Afon Mêl Heather Mead
This is a pure honey mead from New Quay Honey Farm made with heather honey which gives it a richer taste and fuller body.
The richness of mead from heather honey can make a mead start to feel closer to a liqueur in terms of mouth-feel than a wine, although still with wine strength.
Their meads are also matured in casks for a process that takes two years overall, so this is likely contributing to the smoothness and maturity of the final product.
Appearance
The colour sits between straw and gold with a great see-through clarity in the glass.
Nose
The nose is reasonably pronounced with a somewhat floral scent from the honey itself. The floral notes definitely dominate over the sweeter, honey tones.
Taste
A floral, heather taste hits on the first sip but then a smooth, sweet flavour fills the mouth straight after. There is a reasonable body to this mead with a moreish sweetness that does not come across as overly sickly.
Food pairing
With the rich, sweet nature of this mead, a dessert pairing is always good. However it is also tempting to try pairing these more luxurious meads with cheeses.