So a friend of mine who has recently started brewing and dropped into all-grain after only his first couple of batches brought me two 1.75 liter jugs of mead that his now deceased father brewed in the 1970's. I think he had rolled around the idea of throwing it out, but I assured him that any mead that old should probably be examined first by an expert in aged mead disposal such as myself. After all, in cases such as these the mead should probably be filtered first before just pitching into earths fragile ecosystem. My liver is always willing to offer itself up willing in these important matters. It arrived in used liqueur bottles clearly stowed away for ages in the recesses of a basement. I was honestly a bit timid when I thought about how it might taste. I have had a number of homemade meads best reserved for removing paint from windows.It poured a dark rich molasses normally only seen in aged spirits, with a boozy nose it was like smelling something that you almost never come across in the beer world short of something Sam Adams has aged in their basement for the past decade. Sweet, with notes of burnt molasses, raisins.. let's just put it this way, it's really freaking complex to the palate, and like anything complex, it manifests different facets as it warms up.
I am not sure what my friends father might have dreamt up as to the eventual place of resting for his mead as he stirred it in the pot. But I am thankful that I could participate in its journey.
