jaros - Koronny - Mead Dwojniak Koronny- 15.0%

A Polish dwojniak produced in equal parts of water and honey with a mixture of Polish meadow herbs. It is produced mainly from dark, autumn honey and is aged in oak casks for over 10 years and is racked into stoneware bottles which enhances and enriches its flavor. Velvety smooth with deep rich aroma and flavor.
Tentative Pairing:

Chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate, chocolate covered bacon

Rabbit's Foot Meadery - Diabhal - 8.2% ABV

Fermented with traditional Belgian barley, yeast and candi sugar along with the finest honey to create the only ale of its kind. It is similar to a tripel, but paler, drier and lighter bodied due to the honey. The style is often named after the devil, "Diabhal" in Irish.
Tentative Pairing:

Dubliner cheese, extra sharp (aged) cheddar

Redstone Meadery - Nectar of the Hops - 8.0% ABV

A medium sweet and sparkling mead, the taste is light and refreshing. The honey flavor is prominent and well balanced in this simple, yet intriguing mead. Nectar of the Hops has a bit of bitterness to it from the hops.
Tentative Pairing:

Specially prepared gourmet pizza

Ring of Fire Meadery - Tart Cherry Reserve - 14% ABV

A sweet, barrel fermented melomel made with wild blackberry blossom honey and local tart cherries. This incredibly balanced strong mead attacks the senses with sharp aroma of the tart cherries and honey. The warmth of the alcohol proceeds through a pleasant oak complexity and sour fruit flavor.
Tentative Pairing:

White chocolate crème brûlée, vanilla crème brulee, white chocolate or vanilla mousse


Pasieka Maciej Jaros - Jablkowy (Pending)


Tentative Pairing:

Puff Pastry stuffed with cream cheese, chive and dill filling, smoked salmon, lox
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
Tentative Pairing:
Chocolate covered cherries, dark chocolate, chocolate covered bacon

Chocolate covered bacon? Is that for real?

Wow! I would love to be there for this tasting. To have the chance to wet my beak with all those different meads at once would be interesting in itself, but the food pairings sound just incredible.
 
Last edited:

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Wow! I would love to be there for this tasting. To have the chance to wet my beak with all those different meads at once would be interesting in itself, but the food pairing sound just incredible.

It's not too late to book a flight to Denver, and tasting tickets are still available....

(Besides, we could put you to work as a judge!) ;D
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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The OC
Chocolate covered bacon? Is that for real?

Wow! I would love to be there for this tasting. To have the chance to wet my beak with all those different meads at once would be interesting in itself, but the food pairings sound just incredible.

Yup, it's for real. We don't know if this is something that the Outlook can do which is why we put a couple or three suggestions with each mead. They'll get back to us.

I've had dark chocolate covered bacon and it's really remarkable.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
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0
34
The OC
OK, the final pairings are listed below!

Bargetto Winery - Traditional - Chaucer's Cellar Mead - 11.0% ABV
This dessert-style beverage contains a blend of three types of honey: alfalfa, sage and orange blossom. Each type brings a unique quality to the blend and contributes to the overall complexity of the Mead. Alfalfa is neutral in flavor but yields a dark, amber color. The orange blossom brings a floral bouquet to the nose of the wine. Sage brings subtle nuances into the blend. This wine should be consumed shortly after purchase to enjoy its natural and rich honey flavor.

Final Pairing:

Peach Pastries and Ginger Snap Cookies

Celestial Meads - Pyment Raizin d'Etre - 14.0%ABV
A full bodied pyment made with Blackberry blossom honey and Zinfandel grapes and aged on oak. The beautiful Zinfandel grapes are complemented by the blackberry blossom honey. The oak adds a buttery complexity that makes this a truly fantastic mead.

Final Pairing:
Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

Celestial Meads - Scheherazade - 12.0% ABV
A semi-sweet spiced melomel made with cardamom, sour cherries, plums and a hint of pomegranates. This wonderfully complex fruity mead is made even more delicious by the unique eucalyptus/lemon flavor and aroma of the cardamom. The acidity from the fruits perfectly balances the honey.

Final Pairing:
Cream Cheese Stuffed Figs with Prosciutto on the side

Celestial Meads - Southern Heat - 12.0% ABV
A sweet traditional mead made with pure, raw tupelo honey from the swamps of northern Florida. Vanilla, persimmon, peach and nutmeg in the nose gives way to toasted oak, complex spice, soft fruit and caramelized pears on the palate. The alcohol and acidity balance the sweetness of this complicated mead

Final Pairing:
Gorgonzola and Brie with Water Crackers and Seedless Grapes

Intermiel Inc - Honey and Raspberries - 12% ABV
A sweet melomel (fruit mead) made with real raspberries where the rare bouquet of raspberry blossom honey delicately intertwines with the exuberant and luxurious aroma of raspberries.

Final Pairing:
Gorgonzola and Brie with Water Crackers and Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

Mountain Meadows Meadery - Midnight Mead - 20.0% ABV
A full and luxurious dessert mead. This honey liqueur is made with honey spirits (distilled mead) and blended with a full bodied sweet traditional mead to bring you our Amsterdam inspired Midnight Mead.

Final Pairing:
Goat Cheese, Pear Chutney and Baguette Toasts

Pasieka Maciej Jaros - Koronny - Dwojniak - 15.0%
A Polish Dwojniak produced with equal parts of water and honey with a mixture of Polish meadow herbs. It is produced mainly from dark, autumn honey and is aged in oak casks for over 10 years and is racked into stoneware bottles which enhances and enriches its flavor. Velvety smooth with deep rich aroma and flavor.

Final Pairing:

Dark Chocolate Covered Bacon with extra chunks of Dark Chocolate

Rabbit's Foot Meadery - Diabhal - 8.2% ABV
Fermented with traditional Belgian barley, yeast and candi sugar along with the finest honey to create the only ale of its kind. It is similar to a tripel, but paler, drier and lighter bodied due to the honey. The style is often named after the devil, "Diabhal" in Irish.

Final Pairing:
Irish Extra Sharp Cheddar with Water Crackers and Seedless Grapes

Redstone Meadery - Nectar of the Hops - 8.0% ABV
A medium sweet and sparkling mead, the taste is light and refreshing. The honey flavor is prominent and well balanced in this simple, yet intriguing mead. Nectar of the Hops has a bit of bitterness to it from the hops.

Final Pairing:
Gourmet Pizzas with fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Red Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Feta, Spinach, Fresh Basil and more

Ring of Fire Meadery - Tart Cherry Reserve - 14% ABV
A sweet, barrel fermented melomel made with wild blackberry blossom honey and local tart cherries. This incredibly balanced strong mead attacks the senses with sharp aroma of the tart cherries and honey. The warmth of the alcohol proceeds through a pleasant oak complexity and sour fruit flavor.

Final Pairing:

White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Flan

Pasieka Maciej Jaros - Jablkowy - Cyser 15% ABV

A Polish Dwójniak produced with equal parts liquid and honey with at least 30% of the water replaced by apple juice. It is produced from the highest quality multi flower honey and aged for over 5 years. A perfect harmony of apple and honey flavors.

Final Pairing:
Puff pastry stuffed with Dill Cream Cheese filling with Lox on the side

And there you have it folks! I can't wait to dive into this!

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
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Elk Grove, CA
You know, the cost of an airplane ticket is probably less than it would cost to buy all these meads (and/or get them shipped to one place) to taste them yourself. :)

I'm sure it would be much less, but I'm trying to save my pennies so I can go to Europe this summer--besides, I don't have any sick time left and I wouldn't want to make the trip in a weekend. World traveller I ain't!

I need to retire young and marry rich. So far, no luck. :mad:
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
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0
Elk Grove, CA
Oh, and I want the recipe for mead cookies. I'll share my recipe for drunken pumpkin muffins as a fair swap!

Now my sister is trying to get everyone to chip in so I can go. Hee hee!
 

danidiver

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Oct 27, 2008
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You Asked For It!

Okay we get it, you really want to know how the pairings turned out. So here they are based on the completely unscientific and alcohol influenced votes of the attendees:

1st Place:
Pasieka Maciej Jaros - Koronny - Metheglin paired with Dark Chocolate Covered Bacon with extra chunks of Dark Chocolate

2nd Place:
Mountain Meadows Meadery - Midnight Mead - Dessert Mead paired with Goat Cheese, Pear Chutney and Baguette Toasts

3rd Place:
Pasieka Maciej Jaros - Jablkowy - Cyser paired with Puff pastry stuffed with Dill Cream Cheese filling with Lox on the side

4th Place (tie):
Intermiel Inc - Honey and Raspberries - Berry Melomel paired with Gorgonzola and Havarti with Water Crackers and Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
AND
Celestial Meads - Scheherazade - Open Mead paired with Cream Cheese Stuffed Figs with Prosciutto on the side

5th Place:
Redstone Meadery - Nectar of the Hops - Session Mead paired with Gourmet Pizzas with fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Red Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Feta, Spinach, Fresh Basil and more

6th Place:
Bargetto Winery - Chaucer's Cellar Mead - Traditional mead paired with Peach Pastries and Ginger Snap Cookies

7th Place:
Ring of Fire Meadery - Tart Cherry Reserve - Other Melomel paired with White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Flan

8th Place:
Celestial Meads - Pyment Raizin d'Etre - Pyment paired with Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

9th Place (tie):
Celestial Meads - Southern Heat - Varietal mead paired with Gorgonzola and Havarti with Water Crackers and Seedless Grapes
AND
Tunderhead Brewing - Golden Frau Honey Wheat - Braggot paired with Irish Extra Sharp Cheddar with Water Crackers and Seedless Grapes
(due to circumstances beyond our control the Rabbit's Foot Diabhal did not arrive and the 2009 bronze medal winning Golden Frau was substituted)

The event was such a roaring sucess we're already plotting for next year ;)

Cheers!
Dani
 
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