I've tried the following:
Chaucer's Cellars - they're not kidding when they say "dessert style". This is a sweet, sticky mead that really reminds you that you're drinking fermented honey. While it's suitable for a dessert wine (and does taste good), this isn't something you'd want to drink a glass of while hanging out on the patio with friends. This is something that would go well with a lemon tart or other fruit-based dessert. It's available at most liquor stores; I've seen it at Hy Vee Liquor and Royal.
Pirtle Mead - I picked up a bottle of their sparkling mead at Gomer's on Holmes. They only had the sparkling and the sweet mead, but I'm really curious to try the blackberry melomel (which won gold at the 2008 International Mead Festival). I liked the sparkling mead a lot, and it's going to take a lot of convincing for me to enjoy a still mead as much. This mead was still a little on the sweet side, but much closer to a Riesling or Gewürtztraminer. If you enjoy the wines out of Hermann, you'll like this one. And - bonus - the winery/meadery is in Weston! I liked the mead so much, I plan to make a trip to the winery.
Redstone Mead - I've only had their sparkling melomel (while in Portland), but John's had several of their meads and speaks highly of them. I'd love to try their hopped mead, but since they don't yet distribute to Missouri I guess I'll have to wait.
The carbonation in the meads I've tried has definitely balanced out the sweetness. If you like dessert wines, by all means go for a sweeter mead - you'll probably like it.
We go to Pirtle every fall. It's a nice day trip to try some wine and go to the Pumpkin patch in Weston. Plus, apple donuts everywhere.
ReplyDeleteIt's tough to get if you're outside of Maine, but Maine Mead Works in Portland, ME makes Dry, Semi-Sweet and Blueberry meads. All three are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThat's great to know. I hope that MO distributors start picking up meads. The carbonated meads are really a treat, and different from typical sparkling wine. Maine has such a great brewing scene there and doesn't get enough national attention. Allagash & Shipyard are working to change that, and I hope the trend continues.
ReplyDeleteRedstone should have distribution in Missouri now via MoBev. They were at the MoBev tasting a month or two back. We may just need to bug our beer stores to get it. Black Raspberry Nectar (lighter, 8%) and Juniper Mountain Honey Wine (12%) were my picks at the tasting. All of the ones i tried were good though.
ReplyDeleteHey John (Mr Wort Hog) went to that tasting as well - that's how he got to taste so many of their meads. I'm jealous. I'm really curious about that hopped mead (and now the raspberry nectar). I hope we see it out here soon.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is fantastic, I didn't know Pirtle made mead. I know Pirtle is in MO, but not sure where. Looks like it is time for a road trip.
ReplyDeletePirtle winery has been making Mead for a long time at least 30 years. They won gold at the 2011 Mazer cup international mead competition. Love the Raspberry mead.
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