Lyme Bay Christmas Mead Review: Spiced Honey Wine
Lyme Bay Christmas Mead is a sweet, gently spiced honey wine designed for colder evenings and festive food. It is richer and more seasonal than the winery’s standard traditional mead, without becoming a spirit-strength mead liqueur.
Quick verdict
Best for: people who enjoy sweet dessert wines, warming spice and honey-led drinks.
Style: still Christmas mead / spiced honey wine.
Strength and size: the official listing showed 10% ABV in a 75cl bottle when checked on 11 October 2026.
Overall: an accessible Christmas bottle with enough spice to feel festive and enough honey character to remain recognisably mead. Drink it in small pours, serve it with cheese or pudding, or warm it very gently.
Taste
Lyme Bay describes the bottle as a rich honey wine blended with Christmas spices. Expect honeyed sweetness first, supported by warming baking-spice character rather than the sharp bitterness of a heavily botanical drink.
Serving temperature changes the balance. Chilling restrains sweetness; a cool room-temperature pour brings out more aroma; gentle warming emphasises the comforting spiced character.
This is not the bottle for someone seeking a bone-dry table wine. For a first-time buyer who likes port, dessert wine, mulled wine or sweet liqueurs, it is an easier recommendation.
How to serve it
Try one of three approaches:
- Cool room temperature: pour a small measure into a wine glass and let it open for a few minutes.
- Lightly chilled: useful when the sweetness feels too rich.
- Gently warmed: heat slowly in a pan until pleasantly hot, without simmering or boiling.
Do not boil mead: heat drives off volatile aromas and alcohol. There is no need to add sugar. Taste before adding orange peel, cinnamon or cloves because the wine is already spiced.
Food pairings
Lyme Bay Christmas Mead suits:
- mature Cheddar or blue cheese;
- mince pies and fruit cake;
- Christmas pudding;
- baked apple or pear desserts;
- roast ham and other sweet-savoury dishes;
- toasted nuts and dried fruit.
A small serving works best with rich food.
Is it a good gift?
Yes, if the recipient enjoys sweeter drinks. The familiar 75cl wine-bottle format is easy to wrap and share. Include a note suggesting serving temperatures so the recipient knows it can be chilled, served as it is or warmed gently.
If they prefer beer, cider or drier wine, consider a mixed pack of modern sparkling mead instead. See where to buy mead in the UK for alternatives.
Price and availability
Lyme Bay Winery’s official page showed the bottle at £12.99 when checked on 11 October 2026. Seasonal stock and prices can change, so use that only as a dated reference.
- Check current stock at Lyme Bay Winery
- Buy Lyme Bay Christmas Mead at Master of Malt (affiliate link)
- Check availability on Amazon
Affiliate disclosure: The Master of Malt and Amazon links are affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase, Traditional Mead UK may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. The winery link is provided as a direct non-affiliate source. Read the full Affiliate Disclosure.
How it compares
Unlike Friary’s currently verified Christmas liqueur—which is made with mead, French brandy and spices—Lyme Bay’s product is sold as Christmas Mead/honey wine at a wine-like 10% ABV. Read labels carefully because “Christmas mead”, “mead liqueur” and “honey liqueur” are not interchangeable categories.
See the Christmas mead guide for current and archived seasonal products.
About the producer
Lyme Bay Winery in Devon makes a broad range of meads, fruit wines and other drinks. It also owns the Scottish-origin Moniack Mead brand following its acquisition of Highland Wineries.
Product details and availability reviewed 11 October 2026. Always check the current seller listing before purchasing.