Mead, often referred to as the “nectar of the gods,” is an ancient fermented beverage made from honey. With its rich history dating back thousands of years, mead has captivated people with its unique flavors and diverse range.
If you’re curious about what mead tastes like and want to explore the fascinating world of this honey wine, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we will delve into the various flavors and styles of mead, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of its taste profiles.
You can also learn how to make mead at home and enjoy your favorite mead whenever you want.
The Basics of Mead Production
Before we dive into the flavors of mead, let’s briefly explore the basics of its production. Mead is made by fermenting a mixture of honey, water, and yeast. Additional ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, and herbs can also be added to create unique variations.
The fermentation process can range from a few weeks to several months or even years, depending on the desired style and complexity. Once the fermentation is complete, mead can be still, sparkling, or even aged in barrels to enhance its flavors.
Thus, you can see why it’s not possible to define the taste of mead with a single definition.
Let’s see how each type of mead tastes, one by one.
Sweet Mead: A Taste of Liquid Gold
Sweet mead is often considered the quintessential mead experience. It is rich, luscious, and reminiscent of liquid gold.
The sweetness of the honey shines through, creating a decadent and indulgent flavor profile. With each sip, you’ll be greeted by notes of honey, caramel, and sometimes even hints of floral or fruity undertones.
While there are no hard rules, and sweet mead can be sparky and high in alcohol, sweet mead is usually served without carbonation, with plenty of ice, and doesn’t contain high alcohol levels.
Sweet meads are perfect for those with a sweet tooth and are best enjoyed as a dessert wine or for special occasions.
Dry Mead: A Delicate and Crisp Experience
On the other end of the spectrum, we have dry mead, which offers a completely different taste experience.
Dry mead is fermented to a point where most of the honey’s sweetness is converted into alcohol, resulting in a more delicate and crisp flavor profile. The sweetness takes a back seat, allowing other nuances to shine through.
Dry meads often exhibit characteristics similar to white wines, with a pleasant acidity and a refreshing finish. Moreover, you may taste notes of citrus, herbs, and even a subtle minerality.
Dry mead can be carbonated or enjoyed still, and the alcohol level can range from medium 8% to very high 20%.
Dry mead is perfect for those who prefer a less sweet and more wine-like experience.
Semi-Sweet Mead: Balancing Sweetness and Complexity
Semi-sweet mead strikes a harmonious balance between sweetness and complexity. It offers a more nuanced flavor profile compared to sweet or dry meads. The sweetness is present but not overwhelming, allowing other flavors to unfold on the palate.
Depending on the specific recipe and ingredients used, you might encounter a range of flavors such as orchard fruits, spices, or even hints of oak from barrel aging.
Semi-sweet mead is a hybrid mead ideal for those who are bored of typical aged wine-like taste, but are also not keen on sweet drinks.
Semi-sweet mead provides a versatile option that pairs well with various cuisines and occasions and can be made to fit everyone’s taste.
A highly carbonated semi-sweet mead with plenty of ice is my favorite drink, while I met people who rather prefer simple sweet mead and those who don’t like any hints of sweetness in their mead.
Traditional Mead: Timeless Elegance
After understanding that there are sweet, dry, and combinations of meads, let’s dive into specific mead types which can have these features.
Here we have traditional mead, which represents the essence of mead in its purest form. Traditional mead is made using only honey, water, and yeast, without the addition of fruits, spices, or other flavorings.
It embodies the simplicity and elegance of the ancient mead-making process, allowing the natural flavors of the honey to take center stage. Traditional meads can vary in sweetness, from dry to sweet, differ in carbonation, and often exhibit a delicate balance between the honey’s sweetness and its floral or herbal undertones.
Melomel: Mead with a Fruity Twist
Melomel is a delightful variation of mead that incorporates fruits into the fermentation process.
The addition of fruits brings a whole new dimension to the flavor profile, resulting in a vibrant and fruity taste.
The type of fruit used can vary, ranging from berries and cherries to tropical fruits like mango or pineapple.
The sweetness of the fruit complements the honey, creating a delightful medley of flavors and depending on one’s likeness it can be carbonated or enjoyed still.
Typically melomel contains plenty of alcohol as high amounts of honey and fruit ferment and establish rich, strong flavors alongside higher alcohol content.
Melomels are often vibrant, juicy, and can be enjoyed on their own or paired with fruit-based desserts.
Metheglin: Spicing Things Up
Metheglin is a spiced mead that adds a dash of aromatic spices to the fermentation process.
The addition of spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, or ginger infuses the mead with enticing flavors and aromas.
Metheglins can range from subtly spiced to boldly aromatic, depending on the amount and combination of spices used.
However, spices shouldn’t ever overwhelm the balance in which honey should be experienced.
Each sip offers a delightful interplay between the warmth of the spices and the sweetness of the honey, making metheglins a popular choice during the colder months or as a festive drink.
Braggot: The Marriage of Mead and Beer
Braggot is a unique style of mead that combines the best of both worlds—mead and beer.
It is created by fermenting a mixture of honey and malted grains, resulting in a beverage that showcases the characteristics of both mead and beer.
Braggots can have varying levels of sweetness, depending on the honey used, and can range from light and refreshing to robust and malty.
Braggots should be moderate to highly carbonated, and while they can contain high alcohol levels, they shouldn’t be much stronger than higher alcoholic beers (8-9%).
With its complex flavor profile, braggot appeals to both mead enthusiasts and beer lovers looking for a unique taste experience.
Cyser: Mead with an Apple Twist
Cyser is a delightful fusion of mead and apple cider.
By fermenting honey and apple juice together, cyser captures the essence of both ingredients.
The result is a mead with a distinct apple character, balancing the sweetness of the honey with the crispness of the apples.
Depending on the apple variety and fermentation techniques, cyser can range from dry and tart to sweet and fruity.
It’s a refreshing choice that can be enjoyed on a warm summer day or paired with savory dishes like pork or poultry.
Just as it’s the case with cyders, cysers are often highly carbonated and served chilled.
Moreover, cysers can be highly alcoholic and even enjoyed simply still, so there are no hard rules.
Acerglyn: A Sweet Symphony of Maple and Honey
Acerglyn is a delightful variation of mead that incorporates the natural sweetness and flavor of maple syrup.
By combining honey and maple syrup in the fermentation process, acerglyn offers a unique taste experience that combines the richness of honey with the distinct, caramelized notes of maple.
The result is a sweet symphony of flavors that evokes images of cozy autumn days and indulgent desserts. Thus, acerglyn pairs wonderfully with desserts like pancakes, waffles, or creamy caramel treats.
Acerglyn often has higher alcohol content but it’s possible to find it at around 12%, and from what I saw it’s typically served still, but I see no reason why carbonation wouldn’t work for it.
Bochet: Caramelized Honey Bliss
Bochet is a mead that is created by caramelizing the honey before fermentation.
The process of caramelization adds depth and complexity to the honey, resulting in a rich, toasty, and caramel-like flavor profile.
Bochets often have a darker color and a robust taste reminiscent of burnt sugar and molasses.
This unique mead style offers a delightful contrast to the traditional honey flavors and is best enjoyed as a sipping mead or paired with rich, savory dishes.
Bochet can be enjoyed just like any other mead, and I like it extra chilled with plenty of carbonation.
Pyment: The Fusion of Grapes and Honey
Pyment is technically a melomel or it’s a subcategory, as it’s made with an addition of grapes.
By fermenting a mixture of honey and grape juice, pyment offers a delightful fusion of flavors from both ingredients.
The result is a mead that showcases the characteristics of wine, with the added complexity and sweetness of honey.
Depending on the grape variety used, pyments can range from light and floral to bold and full-bodied, offering a wide range of taste experiences for wine enthusiasts and mead lovers alike.
Pyment should be enjoyed like wine, so if they are made from white grapes aim for temperatures slightly above fridge temperature, and serve them at room temperature for pyments made from red or purple grapes.
Pyments don’t benefit from high carbonation levels like most other meads, and should have higher alcohol levels just like it’s the case with wine.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mead offers a wide range of flavors and taste experiences that cater to different preferences and occasions.
From the sweet indulgence of sweet meads to the crisp elegance of dry meads, and the enticing variations of melomels, metheglins, braggots, cyser, acerglyn, bochet, pyment, and traditional meads, there is a mead out there to suit every palate.
Whether you’re a mead enthusiast or someone curious about exploring new flavors, mead promises a journey of discovery and appreciation for the ancient art of honey wine.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mead
Is mead similar to wine or beer?
Mead shares similarities with both wine and beer. It is made from honey, similar to wine made from grapes, and can also incorporate malted grains like beer.
Does mead always taste sweet?
No, mead can vary in sweetness. It can range from sweet to dry, depending on the fermentation process and the addition of other ingredients. There are meads available to suit various taste preferences.
Can I make mead at home?
Absolutely! Making mead at home is a popular and rewarding hobby. With the right ingredients and equipment, you can embark on your own mead-making adventure. There are numerous resources available online and in books to guide you through the process.
What foods pair well with mead?
Mead pairs well with a wide range of foods. Sweet meads complement desserts like cheesecake or fruit tarts, while drier meads can be enjoyed with savory dishes such as roasted meats, cheeses, or charcuterie.
Is mead gluten-free?
Generally, mead is considered gluten-free since it is primarily made from honey and does not involve grains like beer does. However, it’s always recommended to check the specific mead brand or recipe to ensure it is gluten-free.
How should mead be served?
Mead is best served slightly chilled, similar to white wine. To enhance the aroma and fully savor the flavors, it is recommended to use a wine glass or a tulip-shaped glass. The only exception is the pyment made from red and purple grapes that should be served at room temperature.
Does mead improve with age?
Meads do improve with age, and usually the higher the alcohol content, the longer the aging. It’s possible for a poor-tasting mead to evolve into a superb-tasting mead after 6 months to over a year of aging, and aging in wood barrels can play a big role too.