White Winter Sweet Mead

Brewed by White Winter Winery
Style: Mead
Iron River, Wisconsin USA

Clear pale light yellowish color, clear. Medicinal, tart and floral nose comprising surprisingly mild lemon nuances and more obvious herbal ones. It possesses a slightly spicy profile which reminds of algae and wild flowers. This is a follow-on in mouth, where tartish flowers, white grapes and sweet yet lasting well fermented honey offers a coating finish, smooth, soft and light-medium bodied. A fun and original mead.

Pours a somewhat viscous transparent water-color with champagne hues. Aroma of sweet clover honey and a mild touch of citrusy grapefruit. Body starts pretty full and sweet with a good tart balance and a smooth, fairly complex white grape and sugar cane finish. Not quite as full and flavorful as Medovina Sweet Melissa or some of the Polish meads, but still quite nice.

Sampled from a 750ml bottle shared by kmweaver. Nose of pears and white grapes, very sugary and inviting. Flavor is insanely sweet, but just below cloying. Slick and moderately thick on the tongue, soft and sweet overall, with some sticky, sugary white grapes, pears and light lemon honey flavors. Quite good.

"Sweet Mead," indeed. This one may be a bit too much for me. It pours a very pale yellow body, thinner than most other meads that I’ve had. It has a sugary sweet honey aroma supported by a light floral scent, complete with flower bed. Smooth and easy to drink. The flavor also has a touch of apples & pears with a bit of alcohol. Quite a sticky sweet finish. Not bad, but not a mead that I’d repeat.

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Pale yellow glass coating liquid. Not much as far as legs. Light alcohol, yeast, plaster and mild floral aromas. Sweet indeed. I’m not catching the less favorable qualities found in the aroma. Flavors of raisins and clean clover honey. Actually quite light on the palate. Quite simple and sweet and just a hint of floral essence to lift it a bit.

750 ml bottle shared with several Quebecois and one other drunk American at tiggmtl’s going away party in Montreal, from a New Belgium glass; also sampled twice at the meadery a month ago in Wisconsin. Clear scintillating white wine appearance, medium body, still, with smallish legs.....grassy, herbal nose at first offers interesting but bizarre notes of dill and tarragon, though rustic apples and honey do show up eventually....absolutely stunning flavor, beautifully balanced sweet/tart character, sour apples and sweet floral honeys with only a slight emphasis on the latter....very drinkable, not at all cloying, my favorite from this meadery and a top 5 mead for this burgeoning honeyhead.

Floral and fruity with notes of dill and lingering honey sweetness subsumed with alcohol. Clear pale golden body is still with spidery legs on the glass. Simple flavour is sweet and displays it’s honey nicely. Notes of lemon verbena, hay and meadow flowers. Sweetness is never overdone or cloying. Dry light-medium body with pleasant alcohol warming. Wine-like and easy to drink. Going away party.

During May ’07 brewpub tour, stopped at the winery in Iron River, WI. Pours a light clear yellow chardonnay color. Aroma of earthy dill, wildflower honey, some medicinal herbs and a touch of fruit. Taste is all sweet honey, syrupy, and a touch of flowers. Finish is sweet and a light honey aftertaste. Well done!