Cornish Mead Wine
A pyment from Cornish Mead Co. Most of their range is a fruit flavour on top of a grape base, so presumably this is the grape base on its own.
This drink comes in at a mere 14% ABV whereas many of their fruit-flavoured wines are typically 17%. Perhaps the more intense flavours carry a higher alcohol better.
Appearance
The colour is a burnt orange as you might expect from darker pure-honey meads. This might be the effect of a lighter honey lightening a red grape base or a darker honey tainting a white grape base. It’s hard to tell which.
Nose
The nose is less pronounced without the fruit flavourings in their other offerings. There are hints of honey and an almost chemical aroma deep in the bouquet.
Taste
The body is quite light and thing, but not overly so. This makes it quite quaffable, but the honey flavour is quite subtle. There is some acidity, but no bitterness or tartness, suggesting it is a white wine base with honey added.
They advertise the wine as “tantalisingly smooth” and it is indeed smooth and drinkable as a drink on its own, but does not stand out as remarkable in its flavour compared to more complex meads and pyments.
Mead Cocktails
The Cornish Mead Co suggest mixing this honey wine in a cocktail they call Blood & Honey served with blood orange, gin and Campari.