I don’t consider myself to be a big fan of mead. The thought of drinking liquid honey makes me gag a little thinking of it. My past experiences with mead have confirmed all my fears- sticky, sweet, and like hard candy gone very very wrong. The only thing I’ve sampled that I disliked more than mead was port.
But hey, I’ve been growing up, out, and around as I age and I’ve learned to like Brussels sprouts, so maybe I can learn to like Mead as well? Screw that! You don’t need to learn to like a product if you just find a good one!
I had the privilege of meeting the Stonekeep Meadery folks at a food festival in May. They offered me some samples of their products and I expressed my past experience and distaste for mead. They offered to try me on a ‘dry’ mead. I arched an eyebrow, put my hands on my hips, and stood there in disbelief- but who am I to pass up a free sample from folks that make their own booze. I’m a hillbilly, not a snob. Of course I tried it. And wow, it was wonderful!
I really don’t think I know what a black currant is, but I don’t rightly care. The mead reminded me of sour cherries, a flavor I LOVE. It had just enough sour to balance out perfectly against the sweet of a mead. The mead also had a beautiful dark red color in the glass. It didn’t taste sticky at all. Sometimes things that are alcoholic and vaguely ‘cherry’ tasting end up with some yucky medicinal aftertaste. That also isnt a worry with the Stonekeep Black Currant Melomel! I was quite impressed.
I also learned that “Melomel” means “Fruit and Honey.” The folks at Stonekeep were very proud to tell you that they don’t put any grapes in their mead and they don’t put any honey in their wine. Since they were so passionate about that I thought I’d pass along the news to the folks that stumble into my write up here. Thank you Stonekeep Meadery for changing my mind on mead.
