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Re: The International Mead Fest

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Suzy_Q_Brewmistres

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 18, 2004
155
0
0
Re: The International Mead Fest

Since I'm only a newbie... and I discovered the Fest just a couple of weeks ago... this year is out. But I've already told my hub that we'll be going to Colorado in Nov. next year... so plan for it. :) He's willing.
Have fun everyone..
:-* Suzy Q, Brewmistress
 

Greenblood

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 6, 2004
290
0
0
44
Re: The International Mead Fest

Hello all. This is my first post to these forums, so It may as well be here. I will most deffinately be attending Meadfest this year. I heard about it shortly after it's conclusion last year and was verry dissapointed to have missed it. I have been planning to go this year ever since. While I have had my share of home crafted meads, this will be my first experience with commercial meads other than Chaucers, and Pirtle (a nearby winery). Seeya there! :)
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Re: The International Mead Fest

Well, We are here at the meadfest and it is 7:30PM Boulder time. I have tasted enough mead for 3 people and attended a history of Mead seminar by Dan McFeeley, met with Ken Schramm, put my arm around Vicky (with picture to prove it) and getting ready to watch some english dancers perform. Nobody told me you had to drink the whole glass of your sample so I don't think I will make it to 10:00PM.
Wish you all were here.
Cheers,
Joe (Full of Mead)
 

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
1,899
7
38
68
Illinois
Re: The International Mead Fest

Nobody told me you had to drink the whole glass of your sample so I don't think I will make it to 10:00PM.

Note -- these are little bitty tasting glasses, enough to hold exactly one mouthful. Your guess as to why Joe is getting confused over this is as good as mine. ;D ;D ;D
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Re: The International Mead Fest

Yep, your tight Dan, I mean right. Whew.. I did forget to put a not in that sentence. Its almost 10:00PM. Did I write this? Must have Mead confusion for sure. Drinking coffee now. All mead is good at this point. Good thing I'm not one of the judges like Vicky. Its a wonder she can still talk, I mean walk. I wonder if 58 mouthfuls constitutes a bottle. It ought not to be lawful to drink so many different meads in one night. Its more than the soul can handle. Never mind, I'm outta here.
Joe
 

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
1,899
7
38
68
Illinois
Re: The International Mead Fest

Yep, your tight Dan, I mean right. Whew.. I did forget to put a not in that sentence. Its almost 10:00PM. Did I write this? Must have Mead confusion for sure. Drinking coffee now. All mead is good at this point. Good thing I'm not one of the judges like Vicky. Its a wonder she can still talk, I mean walk. I wonder if 58 mouthfuls constitutes a bottle. It ought not to be lawful to drink so many different meads in one night. Its more than the soul can handle. Never mind, I'm outta here.
Joe

Oh, Vickie is walking and talking just fine. No, seriously. She not only survived the judging, she mixed and matched at the meadtasting afterwards. Her comment after the judging
was "So little meads, so little time." :) A true meadwench. :)

It's now 10:00 pm, they've given the last call for the night. The meads were quite nice. I'm going to wander around a little more before turning in for the night.
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Re: The International Mead Fest

Good Morning Mead Lovers,
Well, made it through the night and no hangover. There were over 80 different meads to taste and more than enough for seconds. There were Traditional meads, from dry to very sweet, lots of melomels, pyments, braggots, Spiced, Cysers, dessert meads, metheglins, Tej, hydromel, and stuff I couldn't put a name to. If you wanted to review commercial meads, this is the place. They were here from around the world. The honey board was here and a chance to taste quite a few different raw honeys was present. The French were here with Oaked Mead with honey I never heard of including White Flower and others. Even had Tawari honey Mead from New Zealand. Now to show you even Dan had a wee bit much. She didn't say "so little mead, so little time" Dan. Vicky stopped by the room for 30 minutes last night and she was still in great form and saying "So much mead, so little time".
Wish more of you were here. Oskaar would be in his Glory and fill up 10 pages of commercial reviews.
Later,
Joe
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
Re: The International Mead Fest

Arrrrrrrgh, give that knife another twist for me Joe! :-[

That much mead in a small area would make it a target rich environment for my greedy taste buds! I'm glad you folks are having a good time and meeting people. If you hear about a plane being hijacked to the Mead Fest . . . just make sure that the bottles are out there and ready to go! LOL

I'm curious to see how the meeting for the International Mead Association goes and what resolutions come forth from the organization effort. I think it would be a great thing to get started, and to grow it into a directed and focused organization with a strong and committed constituency.

Cheers,

Oskaar

PS - Ya'll remember my tag line:

"Mead - It's not just for breakfast anymore!"
 

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
1,899
7
38
68
Illinois
Re: The International Mead Fest

Now to show you even Dan had a wee bit much. She didn't say "so little mead, so little time" Dan. Vicky stopped by the room for 30 minutes last night and she was still in great form and saying "So much mead, so little time".

Yikes! :eek: You caught me out on that one!

I'll see you around the fest!
 

Dan McFeeley

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Oct 10, 2003
1,899
7
38
68
Illinois
Re: The International Mead Fest

One of the really nice things about the meadfest is getting to meet people who you know from online conversations. Some of my impressions of Gotmead folk and others:

Joe M. -- Gregarious and personally generous, much the same as he is online.
Vickie Rowe -- even more fun in person than she is online.
Ken Schramm -- very enthusiastic promoter of mead, full of all kinds of interesting ideas.
Dick Dunn -- a unique intellectual perspective on life, very much his own person.
David Meyers -- always cheerful, happy to converse with anyone, in spite of the pressures of keeping the meadfest running smoothly.
Julia Herz -- another super mead enthusiast. Nothing seems to slow her down. She's gimping around with a broken foot but not even breaking pace. This morning she came in on a bicycle.

Just a general observation -- I get a strong impression from talking with all the different mead folk here that people who are into mead are well rounded people who have all kinds of creative interests. A lot of times, mead making is only one of many creative outlets. I'm hearing all kinds of interesting stories about what people do, along with their mead hobby.

It's about 12:45 pm, mountain time. The industry meetings are starting, once they're over we'll be getting into the evening's events. More great meadtasting to come. :)
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Re: The International Mead Fest

We are back and here is a few pictures to match up some names. Is it what you expected?
Dan McFeeley http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Dan.JPG
Ken Schramm http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Ken.JPG
Vicky Rowe http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Vicky.JPG
Vicky Rowe http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Vicky2.JPG
Vicky & Joe http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/VickyJoe.JPG
Joe Mattioli http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Joe.JPG

The view of the mountains from the Meadfest in Bopulder was beautiful , but the view from the mountains of the hotel was even better.
http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Boulder.JPG

Here is where many spent their mornings, Joe resting on the trail above boulder.
http://home.fuse.net/mattioli/Trail.JPG

Cheers,
Joe

PS Excuse the quality of pictures in the hotel, The lighting was low and the cameraman had one too many.
 

Greenblood

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 6, 2004
290
0
0
44
Re: The International Mead Fest

Let me start by saying, it would have been nice to meet you all while at the festival. I guess that is what i get for not checking the forums while in Boulder. Joe, you mentioned the lighting at the festival, and I have to throw in my 2 cents about it as well. I was quite dissapointed by the lack of light myself. Not for taking pictures, but for examining the mead. While the candle light made for a nice ambiance, it was hardly sufficient for observing color and clarity. It was so dark by the Redstone table (zone 2?) I misstook blue for red. I can only hope that the judges had more suitable conditions for reveiwing the wonderful selections that were presented this year. I know what you all are thinking. 80 meads in one place and you are complaning about light?! What can I say, I am a pesimist. I was not about to let it ruin my weekend though. 2 days, over 160 ounces of mead! What an amazing time. Hope to see you all next year, or as it looks now, Feb, 2006. Cheers!
 
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