Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey there, fellow meaders! What it bee? Get it, bee? As in honey bee? Umm, yeah that was a bad attempt at a dad joke since we just had Father's Day and all. I'm sorry. Uh, yeah, let's just get on with the COLA snooping shall we?

Up first is a mead from the Garagiste, well that's not exactly true. Up first, second, third and fourth are meads from Garagiste Meadery out of Florida. The first three seem to be riffs off the same mead. It looks like they took a traditional mead made from Meadowfoam Blossom honey and ran it dry to give us our first label. 

Our second mead is another traditional mead made from Meadowfoam Blossom honey but this one was aged on oak for additional flavoring.

The third Garagiste mead is once again a traditional Meadowfoam Blossom but this one was either stopped short or backsweetened to give us a semisweet mead. Now all three of these meads are bottled at 14% ABV in 375 ml bottles.

The final mead from Garagiste Meadery is Marshmallow Vitis. This unusually named mead is a grape mead with natural flavors and caramel color added. I am assuming with the name that there is some flavor of marshmallow in the mix (perhaps from using Meadowfoam Blossom honey?). Like the other meads, this one is bottled at 14% ABV as well. As of this time, there is no mention of any of these meads on the Garagiste website yet. However, the Semi Meadowfoam was released a few years ago at 13% ABV and won a few awards.

Up next is Wisconsin's Duck Creek Vineyard who have decided to add to their wine list and bring us Duck Creek Ancient Orange. This semi-sweet blood orange mead will be bottled at 12% ABV. As of now though, there is no mention on the vineyard's website of the mead's release.

Take lemonade, pomegranate and lavender and mix it with a citrus mead and what do you get? How about Hierophant Meadery's Lavender Lemonade Meadmosa? This refreshingly carbonated mead comes in at 8.4% ABV and is available in 500 ml bottles. Though I did see a lavender citrus mead available on their website, I didn't see this particular mead available yet.

The final label comes from Moonlight Meadery and is part of their Heather Blossom releases. The Apple Heather Blossom is double barrel aged for six years then bottled at 14% ABV. If the previous Heather Blossom releases are any indication, this release is probably going to be going around the $120-130 range for a 375 ml bottle. There is no mention yet on there website but it will probably be posted soon.

Well, that's all that's buzzing! So, until next time, drink more mead!

Hey fellow meaders, I'm back with another update of Caught on COLA - Mead. So let's see what sweetness the mazers have in store for us and get the latest buzz from the world of mead.

We start off with Melovino Meadery's Rhyme or Reason which is an apple cider mead (cyser?) with ginger added. Bottled at a very respectable 14% ABV, Melovino recommends you serve this one up chilled. Checking out their website, this is already available and can be ordered online here so make sure to check it out.

What do you get if you slowly caramelize a batch of honey, add in some roasted pecans and then toss in some cinnamon for good measure? Give up? I think I would call it some golden nectar of the days of yore. Melovino, on the other hand, calls it Gonzo Pecanzo and they claim they've "reached a whole new level of nutty." This is available to buy online here is in 500 ml bottles and is bottled at 13% ABV.

Our next mead is from Texas' Breaking Brew Meadery. Now we have all had hopped mead before and enjoyed the fruity, citrus favor that it brings the mix. But Catastrophe is a little bit different because they brought a mixture of five different hops to the must. Yes, I said five different hops were added to the must adding 100+ IBUs (International Bittering Units) and as you can see, this mead comes in at 13.4% ABV. There is no mention yet on the website of a release.

Does anyone not like peanut butter butter and jelly sandwiches? Well, I'm sure there are a few people out there who don't but not many. How about a PB&J mead? Hmmmm? That's a zebra with different stripes but there are a few meaderies out there that make them. Now we can add W A Meadewerks to that list with their Anybody Want a Peanut? mead. This sweet grape mead with peanut butter flavor is bottled at 12% ABV. I didn't see it mentioned on their website yet so I don't have a release date yet.

Last but definitely not least, one of my favorite labels is introducing an interesting collaboration. It seems that B. Nektar, from my home state of Michigan, has collaborated with Vicky Rowe of Got Mead and they have come up with Cherry Pi with Crust. Promising to bring the taste of sweet and tart cherries with a buttery crust, this mead is bottled at 12.5% ABV. I couldn't find any mention of the release on the B. Nektar website but I'm sure the release will be out soon.

And there you have it folks. That's all I have this week. Hopefully I'll have more for you next week so make sure you check back with me then. Until then, drink more mead!

Caught on COLA - Mead

It’s the first week of June and the official start to summer is only a few weeks away and there’s nothing better than enjoying a refreshing mead while you relax on the patio as you watch the sunset. So, let’s take a peek at what meads we can look forward to in the coming weeks or months.

To get us started, we have two meads from Melovino Meadery. Starting off with Peanut Gallery which, reading the label, sounds like a bochet with peanuts that has been aged in oak. It is bottled at 13% ABV and comes in 500 ml bottles. As of this writing, there is no mention on their website but it shouldn’t be long before it’s available.

Melvino’s other entry is Nice as Pie. This isn’t really a new mead but just the latest batch. According to the label and Melovino’s website, this mead is “an apple pie inspired mead made with honey, apple cider, aged on fresh vanilla beans and cinnamon.” Bottled in 500 ml bottles at 14% ABV, this mead is currently available on their website. You can follow Melovino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information and the latest updates.

Reading, Pennsylvania’s Rebel Hive Meadery brings us our next offering, Cherry Lee Lewis. A 9.6% ABV melomel that features both sweet and tart cherries. This release seems like it is currently available since it is shown on their website. You can follow Rebel Hive on Facebook and Instagram for more information as well.

Last time, I featured three meads from Mechalore Meadworks from Colorado. Well, in addition to Nowhere to Hide, Vol. 3, Patriots & Tyrants and Epiphany of Soliloquy, Mechalore also came out with Fed unto the Axioms. This 10.8% ABV mead made from Orange Blossom honey, mint and lime looks to me like their version of mead mojito. All the meads mentioned here should be making their way to Mechalore’s mead club members as we speak and hopefully will be available to the rest of us shortly. Don't forget to follow Mechalore Meadworks on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.

If you have a sweet tooth, then it looks like W.A. Meadworks’ Gloop might be for you. This 14.2% ABV semi-sweet mead is a combination of honey and cocoa nibs that give it “loads of chocolate flavor.” I couldn’t find any mention of this release on their website so I don’t have a release date yet. Besides the chocolate flavor, I would grab this just for the Willy Wonka reference in the name and on the label. Make sure you stay up to date by following W.A. Meadworks on Facebook.

Melchemy Craft Mead, from Carson, Washington, seems to be coming out with Huckleberry Mead. Containing Mountain Wildflower honey, black Huckleberries and aged in oak barrels, this somewhat dry mead is bottled at 15.5 ABV. No listing yet on their website but follow them on Facebook or Instagram for additional information and the latest news.

Our final two meads are from Moonlight Meadery in New Hampshire. The first is a special release for their Barrel Tasting event and it is called Importance. At 14% ABV, with black currants, blueberry and dark sweet cherries in the mix, this mead was then conditioned in American Port barrels.

Moonlight’s other release is called Ghosts of Wild and is bottled at 14% ABV. Like Importance, this blueberry mead is also conditioned in American Port barrels. There is no mention on the website of either release yet but if you get a chance to grab either one, Moonlight usually doesn’t disappoint.

Well my fellow meaders… um meadites? No. How about meadheads? Hmmm… um… okay folks, that’s all for this edition. Check back for more potential releases and see what’s buzzin’ in the mead universe. Until then, drink more mead!

Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey all you meadheads! Thanks for checking out Caught on COLA - Mead. I hope you will find some interesting upcoming releases today and if you do, please support the meaderies and grab a bottle or six. Now, let's see what's buzzin' cousin!

We are going to get things started, not with one, but with two upcoming releases from Superstition Meadery in Prescott, Arizona. The first label is for a hopped grape mead called King Lir which is bottled at 13% Alc./Vol. in 375 ml bottles.

Our second release from Superstition is Aperçu which is a 14.1% Alc./Vol. apricot mead that has been aged in new French Oak barrels for nine months. This release is a collaboration between Superstition and Rowley Farmhouse Ales. Both releases are listed on their website and are available in their tasting room. However, they are not yet available to order online.

Next we have The Colony Meadery with Momeado. This is not actually a new release but it appears to be a relabeling of one of their original releases. According to the label and their website, this is the mead that actually launched the meadery. This 13% Alc./Vol. combination of mint and lime is basically a riff on the mojito, hence the name, Momeado (Mo-mead-oh). You can find more information on their website and even purchase this release online.

Here we have three new entries from Mechalore Meadworks from Loveland, Colorado. Up first is Nowhere to Hide, Volume 3. This is Mechalore's traditional mead release that features changing honey varietals. Volume 3 features Star Thistle Blossom honey at its base and has "notes of mandarin oranges, earthy honey, hint of anise and an oaky vanilla & caramel finish that somehow reminds us of bread pudding." This mead is aged in oak barrels, is 9.8% Alc./Vol. and is bottled on the lower end of semi-sweet.

Then there is Mechalore's Patriots & Tyrants made with Alfalfa Blossom honey and registering 10.1% Alc./Vol. Added to the alfalfa is "a bounty of tart and fruity hibiscus flowers, tropical tea olive flowers with bright mango notes, fruity-spicy pink peppercorns, citrus-peppery grains of paradise and tart lime peel."

Finally from Mechalore is Epiphany and Soliloquy. This mead features Orange Blossom honey with orange peel and vanilla added. Bottled at 11.4% Alc./Vol., it was "finished just a hint over semi-sweet to accentuate the creamsicle-like character of the ingredients." None of the releases are mentioned on Mechalore's website yet but you can bet they will be available soon.

Now let's take a look at Dallas, Texas' own Breaking Brew Meadery that plans on releasing Honey Creek Golden Grail. This bochet is aged in bourbon barrels for three to six months and "has notes of caramel, toffee and vanilla." Weighing in at 13.5% Alc./Vol., this mead looks to pack a decent punch and is one that I am dying to try. There's no mention of it on their website and no online sales, so does anyone in Texas want to ship me a few bottles?

Well, that's all for now so let's raise a horn of mead and remember - drink like a viking! Skål!

Caught on COLA - Mead

Our second installment of Caught on COLA - Mead features five newly approved labels from four meaderies ranging from the Northeast all the way to Texas. So, without beating around the bush, let's see what's buzzing with mead (and yes I really went there).

Our first new mead label is for Homestead from Slate Point Meadery in Pleasant Valley, New York. This mead featuring apples, vanilla and cinnamon comes in at 7% Alc./Vol. and, according to the label, is their homage to apple pie. I couldn't find any mention of Homestead on their website so I am unsure of a release date.

Next up is an intriguing entry with Texas-based Black's Fairy Meadery's Lemon Meringue which is bottled in 375 ml bottles at 14% Alc./Vol. This release is just the latest entry in what is already a very fruit flavored lineup. As with most of these labels, there is no mention yet on their website so the release date is still pending.

Up next is one of two meads from Delaware's own Brimming Horn Meadery. A Gift of Venus is a quince flavored mead and hits the bottle between 11%-14% Alc./Vol. Brimming Horn has no mention on their website for A Gift of Venus so will say the release date is pending.

The second entry from Brimming Horn Meadery is Midnight Oath. An unique melomel flavored with blackberries, lemon zest, orange zest, basil and sage, this mead also hits your glass between 11%-14% Alc./Vol. As with A Gift of Venus, there is no mention of Midnight Oath on their website so we can only wait in anticipation for its release.

Finally, we have Erie, Pennsylvania's Ironstone Meadery and their newest mead, Assimilated. This blackberry-based mead is tipping the scales somewhere between 14%-16% Alc./Vol. The playful label features a robot (Viking robot?) with a flaming hand while the back label hints to not only the Borg from Star Trek lore but also the Cybermen from Doctor Who (just more reasons to list it here). As with all our other entries, there is no listing for Assimilate among the large list of meads on Ironstone's website so we will just have to wait for the release date.

Okay, folks. That wraps up this edition of Caught on COLA - Mead. I'll see you next week with more COLA entries. Skål!

Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey folks! Welcome to the initial installment of the Caught on COLA - Mead edition. As I explained in the previous COLA post, I'm bringing you information and labels on interesting releases I've found on the COLA registry. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about it all but if you tuned in while the show was already in progress, just go back and check the previous post and it explains everything. Now, on with the show.

The first mead is Bochet from Honnibrook Craft Meadery and is 25 proof (12.5% Alc./Vol.). According to the label, after caramelizing the clover honey and fermenting the mead, Honnibrook backsweatened with some meadowfoam honey (my mouth is already watering) adding toasted marshmallow notes before aging it in oak. Anyone in Colorado want to track this down and send me a bottle?

Our second entry is from The Colony Meadery in Allentown, PA, and is called 911 is an Oak. Not much is known about this release yet as there is no information about it on their website and the label only states that its mead aged in oak. I've included it here for the simple fact The Colony pays homage to Public Enemy, not only in the selection of the name, but also the rhyme on the label.  Given I am sucker for oaked mead, I'll well probably hunt this down when its released.

Last, but not least, is another mead from The Colony Meadery that pays homage to Captain Picard and Star Trek. The Earle is a light dry mead that is flavored with Earl Grey tea giving it the citrusy flavors from the bergamot in the tea. The label features a space ship (not the Enterprise) and the lettering is reminiscent of Star Trek. The Earle is weighing in a 19 proof (9.5% Alc./Vol.) and comes in a 375 ml bottle. Like most entries in Caught on COLA, there is no information on a release date but I will definitely be looking for it.

Okay all you meadheads, that's it for now but keep your eyes open because I will be back soon with another edition of Caught on COLA. Until then, skål!