Mesquite honey from Trader Joe's

ZwolfUpir · #1 07-22-2012, 06:06 PM

So SWMBO and I were at Trade Joe's and she pointed out the 3lbs canisters that were $9.99 they had there an asked how many pounds I would need for a gallon batch. Well, she must be obeyed, right...? So we got two canisters. Anyone have suggestions for what to pair it with. I'll be making two one gallow batches of something. She's been asking for a ginger mead, we're planning on blueberry picking this week, I'm making a coffee mead this week {planning on useing clover honey but could change}, we have some hab and hot peppers coming in from the garden, and if I plan right I could probubly even have a bunch of fresh rose petals to use... But I dunno what to do with them... Oh, and we picked up some raw agave nectar too so I was thinking on that pairing as well...

TheAlchemist · #2 07-22-2012, 06:17 PM

I used TJ's mesquite honey in my Davy Jones Banana Bochet (MeadLog not posted yet, sorry) which I just racked today...

TheAlchemist · #3 07-22-2012, 06:18 PM

PS
I adore Trader Joe's

dingurth · #4 07-22-2012, 06:37 PM

I've heard that mesquite honey makes a pretty good traditional, but one of the things that is on my list of things to do is a prickly pear melomel with mesquite honey for that whole southwest/AZ thing (which I've also heard turns out pretty well). It's prime prickly pear season, too. Perfect timing if that interests you.

ZwolfUpir · #5 07-22-2012, 06:45 PM

Prickly pears are out of my experimental budget. Never had one before. But I do think the traditional is definately on that list to be done with this honey after readying it's flavor profile.

BBBF · #6 07-22-2012, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZwolfUpir

Prickly pears are out of my experimental budget. Never had one before. But I do think the traditional is definately on that list to be done with this honey after readying it's flavor profile.

You can find them cheap if you go to a Mexican grocery store, when there in season. I forget when that is exactly, but it's in the next couple months.

dingurth · #7 07-22-2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBBF

I forget when that is exactly, but it's in the next couple months.

Late June to the end of August/beginning of September. You can buy them or get them shipped for sure around or just after then. Us southwest folks have it easy though (at least when I'm in the southwest, in IN right now). Prickly pear cacti are everywhere. I've just walked into the desert to pick some before.

akueck · #8 07-22-2012, 09:09 PM

I think the mesquite pairs well with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg. Also I've used it for a cherry melomel.

tatgeer · #9 07-22-2012, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dingurth

I've heard that mesquite honey makes a pretty good traditional,

One of my best-ever batches was a mesquite traditional. I made it about half=strength sparkling and took first in the state fair competition. Really ought to see if my notes are good enough to replicate that one...

ZwolfUpir · #10 07-23-2012, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tatgeer

One of my best-ever batches was a mesquite traditional. I made it about half=strength sparkling and took first in the state fair competition. Really ought to see if my notes are good enough to replicate that one...

I'd love to see the notes on those. The traditional I made with blueberry honey just didn't wow me as much as i had hoped it would. It's still ageing out, so it may be better latter, but...

Dixiebeeco · #11 07-23-2012, 12:04 PM

Never tried the Mesquite honey to be able to compare it to, but as a beekeeper, I can say that every honey has a very distinct taste.

Looking for an adventurous person who has a lot of experience with making Mead who would like to be the first person to make a batch of Mayhaw honey Mead. It's a bronze color and carries a nice depth of flavor, but not overpowering like buckwheat honey. Mayhaw runs $12 a pound since there are only 2 of us that make it in the US. A lot cheaper than that Sidr honey. OK, I have been to Yemen, ate the honey, and it is good stuff.

Dixiebeeco

Penguinetti · #12 07-24-2012, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZwolfUpir

...I do think the traditional is definately on that list to be done with this honey after readying it's flavor profile.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akueck

I...I've used it for a cherry melomel.

Yea, I would say try either the cherry melomel or the traditional. They both sound like they would be fantastic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tatgeer

One of my best-ever batches was a mesquite traditional. I made it about half=strength sparkling...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZwolfUpir

I'd love to see the notes on those...

I think ZwolfUpir speaks for a bunch of us on that. What do you mean by 'half=strength'?

tatgeer · #13 07-25-2012, 11:49 PM

I was worried someone would ask for notes - part of why I didn't post them was that my notes are pretty terrible. I can tell you that I used 3lbs of honey for a one gallon batch and the yeast was 71B-1122. Half-strength sparkling I just mean that I used 1/2 the usual amount of priming sugar so that it was lightly carbonated. hth.

ZwolfUpir · #14 07-26-2012, 01:09 PM

Those are perfectly fine note. Though I just got home from the brew shop, SWMBO let me pick up another 5 gal carboy, Shram's books, a primary ferment pail, yeast and other little bits, so to ask to go back for more yeast...

Trying to deside between E-1118 or D-47...

YogiBearMead726 · #15 07-27-2012, 03:48 PM

Sorry if this is coming a bit late, just wanted to chime in.

I like the honey in cysers, mainly due to the caramel flavors. As for yeast, I've had good luck with K1V-1116 and D21 when making a traditional from TJ's mesquite honey. Oak is probably also a good idea for that added vanilla complexity.

As an aside, the honey seems processed to a fair extent, so you might find more aromatic/flavorful versions from other honey producers/retailers.

ZwolfUpir · #16 07-27-2012, 10:49 PM

I would love to do a cyser... but sadly... apple cider doesn't love me...

I ended up doing a rhodomel, hope I spelled that right, with some dried rose buds. I was going to do the traditional, and I still will after I pick up some more, but the taste or the Mesquite honey and the smell from the rose buds just kinda called out to me. I'll post something on it tomorrow after I think of a name for it... I will say that I am very close to wanting to run down there and throw a couple scrapes of some nutmeg in there too, but I think that might overdo it.

Oskaar · #17 08-04-2012, 03:02 PM

Trader Joe's mesquite blossom honey works very well in Traditionals and in Cysers too.

If you're doing a traditional I'd match it with D21, if with a cherry melomel I'd match it with RC212 or 71B.

My "Oskaarz Petite Sweet Mesquite" recipe is posted in the Patrons Section and it is a great traditional mead that just gets better and better the longer you keep it.

Cheers,

Oskaar

ZwolfUpir · #18 08-04-2012, 03:35 PM

I can't get into the Patron section... yet... sometime soon I hope, but not yet. I ended up making a rhodomel... er... rose mead with it and paired Cote des Blanc to it. It's unhappy and stalled so I am going to repitch more Cote des Blanc with some boiled bread yeast to perk it back up. I really will post in the mead log soon, just been so busy getting ready for the new job and such.

ZwolfUpir · #19 08-04-2012, 03:58 PM

Scratch that on the yeast repitch. Didn't get to it yesterday, but it jumped from 1.052 where it was stalled for a couple days then today to 1.014... so... yeah... mead log, right...