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The ancient drink of mead is experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity, with mead tasting events and festivals springing up across the globe offering enthusiasts as well as those who are new to mead a chance to sample its diverse range of flavours.
From traditional dry meads to sweet, fruity, and even spiced varieties, whether you’re a seasoned mead sommelier or a curious newcomer, there are plenty of different mead flavours to appeal to all palates.
Join us as we take a deep dive into the language of mead tasting and unravel the complexities of the flavours of this ‘honey wine’.
The unique flavour profile of mead
Mead boasts a unique flavour profile ranging from subtle sweetness to complex, layered tastes that set it apart from other alcoholic drinks.
Unlike wine or beer, mead’s primary ingredient is honey, which gives it a distinctive sweetness that can be floral, herbal or even earthy, depending on the source of the honey – and explains its old-fashioned name of ‘honey wine’.
So what does mead taste like? Its foundational honey flavour is often enhanced by the addition of fruits, spices, herbs and even hops, creating a wide array of palate-pleasing possibilities.
For example, traditional meads offer a pure, honey-forward experience, while melomels (fruit meads), metheglins (spiced meads) and braggots (mead-beer hybrids) offer more diverse taste sensations that can be crisp, tart, warm or richly aromatic.
As a result, this breadth of flavours makes mead an interesting choice if you are looking for something beyond the familiar profiles of grape-based wines or malt-based beers.
Mead tasting terms
When delving into the world of mead tasting, familiarising yourself with the basic tasting terms is essential for appreciating and describing the many different mead flavours.
For starters, mead can be sweet or dry, indicating the level of residual sugar present after fermentation. A sweet mead retains more honey sugars, resulting in a richer, more dessert-like quality, while a dry mead has minimal sweetness, offering a crisper and sometimes more wine-like experience.
The term fruity refers to meads that incorporate fruits during fermentation, imbuing the drink with vibrant, juicy notes that can range from tart berries to tropical delights.
Spicy meads, often called metheglins, are infused with spices and herbs such as cinnamon, cloves or ginger, adding warmth and complexity.
Additionally, you might encounter floral meads, which highlight the aromatic qualities of the honey itself, and earthy meads that present a more grounded, rustic profile.
Understanding these terms will enhance your mead-tasting experience, allowing you to better articulate and enjoy the nuanced character of each different mead.
How to drink mead
Drinking mead involves a multi-sensory experience that includes examining its appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel and aftertaste.
Begin with the appearance, noting the colour which can range from pale gold to deep amber or even a reddish hue, depending on the ingredients used. Clarity is also important; a well-made mead should be clear, though some styles may have a slight haze.
Next, inhale the aroma, which reveals the complexity of the mead. Look for hints of honey, fruits, spices or floral notes, as these scents offer clues to the flavours you’ll encounter.
When tasting, take a small sip and let it linger on your palate to fully appreciate the taste. Identify the sweetness level, the balance of flavours, and any additional notes like tartness or bitterness.
The mouthfeel describes the texture and body of the mead; it might feel light and effervescent or rich and velvety.
Finally, observe the aftertaste, or finish, which is the lingering flavour left after swallowing.
How to describe the flavours of mead types
Describing the flavours of different types of mead involves understanding the unique ingredients and brewing techniques that define each style.
Traditional mead focuses on the pure essence of honey, offering flavours that range from light and floral to rich and caramel-like, depending on the type of honey used.
Melomels are fruit-infused meads, where the natural sweetness and acidity of fruits like berries, apples or peaches meld with honey, creating vibrant and often tart profiles that can vary widely based on the fruit combinations.
Metheglins are spiced meads, infused with herbs and spices such as cinnamon, ginger or rosemary, which add layers of warmth, complexity and aromatic depth.
Cyser, a blend of mead and cider, combines the crispness of apples with the smoothness of honey, resulting in a refreshing and balanced drink.
Pyment, made with grapes or grape juice, merges wine-like qualities with honey’s sweetness, offering a unique twist on both traditional mead and wine.
How to taste mead
Properly tasting mead involves a few key tips to enhance the experience, beginning with the serving temperature and choice of glassware.
Mead is best enjoyed at a temperature that suits its style – sweet and fruity meads benefit from being slightly chilled, around 10-13°C to highlight their refreshing qualities, while traditional and spiced meads can be served closer to room temperature, around 15-18°C, to fully develop their complex aromas and flavours.
The right glassware also makes a difference. A wine glass or tulip-shaped glass is ideal, as the narrow rim concentrates the aromas, allowing you to better appreciate the bouquet.
When tasting, start by observing the mead’s appearance, noting its colour and clarity. Swirl the mead gently in the glass to release its aromatic compounds, then take a moment to inhale deeply, savouring the scents. Take a small sip and let it coat your palate, paying attention to the sweetness, acidity, and any flavour notes. Consider the mouthfeel – whether it is light and crisp or rich and full-bodied – and finish by noting the aftertaste, which should be pleasant and lingering.
Talking about mead tasting
Being able to articulate your mead tasting experience is a great way to increase your appreciation and connection with this ancient beverage.
As you explore different meads, use descriptive words to capture the essence of each sip. For instance, describe a traditional mead with terms like “honey-forward” “floral” or “caramel-like” to convey its core characteristics.
When tasting a melomel, highlight its “vibrant”, “juicy” or “tart” nature, pinpointing the specific fruit notes, such as “berry” or “crisp apple”.
For metheglins, use words like “warm”, “spiced” or “aromatic”, mentioning the specific herbs or spices, such as cinnamon or ginger. Emphasise the mouthfeel with terms like “velvety”, “light” or “effervescent”, and describe the aftertaste as “lingering”, “clean” or “smooth”.
Putting all of this together will help you create a vivid sensory narrative that not only enhances your own mead tasting journey but might just encourage your friends and family who have not yet encountered the magic of mead to embark on their own flavourful mead adventure too.
