Judges preference

"Appropriate" color is the best word! The color of the fruit or honey is the first thought. Some aging of the color is considered. Clearer or darker are less important than it being the color of the original friut or mead. It's human nature to be attracted to bright or deep colors. So that is not a bad thing. Of course, color is only a couple of points!

Body is important. Sticking to the sides of the glass is the "legs". They are based on a combination of body and alcohol content. Width, speed they move, and how many line up indicate the mix between body and alcohol. Typically, the more alcohol, the more body is important. Otherwise the legs will be thin and fast. Most judges who came from the beer world will not recognize this as quickly as one who was a wine judge already too. Flavor and mouth feel are what hits home the most. If it feels thin, it will not score well. If it is smooth feeling, then it will score better.

Just make something that you like. Don't worry about what a judge thinks!

I'm no judge, but I'll second that the colour/clarity espected of a mead varies wildly. If someone was judging one of my dark red/purple meads on clarity I'd be in trouble! But a clover honey traditional certainly shouldn't be opaque!

AToE said:

I'm no judge, but I'll second that the colour/clarity espected of a mead varies wildly. If someone was judging one of my dark red/purple meads on clarity I'd be in trouble! But a clover honey traditional certainly shouldn't be opaque!

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I think that there's a distinction to be made between color and clarity. I think of clarity as how much stuff is floating in the liquid, which I'd think should be none. (I'm also no judge!) Of course, in darker colored meads, clarity is going to be harder to distinguish.

I agree, should have been clearer (ha!), a dark colour will obscure clarity to the point where it basically cannot be judged (I think... maybe they have a trick for that).

Clarity is about floaties and other things like chill or pectin haze. That is bad. Opaque from very deep color is fine. The trick is a flashlight. Judging should be done in a VERY well lit room. Good events make sure of it even if it means bringing in extra lights. Many judges carry a flashlight to peer into very dark beverages.

So, clarity is good even if it's dark, but not if there is "stuff" floating inside the glass.