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"Thicker" meads

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TheKithless

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 25, 2009
4
0
0
Arizona
Hi! Newbie to the board, so my apologies if this is miscategorized or anything.

I'm not a mead-maker. Rather, I enjoy mead a great deal. I had my first taste of mead at an Asatru gathering in Big Sur some years ago, and it was a homemade, spiced mead that had a thicker viscosity than anything I've seen since. It was, to put it simply, amazing.

Unfortunately, I've yet to find anything even remotely similar in the years that followed. I've tried nearly every common commercial mead out there and most aren't particularly good. In my opinion Chaucer's is the best of the commercial meads but it's ridiculously inconsistent. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not good. However, I'm tired of "settling" for mead that doesn't replicate that first experience. So, after some less-than-exhaustive research, I've come here to ask the experts: any recommendations on commercial meads that I may not have had an opportunity to try? Or is my best bet to find a homemade supply that will sate my palate?

Thanks for any help you might offer!
 
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
Welcome TheKithless!

I'm afraid that I don't have a specific recommendation for a commercial mead. It sounds to me like you are probably looking for a very sweet sack strength mead that would have very full body. Some of the Polish meads might be what you are looking for, and I'm sure some of the others here can give you some specific brands to look for.

Perhaps another alternative one to try is Rabbit's Foot Meadery's Mead of Poetry.

I hope you can find one you enjoy, but if not, there's always the "do it yourself" approach (We're big on that here!) :)

Medsen
 
fatbloke

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Feb 3, 2008
3,632
14
0
UK - South Coast.
fatblokeshomebrew.blogspot.com
Ha ha! it sounds like the "2 countries 1 language" thing......

I did a review of commercially made meads here in the UK for my blog (and a different forum) last year.

Of the 4 I tried, they were all of a "sack"/dessert type i.e. very sweet/syrupy in nature (gravity tests proved them all to be well into the 1030 plus area). Too sweet/syrupy for my taste (I like mine "medium sweet").

The main problem would be their lack of availability in the US - as most of them are just extra products produced by established vineyards/wineries (there isn't a big market for mead here - so it's aimed at the "occasional luxury/impulse buy" markets).......

Good luck in finding one to your taste...

regards

fatbloke
 
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Kee

Kee

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 27, 2008
424
0
0
Phoenix, AZ
Welcome to GotMead?!

If you think Chaucer's is one of the best of the commercial meads, you've missed a few. IMO, it's like comparing a fine wine to windex. Try BNecter, Rabbit's Foot, Fox Hill. They all have very good reputations. You may need to order online, though. There are a few other good ones as well. I'm sure the patrons will suggest the ones I'm missing. (It's not a slight if I didn't mention some of the better meads. I just have a poor memory.)
 
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TheKithless

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 25, 2009
4
0
0
Arizona
Thanks for the responses!

When I said Chaucer's was the best of the commercial meads, I did make a point to say "common" commercial meads. I'm not particularly fond of it, but many of the others I've tried (Redstone, Ragnar's Reserve) are so hideous that Chaucer's seems like liquid gold by comparison. I'm not a fan of wine itself, personally, and mead that tastes like wine (such as Chaucer's) doesn't appeal to me.

I'll certainly give some of those listed a try. The one problem I've run into with ordering online is that many of the wineries that make mead have limited shipping areas. Hopefully at least a couple of those listed will be able to ship to Arizona.
 
akueck

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
BevMo in AZ supposedly carries Rabbits Foot. If they don't have any in your local shop, ask about it. The meadery does have a contract with them so they should be more than willing to get some bottles in for you.
 
Kee

Kee

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 27, 2008
424
0
0
Phoenix, AZ
Where are you in AZ? I'm in north Phoenix. There are a couple of other members in AZ. Maybe we can arrange a bottle swap sometime.

AJ's carries at least four brands of meads. If I recall correctly, at least one is a polish. You can try Brewmeisters Anonymous. I'm not a member, but I know the president. His wife is into mead as well as a few members.
 
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Bryon

Bryon

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 12, 2004
70
0
0
Phoenix, Az
There is a place on Scottsdale road and McDowell that carried several brands and flavors of mead. I think if it's still there it was called Papago Brewery. It's in hte middle of that strip mall on the South West corner.

I Know a few People from BA. Good people. I don't get to go to their meetings very often though. I've done some Bee Keeping with a few of them too.
 
Kee

Kee

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 27, 2008
424
0
0
Phoenix, AZ
Bryon said:
I Know a few People from BA. Good people. I don't get to go to their meetings very often though. I've done some Bee Keeping with a few of them too.
Click to expand...

Do you know Greg and Annette? I used to work with Greg when he first got into brewing. I don't know Annette nearly as well. She worked in another department that mine didn't interact with.
 
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TheKithless

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 25, 2009
4
0
0
Arizona
Thanks for the recommendations. Sorry for the slow response, work has been keeping me busy and I kinda lost track of the site.

I'm actually in Prescott, but I travel to Phoenix on occasion and hopefully I can find something next time I'm in the area.
 
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Thundering Bear

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 27, 2009
11
0
0
Fort Collins, CO
Sounds like you have a great excuse to take a MEAD ROAD TRIP!!! A trip through Colorado would even be good-Medovino, Bacchus Meadery in Loveland, etc.

I have to second the White Winter recommendation. They have a great Black Mead that is an excellent apertif. I like most of their other offerings, too.

Have fun.
 
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