Bottle. Pours hazy green-yellow with light carbonation and a small white head that quickly fades. The aroma is sweet honey and some fruit notes, with a distant hint of vanilla. In the mouth, the blackberry hits first giving it a slightly tart beginning, but it smooths into honey flavors in the middle. Lots of vanilla flavor suddenly emerges, almost startlingly so. The finish has touches of sulfur and alcohol. Decent, but not superior.

Bottle sampled with Tronraner and cohorts. Pours a light bronze, I was expecting maybe some purplish hues, but no, it’s not there. The nose on this is very tame with light hints of fruits, honey, alcohol. Upon taking a sip, I discover that the vanilla is right up front. I was surprised to find such an easily discerned flavor in a mead from Shady Grove, who usually makes very light, subtles meads. The blackberry comes out faintly in the finish. The whole thing is quite delicate and tart, probably not as enjoyable to me as their standard dry mead.