Traditional Mead UK

Wye Valley Honey & Hops Sparkling Mead Review

Wye Valley Honey & Hops Sparkling Mead is a light, modern Welsh mead that combines floral honey with the citrus character of Citra hops. At 4% ABV in a 330ml format, it is built for refreshing, session-strength drinking rather than the weight and sweetness of a traditional still mead.

Our verdict: fine bubbles, a smooth semi-sweet palate and a citrus-pith finish make this an approachable meeting point between sparkling mead and modern hoppy drinks. Honey remains clearly identifiable, but lemon, lime peel and restrained bitterness stop it becoming heavy.

At a glance

Wye Valley Meadery was founded in 2018 by brothers Matt and Kit Newell and later became Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co.. The producer’s current range still spans traditional and sparkling mead, although Honey & Hops is more readily found under the earlier Wye Valley branding at retailers.

The producer says its meads are made with British honey, including honey from its own bees and trusted British beekeepers. Honey & Hops uses a cold infusion of Citra, bringing hop aroma and flavour without turning the drink into a conventional beer.

Appearance

It pours a pale, hazy straw yellow. A light fizz forms a fine bead rather than an aggressive, soda-like head, giving the drink a crisp appearance while retaining some softness.

The haze and light colour set the right expectation: this is a modern session mead, not a clear amber honey wine. Its 330ml presentation and gentle carbonation also place it naturally alongside craft beer and cider, despite the honey-fermented base.

Nose

Wildflower honey appears first, light and floral rather than dark or caramelised. It is followed by lemon and lime peel, then a mild spicy or peppery edge from the Citra hops.

Citra is often associated with citrus and tropical fruit. Here, the most obvious impression is zesty peel and flowers. The hops lift the honey aroma rather than covering it, and there is no heavy malt scent.

Taste

The opening is smooth, slightly creamy and semi-sweet. Honey spreads gently across the tongue before the carbonation and hops sharpen the middle of the sip. The fine bubbles keep the mouthfeel lively without making it thin or harsh.

Lemon, lime peel and floral hop flavours follow. A restrained bitterness checks the sweetness and makes the drink feel closer to semi-dry by the finish. It is mellow rather than aggressively hopped: anyone expecting the resin, malt or forceful bitterness of an IPA may find it much softer, while a traditional-mead drinker will notice how much lighter and crisper it is than a full-strength honey wine.

That balance is the product’s main success. Honey supplies body and a rounded texture, while citrus and carbonation provide enough contrast for another sip. At 4% ABV, it works as a longer drink rather than something that demands small dessert-wine measures.

Finish

The finish is refreshing and semi-dry, with citrus pith, faint pepper and a gentle warmth of honey. The bitterness is clean and brief; it does not erase the floral character or leave the palate aggressively dry.

A little creamy sweetness remains underneath, but the final impression is of lemon peel and fine bubbles rather than syrup. This makes Honey & Hops easier to drink on a warm afternoon or with food than a dense traditional mead.

Is it a braggot or a hopped mead?

Honey & Hops occupies some of the same flavour territory as a light citrus beer, but it is best described as a hopped sparkling mead, not automatically as a braggot.

A braggot combines honey fermentation with malted grain or beer. No malt or grain is identified for this product, and hops alone do not make a mead a braggot. The useful comparison is sensory: it has the refreshment and citrus lift that beer drinkers may recognise, while keeping fermented honey at its centre.

In style it falls somewhere between a dry artisanal cider, a botanical spritz and a very light citrus-led pale ale. That makes it a practical introduction for people curious about mead but reluctant to begin with a rich, wine-strength bottle.

How to serve Wye Valley Honey & Hops

Serve it well chilled in a small beer glass, stemmed tasting glass or wine glass. Pouring rather than drinking directly from the bottle or can reveals the pale haze, releases the floral aroma and gives the fine carbonation room to form.

It should be cold enough to feel crisp but not near-frozen, which would mute both honey and hops. There is no need for ice unless you deliberately want a still lighter drink.

The 330ml format suits a single serving. Honey & Hops has appeared in both bottle and can packaging as the Wye Valley Meadery range evolved into Hive Mind, so packaging may differ by retailer.

Food pairings

Choose food that can echo the citrus or benefit from a mild bittersweet contrast:

Avoid very sweet desserts, which can make the hop bitterness seem harder. Rich puddings are generally better paired with a fuller traditional mead.

How it compares with other Wye Valley meads

Wye Valley Meadery Traditional Mead is the choice for a richer, stronger and more overtly honey-led experience. Honey & Hops is much lighter in body and alcohol, with bubbles and citrus bitterness doing the balancing work.

Wye Valley Honey & Elderflower Sparkling Mead stays within the same modern sparkling family but takes a more purely floral direction. Choose Elderflower for soft hedgerow aromatics; choose Honey & Hops for citrus peel, a peppery edge and a finish that will feel more familiar to craft-beer drinkers.

Where to buy Wye Valley Honey & Hops Sparkling Mead

Product details and availability checked: October 2026. The producer now trades as Hive Mind, and this flavour was not listed in its current online shop when checked. Retail stock and packaging can change.

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For more modern and traditional bottles from Wales, see Welsh Meads. For retailer advice and other UK buying options, see Buy Mead UK.