Church-Key Purple Loosestrife Mead

Draught sample at TFOB ’06. Leave it to Church-Key to be the first Ontario brewery to make a proper mead. (The less said about the sickly sweet fruit-flavoured "meads" made by Trafalgar, the better...) This was made using purple loosestrife honey sourced from a honey farm just a mile or so from the brewery, as well as a small touch of hops. It pours a pale yellow with a small head. Aroma is mild but very nice, with honey and herbal/floral notes. Crisp body. Flavour has a very pleasant honey character, but as noted by the brewer, the purple loosestrife gives the honey an almost musky character that cuts the sweetness somewhat. This combined with the touch of hops causes the flavour to strike a great sweet/dry balance. Very nice stuff - it’s always nice to see experiments like this work out so well.

really nice, john u did a great job of this not too sweet light bodied, honey and grain, mild and dry but good flavour

Sample at the TFOB 2006. Wow what an interesting try for my first mead. light yellow colour with a small white head. Aroma is so amazing. Sweet honey, with floral highlights. Taste is a great balance of honey, some spices and bitter hops. Just the perfect combination to keep it from being too bitter or too sweet. What a great find!

On cask at Volo: Appearance: White wine but slightly cloudy. Aroma: Honey & wine. Flavour: Very sweet, similar to an icewine. Nice though and easy to drink. The 8% is not noticeable.

TFOB 2006. Yellow body with a small white head. Muted sweet aroma is lightly floral, honey. Dry flavour with a sweet honey middle, light floral spicyness. Average palate. Nice mead, very drinkable with a nice balance too. Well done Church Key.

I’m going to bring this one down just a bit, only because the bottle I bought from the brewery did not reach the same level as the fresh draught sample from the brewery previous. The flavour was less intense and it seemed over carbonated and almost wine like. Still a great mead, just not outstanding. On tap at the Church Key Spring Revival 07. Dark yellow,small white head. Really nice aroma of sweet honey and citrus fruit, mixed with floral notes. Body is surprisingly well carbonated - almost like a champagne. Taste is sweet, but nothing overpowering or syrupy. Nice tingle on the tongue. Alcohol well hidden, but you do know it is there. A really tasty and drinkable mead - really well done John.

Cask. At Volo Cask Days 2008. this rating has eluded me for a long time - and now I get it on cask! Poured a pale greenish, somewhat oily-looking, no head, a little clouding to it. Aroma of fresh clover and honey - pungently of clover. The taste is very light and delicate, just mild honey sweetness, very grassy and fresh. Incredibly soft and light mouthfeel, still on the tongue, a light quick finish - yummy and dangerously easy to drink.

cask @ volo tonight. very floral and light. light, light citrus and clear honey flavour, long sweetness is nicely balanced and not cloying. a little cloudy, pale yellow. tastes like a summer day. a very nice mead.