Traditional Mead UK

Wye Valley Honey & Rhubarb Sparkling Mead Review

Wye Valley Honey & Rhubarb Sparkling Mead combines floral honey sweetness with the clean acidity of rhubarb in a highly carbonated, session-strength drink. Now sold by Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co., the producer formerly known as Wye Valley Meadery, it is designed to be served cold and enjoyed more like a fruit cider or sparkling wine than a heavy traditional mead.

Our verdict: lively bubbles and tart rhubarb prevent the honey from becoming cloying. The result is light, crisp and mouth-watering, with enough floral sweetness to remain recognisably mead and a dry, snappy finish that makes it particularly well suited to warm-weather drinking.

At a glance

Wye Valley Meadery was established in 2018 by brothers Matt and Kit Newell before becoming Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co. Its sparkling range takes a modern approach to mead: lower alcohol, small-format packaging and brisk carbonation, while honey rather than grapes or grain remains the basis of the drink.

The producer currently lists Honey & Rhubarb at 3.4% ABV. Older retail listings show 4%, so check the label on the can or bottle in front of you rather than assuming that every production run has the same strength.

Appearance

The mead pours a light pink to soft salmon colour, with the delicate blush expected from rhubarb rather than the deep red of a berry-flavoured drink. It looks bright and summery in the glass.

Carbonation is energetic. Tight streams of bubbles rise quickly after pouring and give it a festive, almost sparkling-wine appearance. That effervescence also signals that this will be a much lighter experience than an amber, still mead served in small measures.

Nose

Fresh rhubarb is the immediate impression: sharp, green and garden-tangy rather than jammy. Softer floral honey sits underneath, rounding the acidity and keeping the aroma from becoming austere.

Together, the fruit and honey suggest warm rhubarb pie without developing the heavy vanilla, pastry or cooked-sugar character of an actual dessert. It is an evocative comparison, but the drink itself smells fresher and brisker than that description might imply.

Taste

The first sip leads with rhubarb’s natural tartness and clean acidity. Honey follows quickly, smoothing the sharper edges and giving the centre of the palate a mellow floral sweetness.

This sweet-and-sharp exchange defines the drink. Neither side completely dominates: without the rhubarb, the honey could seem much richer; without the honey, the fruit might become thin and severe. Carbonation keeps both moving across the palate and stops the sweetness settling into a sticky texture.

The body is light, fluid and exceptionally crisp for a mead. There is none of the viscosity associated with richer, wine-strength examples. Medium-dry is the most useful description: honey is easy to identify, but the fruit acidity and bubbles make the overall impression drier than the aroma initially suggests.

At its current 3.4% ABV, Honey & Rhubarb is firmly a session mead. It can fill the role of a modern fruit cider or spritz, but the rounded floral middle distinguishes it from both. People who believe all mead must be dense and intensely sweet may find this a useful counterexample.

Finish

The finish is clean, quick and mouth-watering. Rhubarb acidity and carbonation leave a refreshing dryness, while floral honey lingers more quietly after the sharper fruit has receded.

A faint brown-sugar-like warmth can appear at the end, although this is a flavour impression rather than evidence of added brown sugar. The final combination of dryness, fruit and bubbles may remind sparkling-wine drinkers of a crisp Prosecco, but this remains softer and more honey-led.

What is it made from?

Hive Mind says that it does not use white wine, refined sugar or ethanol as a base for its mead. Its current Honey & Rhubarb product page lists water, honey, natural flavouring and yeast, while the product description refers to tangy rhubarb juice.

That published ingredient wording is worth preserving accurately. It supports the important distinction between a honey-fermented session mead and a white-wine drink flavoured to resemble mead, but it does not justify reducing the current declared ingredients to only honey, water, yeast and rhubarb juice. Anyone avoiding a particular ingredient should consult the packaging or ask the producer for the latest formulation.

How to serve Honey & Rhubarb Sparkling Mead

Serve it well chilled in a stemmed wine glass, small beer glass or flute. A glass shows the pale pink colour and gives the energetic carbonation room to settle, while the narrower opening of a flute helps retain the bubbles.

Avoid serving it near-frozen, as very low temperatures will mute the floral honey. Pour carefully and leave a little room at the top of the glass because the initial fizz can be lively.

A 330ml can or bottle works naturally as a single long serving. For a simple mixed drink, Hive Mind also suggests using Honey & Rhubarb in a rhubarb-crumble-style cocktail with brandy, apple juice and lemon, although it is refreshing enough to drink by itself.

Food pairings

Rhubarb’s acidity makes this more flexible with food than a very sweet still mead:

It also works well as an aperitif. The combination of acidity and carbonation wakes up the palate without the weight of a conventional dessert mead.

How it compares with other Wye Valley meads

Wye Valley Meadery Traditional Mead is fuller, stronger and much more overtly honey-led. Choose it when you want a rich still mead for slow sipping; choose Honey & Rhubarb when refreshment and fruit acidity matter more than depth or alcoholic warmth.

Wye Valley Honey & Elderflower Sparkling Mead takes a softer, more floral direction, while Wye Valley Honey & Hops Sparkling Mead uses citrus and hop bitterness to control its sweetness. Rhubarb is the fruitiest of the three and offers the clearest sweet-sour contrast.

For cider drinkers, Honey & Rhubarb is likely to be the most immediately familiar entry point. Its brisk fruit, carbonation and low strength fit that occasion, but the honeyed centre gives it a distinct identity.

Where to buy Wye Valley Honey & Rhubarb Sparkling Mead

Product details and availability checked: October 2026. The current producer listing is 3.4% ABV; older retailer stock may use Wye Valley Meadery packaging and show 4% ABV. Prices, stock and packaging can change.

Affiliate disclosure: The Master of Malt link is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase, Traditional Mead UK may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full Affiliate Disclosure.

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