Are you a mead enthusiast looking for the perfect honey to make your next batch of mead? I have tried a bunch of different types of honey, and want to share a few tips with you.
The key ingredient in every mead is honey, and the type of honey you use can greatly impact the flavor and aroma of your mead.
Thus, with so many different types of honey available, it can be challenging to know which one to choose.
In this article, we’ll explore the best honey for mead making, including its flavor profile, aroma, and sweetness. We’ll also discuss how to choose the right honey for your mead, and answer some frequently asked questions.
Before we begin, whatever honey you choose, do not boil your honey! If you do, you’ll likely kill certain qualities that make a great honey stand out from the cheap one.
The Best Honey for Mead Making
When it comes to making mead, not all honey is created equal. The best honey for mead making is one that has a unique flavor profile, aroma, and sweetness that complements the other ingredients in the mead.
The flavor profile of honey can vary greatly depending on the type of flower the bees harvested the nectar from. For example, clover honey has a mild and sweet flavor, while buckwheat honey has a stronger and more robust flavor.
When considering the best honey that will suit your needs, think of these three things:
- Are you adding spices or not?
- Do you want a strong, deep-flavored, or light, refreshing drink?
- What does your heart tell you to do?
Some of the best honey for mead making include:
1. Orange Blossom Honey
Orange blossom honey is one of the most popular types of honey for mead-making.
It has a light, citrusy flavor with hints of floral notes. This honey pairs well with fruits and spices, making it perfect for a fruity mead or a spiced mead.
Orange Blossom Honey is easily found at markets and you simply can’t go wrong with it!
When I talk to other mead makers, I see the Orange Blossom is among the most used types of honey whether they are making a sparky, or a flat, sweet mead.
2. Wildflower Honey
Wildflower honey is another popular choice for mead-making.
It has a complex flavor profile, with notes of earthy, floral, and sweet flavors. This honey pairs well with a variety of fruits and spices, making it a versatile choice for mead making.
3. Buckwheat Honey
Buckwheat honey is a dark and robust honey with a strong flavor that got to be respected.
The notes of molasses and malt, make it perfect for a mead with a deep, rich flavor.
This is your honey of choice when you really want a change from most other kinds of honey.
4. Clover Honey
Clover honey is a mild and sweet honey with a light flavor.
This lovely honey pairs well with fruits and spices, making it a great choice for a light, refreshing mead.
Clover honey seems to be an extremely popular choice for mead-making from what I have seen.
5. Sage Honey
Sage honey is a unique honey with a strong, herbal flavor that’s not overwhelming, yet truly noticeable.
Sage honey pairs well with herbs and spices, and overall is just a great choice for mead making as long as you like sage flavors.
6. Acacia Honey
Acacia honey has a mild, sweet, and floral flavor. It’s my favorite honey for making mead.
Acacia honey is my favorite honey since childhood, so it may be the reason why I fall so hard for it, but it seems that everybody around me also loves the mead that this honey makes.
7. Sourwood Honey
Sourwood honey is a light and sweet honey that is known for its unique spicy and tangy flavor with interesting caramel and maple aroma. It’s made from the nectar of the sourwood tree and is commonly produced in the southern United States.
This is a really fine honey for mead-making, but I personally don’t have any experience with it.
9. Tupelo Honey
Tupelo honey is a light and sweet honey that is known for its unique floral and fruity flavor. It’s made from the nectar of the white tupelo tree and is commonly produced in the southeastern United States.
What makes Tupelo honey interesting is that due to its high fructose-to-glucose ratio, it almost never crystalizes in colder temperatures like other honey.
Besides Tupelo being somewhat sweeter than most other honey, this fact doesn’t matter too much for mead-making.
How to Choose the Right Honey for Your Mead
Choosing the right honey for your mead is important to ensure a well-balanced and delicious final product. Here are some tips on how to choose the right honey for your mead:
1. Consider the Flavor Profile
Consider the flavor profile of the honey and how it will complement the other ingredients in your mead. For example, if you’re making a fruity mead, you might want to choose honey with a light, citrusy flavor that will highlight the perceived fruitiness.
On the other hand, you can emphasize certain spices in your mead in which case you can simply choose any honey as a base according to your liking.
Just bear in mind that certain kinds of honey like buckwheat honey, have a strong, deep flavor on their own, so it’s not always necessary to complicate things.
2. Think About the Sweetness
Honey varies in sweetness, so it’s important to choose a honey that will provide the right level of sweetness for your mead. Keep in mind that sweetness will depend on the difference between Original and Final gravity.
The drier you go, the lower the FG and thus the less perceived sweetness in your mead.
It’s really about finding the balance or going all dry and then back sweetening once the fermentation is complete, which is something I recommend.
I personally, like dry mead and rarely add any sugar later, but there are two types of people in the majority, those who like it flat and sweet or dry and bubbly.
You can use the same honey to back sweeten or something else, feel free to experiment.
3. Consider the Aroma
The aroma of the honey can also impact the overall aroma of your mead. Some honeys have a strong floral or herbal aroma, while others have a more subtle aroma. Choose honey with an aroma that complements the other ingredients in your mead.
The best way to determine this is by simply taking samples of honey and finding your favorite.
4. Look for High-Quality Honey
Choose high-quality honey for your mead. Look for honey that is raw and unfiltered, as these types of honey will retain more of their natural flavor and aroma.
I have one rule when it comes to choosing a quality honey, go local and see what your neighbours sell!
Can any type of honey be used for mead-making?
While you can technically use any type of honey for mead-making, some types of honey work better than others. It’s best to choose honey that has a unique flavor profile, aroma, and sweetness that will complement the other ingredients in your mead.
You tell be able to tell whether this will be the case or not by acquiring the experience with tasting samples.
So, a general advice would be that any quality honey can produce a great mead, but each honey will produce something different and you’ll need to find your favorite.
Can you make mead with store-bought honey?
Store-bought honey can be used for making mead, but many store-bought brands of honey aren’t on the level of locally produced honey.
Some brands intentionally add sugar to fool customers and it can be tasted in mead.
If the brand is good and proven, then any store-bought honey is a good choice and the same can be said for local honey as not every local producer is honest either.
Back in the day, I’d only buy store-bought honey on a sale, as I wasn’t serious about mead making and I just wanted a budget alternative.
The mead was actually decent and nobody called it cheap, yet later I discovered how the quality of mead can make a noticeable impact on the quality of mead.
How much honey do I need for a batch of mead?
The amount of honey you need for a batch of mead will depend on the desired level of sweetness and the size of the batch. A good rule of thumb is to use 3-4 pounds of honey per gallon of mead if you want a strong 12%+ ABV mead.
You can use only 2 pounds and create a lighter mead that will fit around 7-8 % ABV, but will taste good!
Should I use raw or processed honey for mead?
It’s best to use raw and unprocessed honey for mead-making, as these types of honey retain more of their natural flavor and aroma. However, if raw honey is not available, you can use processed honey, but be sure to choose a high-quality brand.
Can I use honey substitutes for mead?
While honey substitutes like maple syrup and agave nectar can technically be used for mead making, they will impact the flavor and sweetness of the final product, and you’ll be able to say it’s not a mead made from honey.
However, you might like the result of using maple syrup instead of honey or perhaps mixing it with honey and coming up with your new, interesting recipe which could win a couple of prizes.
For the best results, use honey for mead-making if you don’t want to experiment.
How long does honey last?
Honey has an indefinite shelf life, so it can be used for mead-making for years to come.
I like to buy extra honey when I find it on sale and use it whenever I feel like it.
Some honey ends up in mead and some we eat with a spoon.
Conclusion
Choosing the best honey for mead-making that will fit your criteria is an important step in creating a delicious and well-balanced mead.
Consider the flavor profile, sweetness, and aroma of the honey, and choose high-quality honey for the best results. With the right honey and a little bit of patience, you can create a delicious mead that you’ll love.
Remember to experiment with different types of honey to find the perfect flavor for your mead. Furthermore, don’t forget to have fun!
Mead-making is a wonderful hobby that can be enjoyed by anyone and letting your mind go creative is often the secret ingredient.
I hope you found this little honey guide informative and helpful. Happy mead-making!