Licorice Mead

[AlbertanViking]

Hello Everyone. A question for You, I was wondering what your thoughts would be on a licorice mead, I've been wondering weather it would be better for me to use Licorice tea from the start or weather I would get a better flavour from using annis seed. Any thoughts would be much apreciated.

Happy Brewing.
A.V.

 

[jab]

A recipe by Matt Maples from MeadHQ

12lb wildflower honey
1 oz licorice root
1 oz anise seed
1 oz star anise
Water to 5 gallons
.3 cup lemon juice (one third cup)
Cote Des Blanch yeast

Steep herbs in 2 gallons simmering water for 30 min. Take off heat, add honey, and let stand for 15 min.

Add enough water to make 5 gallons. Pitch when cool.

OG: 1.085
FG: 1.004
Alcohol: 10.4%

This mead was bulked aged for 1 year before bottling. The flavor is crisp with a subtle licorice presence. The main comment I got was a positive one and that was that the licorice was not overdone.

This mead was started on 5/2000, it is now 10/2001 and the licorice flavor held up nicely. If you want a mead with a more prominent licorice flavor, I would increase the licorice root (as opposed to the anise) and leave it sweeter than this as the licorice may make it a bit astringent.