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Taste Budometer - help for choosing a mead?

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Medsen Fey

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
May 23, 2007
9,004
53
48
Fusel Shack, in the swamp west of Ft. Lauderdale
I ran across this interesting quiz to help you determine which kinds of wines you may like based on other preferences (like you really need something to tell you what you like, right?). However, it may be useful for newer wine drinkers to help them identify styles they might enjoy more as they start exploring wines.

So I'm thinking that maybe new mead drinkers/makers need some similar guidance to help them taste meads that they will like early on. This way they won't get turned off by having tasted only one mead - like Chaucer's or Bunratty's. They put the wines in 4 categories - sweet, hyper-sensitive, sensitive, and tolerant. Within that framework, can we identify commercial meads, and mead recipes that would fit each of these categories? Then, when a newbee asks for some advice, we can point them to something that might suit them better.

This may not be easy, but I know that GotMead folks are quite up for a challenge, so I ask you to make some good recommendations. Maybe some variation of this can be incorporated into the next revision of the newbee's guide.

What do you think?
Medsen
 
L

lastbornjoker

NewBee
Registered Member
May 19, 2008
82
0
0
47
very cool medsen. this is where i am........... 6.5
So tell me what mead should i make. I was thinking of doing yo's stawberry pizazz
 
JB175

JB175

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 18, 2007
73
0
0
Bucks County, PA
This test highlights my dilemma - do I make meads I will enjoy or meads that most of my samplers will enjoy? I scored a nine (all the way to the right - sup.er tolerant), but the majority of my samplers would likely be between the midway point and the 1-2 area. I'm not trying to win a popularity contest, but I find that if I can't get a "sweet" person to like either a) any craft brew, b) a non sweet wine, or c) anything I make then they are probably worthless - in the same category as those who abstain altogether (not that theres anything wrong with that)
 
akueck

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
Hmm, just north of 8. Sounds like not a bad idea for a quiz. :icon_thumleft:
 
R

rdpugh

NewBee
Registered Member
May 29, 2008
39
0
0
When it comes to wine, I pretty much only drink heavy dry reds. For beer, I pretty much keep to high gravity Scottish Strong Ale, with Skullsplitter being my favorite, and Dogfish Head Midas Touch. I don't like hoppy beers. I like my carbonated ciders bone dry, and my still ciders slightly sweet and full of alcohol. When it comes to mead, sweet meads, dry meads, don't care as long as it has a good amount of alcohol. I scored all the way to the right at 9.
 
V

Vino

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 30, 2008
334
0
0
63
Birmingham, Alabama
Interesting...I scored a 6.5 but I really don't care for Merlot's and I usually head straight for the big Cabs and Zins, Malbecs, and Zin based Blends (Steelhead Red, Old Vine Red).
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
To me (Mr off the chart) this taste test highlights how taste tests usually fall very short of being able to compartmentalize one's palate.

The palate is not static. It changes from day to day, as does it's ability to detect and differ certain flavors, characters, acid, alcohol, mineral etc. That test puts me at a nine and wide to the right, but my actual pattern of beverages is completely un-catorizable.

For example in the last two weeks I have drank:
Prosecco, Monterosso, Moscato, Port, Ultra-Brut, Chenin Blanc, Malvasia, Chablis, 37 yr old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whiskey, Kahlua, Stout, Porter, Belgian Strong, Imperial IPA, Double IPA, Hefe, Alt, Kolsch, Czech Pils, Rauch, Black Lager, Blueberry Honey Wheat beer, Imperial Brown, Zinfandel, Valpolicella, Sauv Blanc, Vigonier, mulled wine, ale and mead, and a few others that I can't remember off the top of my head.

I guess my point is that tests will tell you what you're liking at the moment, not as a daily thing. My tastes change with what I eat, the company I am with, the environment and what side of the bed I wake up on each morning. Tests also force you to stop and make a decision on what you think you like based on the criteria presented in the choices given. It's kind of like walking into an unfamiliar restaurant and choosing off of a menu that contains familiar choices, but may not be prepared the way you expect. Go and pick up three bottles of the same wine varietal and you'll see what I mean. This can also lead to the very common comment in restaurants "I wish I ordered that"

I dunno, I think things like that test are helpful to identify "comfort zone" tendencies, but not necessarily flavor favorites.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Oskaar
 
Syme

Syme

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 5, 2007
44
0
0
Near Asheville, NC
Hello. I'm new here.

I scored about a 7.5 but that didn't match my wine preferences at all. If it had I would have scored closer to a 2.
 
C

CBBaron

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 7, 2007
83
0
0
Cleveland
This scored me a 9 and my wife a 1.5. No wonder we can never share a bottle of wine. :)

I like most wines but definitely prefer the big bold red wines. Lighter red wines are good for a refreshing drink. However I do have a sweet tooth and like ice wines and some desert wines. I just don't care for the cheap sweet wines like white zin.

Craig
 
W

WRATHWILDE

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Mar 19, 2005
1,970
3
38
54
Dubuque, Iowa
www.zazzle.com
PBakulic said:
For example in the last two weeks I have drank:
Prosecco, Monterosso, Moscato, Port, Ultra-Brut, Chenin Blanc, Malvasia, Chablis, 37 yr old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whiskey, Kahlua, Stout, Porter, Belgian Strong, Imperial IPA, Double IPA, Hefe, Alt, Kolsch, Czech Pils, Rauch, Black Lager, Blueberry Honey Wheat beer, Imperial Brown, Zinfandel, Valpolicella, Sauv Blanc, Vigonier, mulled wine, ale and mead, and a few others that I can't remember off the top of my head.
Click to expand...

..Alcoholics Anonymous is on their way, it's quite a mob... we're not sure if they're going to kidnap you for treatment, of if they've all fallen off the wagon at once and figured your place was a type of safe house. Either way it won't be pretty.

Cheers,
Wrathwilde
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
No worries. As long as they're anonymous no one will miss them after pFredd chews on them for a while and softens them up enough for the compost heap in the back! :icon_rendeer:

Well, I have to admit that most of those are from tastings so the sizes range from 2 - 4 ounces depending. The strong ale fest in Carlsbad, CA was two weeks back and we went through about 20 different 8-16% ABV ales a day. I didn't list any of those because even at 4 ounce pours things get fuzzy after 8:00 PM when you're standing in the sun in a crowd of hundreds. Of course Pizza Port is right next door (Port Brewing makes the beer for them and yes...they have Old Viscosity, Hop-15 and Santa's Little Helper on Tap!!) So while I'm all over the map with the tastings because I want to see where new entries into the categories fall, I still purchase many different styles and types of wine, beer and mead, along with spirits.
 
O

omadawn

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 13, 2008
12
0
0
Southern California
Range

I'm all over the map myself. I look at Oskaars list right there as something like a shopping list. Mm... Sitting within easy reach in my booze cabinet I have a A Warres LBV port and a bottle of Rye right next to one another.
 
L

liff

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 10, 2006
293
0
0
Phoenix
I scored a nine. It was right on on the red style I like, I however can not tolerate chardonnay wines.

Adding the link to the favorites list. Thanks Medsen.
 
Teufelhund

Teufelhund

Banned
Oct 17, 2007
304
0
0
60
POX 181 Covington, OH 45318
I got a 9 as well. I'm pretty open to any kind of wine or mead. Not too keen on really tannic reds like cabernets. Beers like Porter or Guiness make me gag.
I never thought I'd like a fruity melomel but when you're able to make and create one of your own, well, it developes a bit more taste and desire. At least that's my humble opinion.

Cheers!

DD
 
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