FasciNATEion Blog

You may remember my previous review of Green River Ambrosia’s Chamomile mead.  Today, I’m trying the Winter Warmer mead.  14% Alcohol by volume.

Quite a punch, but it's still a bit sweet. Should've had it a few months earlier..

The smell is a bit fruity.  The cork smells a bit less pleasant than the wine.

The first taste is quite intense.  It’s a bit acrid in smell.  The taste is like most mead.  It doesn’t have much of a bite compared to the other meads.  The bite is moreso in the taste than the texture of the mead.  It has a bit of a strong taste, too.  You can taste the intensity at the edges of your mouth.

It feels a bit smoother and silkier than the other meads I’ve had.  I think I can taste a bit of fruit as well.

On the swallow, you can taste a bit more of where the mead was aged.  I may be mistaken, but I think I can taste strong wood.

It’s hard to describe this mead.  In summation, I can taste the ‘warmer’ intent in the bite you get when you swallow it.  It has a bit of a bite to it, but the bite is in how it tastes.  It flows smoothly over the tongue with a bit of acidity to it.

In summation, I think this mead might be better if it’s served warm and DEFINITELY during the winter.  It’s a bit warm in March currently.  Would I drink it with friends?  Probably– but the likelihood of it tasting better warm means I may want to drink it in a cold environment.

African Herbal Blossom: Pretty good.

I picked up about 750ML of this mead (12% Alc/vol) for $24.99. It looked promising since I think I’ve had this brand before.
I had some trouble getting the mead’s cork out. It wasn’t a wood cork (Good! They care about the cork shortage!), and I got a bit of the wax seal into the drink. (noo!)
It’s a beautiful red amber color. I’m quite excited.

My first tastes give me a subtle taste of herbs. It also has the little bite my last favorite mead taste had. The bite is less significant, however. You can also taste the honey undertones, but they seem almost on-par with the herbs.

The Mead states that there are subtle hints of “cinnamon, apple, rosehip, and hibiscus”. I can taste the apple’s sweetness, not too much of the apple. I think I taste a bit of the cinnamon, but it’s not too strong.

The mead goes down easily. I feel a bit lighthearted. It’s easy to keep drinking it, and I think the quality is definitely obvious.

It’s quite sweet. There’s a little bit of bite that was mentioned before. THere’s a bit of apple in the afterbite, too.

In my opinion, this wine is a bit expensive. I wouldn’t buy it too often. However, it provides more mead for its money than the Lurgashall Mead did. It has a great flavor, and while the flavors aren’t overhwelming (yes, they’re subtle hints as advertised), it’s worth the trip.

Would I buy this again? Yes. Soon? No. Would I buy it for parties? Yes. Would I buy it for friends? Yes. The bottle is quite elegant and has a pretty presentation.