Friary Vinters Mead

Hmmm I seem to be developing a nose for mead, or at least the ability to recognise what I’m about to get.

Friary Vitners smells once again like an ordinary Mead with that slightly sweet wine smell. The taste is initially very similar to many others, but with a much smoother sweetness and perhaps a bit more of a bite afterwards.

Then after a few more sips that bite blends into the smoothness, and the taste of sunlight slips in so something interesting going on here, and worth further investigation.

{later} This one truly shines with ice, as the smoothness carries through and the bitters blend away. So I started to ponder why.

The website states they don’t keep their own bees, but monks of the friary might have once done so. Clearly they’re buying honey from a nearby farm or somewhere more commercial.

The question arises to what extent is the taste of mead dependant on the recipe or on the bees and honey that supply the raw materials. To an extent one should acknowledge the purity of Mead makers who keep their own hives? Equally if the pollen is key then the flavour of the mead must vary with the crops and wildflowers grown locally. Perhaps an argument for better labelling for a genuine local Mead.

In this case the random factors have combined to produce a very pleasant mead indeed.