I'm starting to think I'll have to make two batches with identical ingredients and try both methods simultaneously. that way I could see firsthand if the method itself had any effect on the taste.
As for the recipes I plan to use, I'm undecided so far. I had intended to use buckwheat honey since it's supposed to be the darkest, richest varietal, but I don't have a local source. I don't feel like paying to ship 30# of honey from California or Minnesota. I can get a five-gallon bucket locally for about $100, that's less than $2 per pound which seems a decent price. I'm thinking 3# per gallon since I want a sweet product and the malt should counter some of the sweetness. If I have to use a lighter honey I'l probably use a darker malt to get the color and body I want. I want the finished product to be noticeably thicker than beer. I may go with a malt extract for now just to save me some hassle while I experiment to find the exact recipe I want. Yeast is another decision I have yet to make. I'm shooting for about 15% ABV, nothing too excessive, and I have absolutely no idea how the different yeasts effect the flavor of the mead. Seems I don't really have a clue what I plan to use yet :
Really it all depends on the honey I find. Like I said in my original post, I want a sweet mead with strong wheat undertones. I'm sure there's only about 35,000 different ways to get that result.
After I experiment and find the right recipe I'm going to try and convince the local German restauraunt to carry it and start my own little craft meadery.