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My take on the Mazer Cup 2011

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AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
I want to try to explain just how awesome this event was. I flew quite a ways to get to this, and frankly (even with airmiles) it wasn't cheap (compared to those who came in from Europe though I've got nothing to complain about!). It vastly exceeded my expectations and I had what I thought were unrealistically high expectations to begin with. Aaron was a great roommate, and everyone who I managed to identify as Gotmead members were very nice people.

Up until this event I had tasted maybe 5 or 6 meads that weren't my own, by the end of it I probably had tasted in excess of 100 meads (proudly managing not to get too intoxicated in the process!).

Having the chance to listen to judges evaluate meads( and there was roughly 15 times as many judges as I'd expected), especially while I was a table steward and tasting along, seriously must have increased my ability to discern distinct flavours and aromas in meads ten-fold. Before I had perhaps 0.1% the skill of those fine folks, now I can proudly say I estimate myself closer to 1% of their abilities!

Everyone who did not enter meads this year, you'd be doing yourself a disservice not to enter some next year. The judges are very serious about being honest, but are also extremely kind in their responses, when they say their goal is to encourage people and help them improve they MEAN IT! Even seriously flawed meads I saw only constructive criticism being written down.

If you've considered attending to volunteer, consider it even more in the future! It is as amazing an experience as it could possibly be in my opinion.

Everyone who is not a patron of this website, I don't often say this, but if you can afford it you should do it. This website and that competition in my humble opinion represent the future of meadmaking, and it is impossible to overstate how important it is to keep both going into the future.

Special thanks to Vicky (who was wonderful), Oskaar (also great), Wayne (how much of your time it must take to handle those entries boggles my mind), Dani (spelling?), the list goes on and on with names of people who put in so much work running that competition and this website that I cannot commend them enough. For any who are unaware, the Cup and this site are SERIOUS hard work for a lot of these people, and they do it with not nearly enough thanks. I would be a poor meadmaker if not for these folks!

For everyone who did enter, I would encourage you to post the results of your score sheets in your brewlogs so that others may learn from them (with the judges names removed of course for privacy's sake, and I would wait until after the winners are anounced). Now, only do this if you're comfortable though, don't let me pressure you into it if you are not!Regardless of how well you did, it is valuable information for yourself and others, last year I saw far too few people sharing this great information. I will be posting mine, and I can tell you right now it wasn't all slaps on the back and praise that I received!

So anyways, that's pretty long winded of me. Once again, a from the heart thank you to everyone who put such staggering amounts of work into making such a wonderful event, and wonderful website.
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
Thanks for the great feedback Alan!

We try really hard to encourage people to improve their meadmaking process and to be positive and helpful on the scoresheets. It was great meeting you and all the other GotMeaders out there who came and helped us with the competition. We hope you had a good enough time to make you want to return.

Best Regards,

Oskaar
 

AToE

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 8, 2009
4,066
3
0
Calgary AB Canada
Oh I'll be back for sure, I'd like to be as much of a contributer to the mead community in years to come as I can. :)
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
2,373
4
0
Elk Grove, CA
I'm going to my bed with a smile on my face--my daughter and I were brewing all weekend, but I was thinking of y'all in Colorado and wishing I was there. Someday I've got to go!

Thanks for the roundup, Alan...and I hope someone posts more photos!
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
Now is the perfect time to make a big batch, you've got about a year to let it age.
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
How about some summary of cool meads from you folks who were there.

Clearly that chocolate one made and impact.

So what mead came from farthest away?
Which one was made with the most exotic fruit or spice?
What was the weirdest weirdomel?
Which mead had the prettiest color?
Who got the "tipsiest"

And most importantly, where are the details from the Winners Circle pairing event?
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Two home entries came from Poland - our farthest traveled. Unfortunately only one made it in time for the judging; the other was delivered to my office only yesterday, although it was shipped back in February. PLEASE, to all other home meadmakers from other countries, take note! You need to ship your meads FAR in advance of the cutoff date for entries - liquid in bottles may be quarantined by customs for more than 30 days before it gets forwarded to us at the receiving site.

Of course, the one that made it, and won a mazer, comes from another Gotmeader, 'male' (Marek). We're working on getting his surname spelled properly in the list of winners on the MCI website, BTW!

Who got the most tipsy? Honestly I don't know. I don't remember much past the point when Glenn Exline brought out his bottles of scotch.... :drunken_smilie:
 

fatbloke

good egg/snappy dresser.....
GotMead Patron
Well I just looked at all the pic's at the MCI facebook page. It looked very much, like everyone had a marvellous time.

I doubt very much if I'd ever enter anything, as I suspect I take too much of a casual approach to my mead making to produce anything noteworthy.

Though I do suspect it would be a truly enlightening experience to attend the event. To be able to mine a few nuggets of wisdom from some very knowledgeable people.......

Glad to read that a good time was had by all.

regards

fatbloke
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
How about some summary of cool meads from you folks who were there.

Clearly that chocolate one made and impact.

So what mead came from farthest away?
Which one was made with the most exotic fruit or spice?
What was the weirdest weirdomel?
Which mead had the prettiest color?
Who got the "tipsiest"

And most importantly, where are the details from the Winners Circle pairing event?

I liked the "lime on the coconut" mead, it was billed as Indian curry but it was more garam masala with a hint of lime and some mouthfeel from the coconut. The masala spice was intense. Unfortunately the other judges weren't as keen on it as I was. I did need to brush my teeth and eat a banana to get the spice out of my mouth though. ;D

I also really enjoyed a mel (it might have been a pyment, I forget) made with alfalfa honey. It was tremendously grassy, I actually put "chlorophyll" in the flavor description because it was that green grass tasting. Again, the others weren't as impressed but I enjoyed it.

A rhodomel in the same flight as that chocolate mead (which I did not judge) was gorgeous, and also very good. There were also some water-white meads.
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
2,373
4
0
Elk Grove, CA
It would be great if there was a list of all the meads entered and their maker's brief descriptions of them. I'm so curious!
 

triarchy

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 28, 2010
278
2
0
WI
Check out the MCI Facebook page... you'll find LOTS of pics there, and on associated pages, from many folks who took the time to document our experience this year!

Is there any other way to see the pictures, Ive managed to not have a Facebook account this far into my life and I dont really want to change that. But Id really like to see those pics...decisions, decisions ;)
 

wildoates

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 22, 2009
2,373
4
0
Elk Grove, CA
I put the FB thing off too, but now I'm really glad I gave in. I've got kids scattered to the winds, and FB is a good place to find them all together, more or less in the same place.

I haven't looked at everyone's photos yet, but I will!
 

wayneb

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Hee... hee... hee... hee...! ;D

Glad to finally meet you in person, Brad! If the finances allow, I do plan on swinging up thru Detroit on my annual pilgrimage to NE Ohio (you're not too far out of the way), and if all those stars align I'll definitely stop by!
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
Is there any other way to see the pictures, Ive managed to not have a Facebook account this far into my life and I dont really want to change that. But Id really like to see those pics...decisions, decisions ;)

I'll be posting up the photos to the MCI Website in some photo galleries. Just cleaning up photos and resizing, etc. They will be up in the next several days.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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