Medovina Classic Mead - Semi Sweet

Brewed by Medovina Meadery
Style: Mead
Niwot, Colorado USA

2002 vintage (bottled in 2003). No head (still). Body is hazy light yellow. Aroma is notes of honey, flowers, orange, vanilla, hints of lime, grass, and oak. Flavor is heavily sweet, moderately acidic. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic. Full body, watery/syrupy texture, flat carbonation, lightly/moderately astringent. Some people who notice I was not wild about Jadwiga will look at this rating, look where it's made, and say "bah, he's just rooting for Colorado". Those folks don't know me very well. If you like an ultra-sweet oxidized-scented mead, Jadwiga will work for you. If you want something with a flavor balance that will make you nearly unable to stop drinking it, and a bright, fresh, floral, lovely honey-rich aroma, this is it. Jadwiga smells more like cognac/sherry/brandy than mead. This smells like a honey wine. And it's almost as expensive as Jadwiga, which should tell you something. But hey, it boils down to personal preference in the end, right? No matter where this was made, this is the one I'd buy again before any other. And I dare say this is one meadery whose dessert wine I could tolerate...I look forward to trying Sweet Melissa, as it's called.

My second try at this rating. The first was a disaster, when the fruit flies invaded. (The fruit flies have been especially bad this fall). I was still enjoying the aroma when I went to swat a fruit fly, tipped the glass and sending it to the floor. My Christoffel glass broke into two pieces, right at the top of the stem. I should be able to epoxy the pieces back together but the first four ounces of this nectar have know been cleaned off the floor and rinsed into the sink. I digress. Yellow straw color with tall thin legs. Now this is truly honey wine! Aromas are elegant, but a bit overpowering at times. Nose of white grapes, well really more like a light fruit salad with a touch of alcohol. Thicker feel on the front, but really thins out pleasantly. Sweeter start, again with a fortified white wine quality. This dries out as the fermented honey flavors merge with a mild oak flavor. Mild acidic finish. As I reach the end of the snifter, I see pink elephants, oh wait, I have my Delirium Tremens glass, but it does start to have a warming feel in the back of the throat and stomach. Linger is long with mild oak and champagne grape flavors. Excellent choice! Thanks.

2003 bottling: Bleached pear. Thin filming on the glass yields scarce, quickly diminishing legs. Zingy, estery nose of cinnamon, white grapes, rosewater, and crystallized sugar. Light lavender and dried herb elements. Uncannily clean. Slippery yet crisp and grainy body. Assertive tannic acidity buckles the inner cheeks and numbs the tip of the tongue. Immaculately clean and well-attenuated, with a nearly nonexistent honey flavor, other than a smidgen of honeycomb and crystallized sugar sweetness, which also lends more firmness to the body. Tart apples and white grape acidity displaces the alcohol, which is already very well managed. Delightfully soft, flowery, toasty, and lightly herbal, as well. Persistent graininess and harsh herb aspects bolster the dryness in the finish, but gain a bit of softness from muted notes of lavender and rosewater. Appetizing and delicious. Thanks, ecrvich.

Leftover bottle from RBSG from PP’s secret stash. I was blown away by Medovina’s Melissa mead, so I was eager to try this. The aroma is great, very floral, reminds me of wax lips, probably from the flowers the bees used to gather the nectar for the honey. Others described in ways that wasn’t so appealing, but I loved it anyway. Very light yellow color. Flat. Leans sweet, but not over the top sweetness that I like in meads. Great white wine substitue.

Bottle. Pours hazy light yellow. Aroma is heavy hay and straw, flowers, earth, and honey. Full bodied, thin texture, a bit dry on the finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, light acidity and bitterness. Somewhat alcoholic texture.

26 oz from Liquor Mart, Boulder. Clear pale gold with delicate, frail legs. Sweetish honeyed nose comes across rather spicy, hinting at mustard seeds, cream and the typical perfumey medovina house character, clover, herbs, light cheese, white grapes, toasted bread etc, though nowhere near as well integrated as the sweet Melissa to me. It doesn’t have the wow character, feeling more like your average liquorous white wine. Mineral in mouth, biscuity and graham like, it develops a sincere alcohol warmth that doesn’t translate into flavour. Keeping its herbal leanings from the aroma until the end, it shows more and more lasting as it warms. Light-medium bodied with an oily texture. I can’t recommend strongly enough to let this one breathe a lot because I swear it had improved significantly (in the sense that it seemed more intensely aromatic and more composed in its sweetness) after leaving it re-corked without pumping the air for a week in the refrigerator after opening.

Bottle from aracauna back in Fall 07, shared at the SSSSLT. Poured a slightly hazy bright yellow color with no head. The aroma was strong honey, floral notes, fruity ester type stuff too. The flavor followed, a smooth and drinkable mead with a mildly acidic finish. The fruity overtones came through in the flavor as berries and grapes. I was diggin this regardless of sloth dubbing it to be a weak mead - kiss it Bert! And, thanks Jacob for the bottle.

This doesn’t have the complexity of some of the others. This is a 2004 bottle I got from the owner (by way of my sister. There’s a peachy fruitiness, light sweetness, and a noticeable acidity, but I wouldn’t say sour. Nutmeg. A burn after the swallow that surprised me. A bit watery on some sips.