I saw a post by Sap House Meadery's Facebook page that they had come across several bottles of 2012 seasonal meads and that they also had a few bottles of - like 8 - Oak Aged Traditional available on a first come, first serve basis.
Being in the area for the weekend it was a no-brainer to swing by and say "hi" to Ash and Matt. And, also, to acquire a couple bottles of the meads that we haven't had before.
The store was very busy and Ash was mead pouring samples left, right and every which way. I got the opportunity to taste a few meads I hadn't tried before.
The first thing I tasted was something they don't sell. It was a mixture of their Chocolate and Vanilla Bean meads; a concoction called a "hoodsie". The vanilla bean is one of my favorites from Sap House and combined with the chocolate was quite a treat. Delish!
I got another taste of the Peach Maple and Cranberry Sage which I previously had and reviewed (here and here respectively).
I got a taste of the Blackberry Maple (18% ABV). Oak aged and made with local blackberries, this mead is nice, light and very blackberry-y. The oak imparts nice character and mellows out the sweetness of the honey and berries. Not only is this mead is not as sweet as you might expect but, despite the high alcohol content, is smooth and drinkable.
Another mead I tasted, Oak Aged Sugar Maple (13.8% ABV), was poured straight from the barrel. It wasn't quite ready, so the the honey profile was quite intense. But even though it was still young the qualities of the oak were coming through quite nicely. I can't wait to taste this mead once it has had the opportunity to fully mature. It's going to be something special.
While sipping samples, Ash was talking about mead and Sap House Meadery. I love visiting because every time I'm there I learn something new. That and the tastings. Yes, the tastings are always good. Yum.
Thank you, Ash, for your hospitality. It's always a pleasure visiting.
Look for Sap House meads in a store near you . . . or order online from their website.
Learn more about Sap House Meadery by visiting their website and keep up to date with Sap House happenings by liking them on Facebook.