Auray Chouchen-hydromel

Ah it’s been a while since I’ve found a new frontier in the world of Mead, my last boundaries being various drinking vessels. God I am such a geek.

After a certain amount of abuse of work contacts, a friend brought me two bottles of Chouchen back from Brittany at what worked out to be about £2.50 each.

I think I’ve written a rambling post about Chouchen 'the drink of the elves' before, I’ve found a facebook page and so I’m clearly not alone in my odd forms of geekery.

This bottle seems quite exciting, it’s a corked bottle and the cork is encased in wax, so I’m guessing this has been bottled with some care. I think the Chouchen is unnamed, or at least my French isn’t up to the translation:

Chouchen-hydromel
“Aux Ruchers d’Armorique”
Plougoumelen 56400 – Auray
Servir tres frais

Which thanks to Babelfish I think means?

Chouchen-hydromel
“With the Apiaries of Armorique”
Plougoumelen 56400 - Auray
To be useful very fresh

The scent is quit sweet but with a bitter honey tang, there’s a cloudy hint and the first sip is that of a sweet mead with a mild white wine tang, and a honey taste. Pretty pleasant for something that’s cheaper than anything I’ve ever tried before.

I wonder to what extent the French government subsidies it as an artisan product, or at least grants tax breaks. At £2.50 a bottle there can’t be much money to be made here.

As the glass empties there is an after taste, a sort of bitter tang, and I think this will be better with ice, but a fairly wholesome start to the world of Breton meads…