non-honey "mead"

[Laripu]

I have 5 pounds of agave nectar sitting around, that I'll add to 5 pounds of honey to make a light mead.... "in the fullness of time". (i.e. When I get around to it.) http://www.xagave.com/shop/xagave-5-lb-single/

[oldbloke]

Little update: people who try it love the golden syrup "not mead"
I've done one that's basically a mildly spiced mead and one that's a melomel, bit with syrup instead of honey, and they work.
They do have slightly toffeeish backnote (very much so if you include any black treacle, obv) but if this appeals to you, give it a try.

[6470zzy]

I have 5 pounds of agave nectar sitting around, that I'll add to 5 pounds of honey to make a light mead.... "in the fullness of time". (i.e. When I get around to it.) http://www.xagave.com/shop/xagave-5-lb-single/

Lari,
How did this one turn out ?
Cheers

[Laripu]

Lari,
How did this one turn out ?
Cheers

Very nicely. It was 10 lbs of honey and about 5 lbs of agave syrup. I let it bulk-age in a glass carboy for a year, siphoning every 4 months. I didn't carbonate it, but it does retain a bit of sparkle anyway, surprisingly. The result is very light, very alcoholic and very delicate tasting. It's currently aging in 12 oz beer bottles. You've reminded me: I think I'll have some tonight.

Here's a thread in which members of Jim's Beer Kit helped me create the label. In fact 90% of the creative work was done by other JBK members, and I just slapped together the results of their work and added a Spanish rhyme (thanks to Google translate).

The creation of the Meady Gonzales label by JBK members.

[Laripu]

[fatbloke]

Little update: people who try it love the golden syrup "not mead"
I've done one that's basically a mildly spiced mead and one that's a melomel, bit with syrup instead of honey, and they work.
They do have slightly toffeeish backnote (very much so if you include any black treacle, obv) but if this appeals to you, give it a try.

Well done for the update OB. I haven't thought to give it a try........yet !

Brian (cellar rat - over at Winesathome) posted about making a JAO recipe batch but with golden syrup, instead of honey. He posted about some differences in resulting flavour. It made one that is slightly sweeter to taste than a normal version of it, so maybe there's some mileage in making mead recipes but using the Golden syrup instead of honey...........

[john21wall]

Very well that you have described, something for everyone of them found

[oldbloke]

Well, threads pop back to life after ages...

I've done the syrup not-meads a few times now and they're generally well-received.
I do it pretty much like I'd do a berry-based country wine, but with lots of golden syrup instead of water and a bit of sugar.
I make them to at least 15%, usually go for 18 (my "legendary banana wine" is 20...)

[Laripu]

In this thread, I described a pair of porters, one with all American ingredients, the other with all UK ingredients.

The UK version used Lyle's black treacle, the US used unsulphered molasses. The black treacle had a very strong taste. The molasses is pleasant in the given quantity in a dark beer like porter, while the treacle tastes as though it will need very long aging to mellow.

So for mead I'd stay away from black treacle. (Probably molasses too, but black treacle definitely tastes stronger.)