This is a mead I’ve been wanting to try for a while, now. You hear quite a lot about this honey in the mead making circles, as it is a fairly popular choice. So when I was in need of more honey, it was an easy choice of which one to stock up on. When it first arrived, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Tasting the honey on its own, I’m not sure I could have detected or identified the orange blossom flavor without knowing it was there. It was more of an aftertaste, and very faint. Of course, it made sense to make a traditional with the honey first, in order to get a full picture of what it had to offer.
And I’m glad I did. The difference in flavor profile from the honey to the finished product is quite stark. The orange flavor essentially seemed to get concentrated through the fermentation process and it really shines. Despite sitting for months, mine has still held onto a lot of carbonation on its own, which keeps it light and gives it a bit of a spark on the tongue. Mine turned out mostly dry, which keeps the orange blossom as the highlight. The orange, and floral flavors still give it the sense of being sweet, without the actual presence of much sugar, which would have thickened the body, and in my opinion dampened the effect of the carbonation.
The nose is like a faint floral, honey scent, with possibly the barest hint of orange.
Ingredients – Primary
- 12 lbs Orange Blossom Honey
- D47 Yeast
- Water to fill up to 5 gallons
- Yeast Nutrients
Starting Gravity: 1.1