B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead

Brewed By: B. Nektar Meadery in Ferndale, Michigan  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Mead, 12.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

A random Saturday nightcap. Yay! About B. Nektar:

B. Nektar is a meadery founded in 2006 by Brad and Kerri Dahlhofer, with the held of their friend Paul Zimmerman. They opened their doors in the August of 2008. The meadery makes a variety of eclectic meads, going beyond the basic honey mead. You can check out their website here.

Tonight's mead is brewed with various flavors of citrus honey. The B. Nektar website states:

"Our orange blossom mead is made from the honey of orange and other citrus trees, and is aged on American oak. The flavor and bouquet will transport you to warm climates, where citrus groves stretch on for miles and miles. This mead will continue to mature wonderfully in your cellar."

B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead

This one pours with no head/carbonation, into a clear, gold/green color that looks very much like a light white wine. There's some static carbonation bubbles, like tiny blimps, but those fade out quickly. It's kind of a stagnant appearance, but I wasn't expecting a ton of carbonation.  

The aroma instantly reminds me of the grape vines and grapes that my grandma grew at her apartment. They always tasted different than the green and purple grapes you get at the stores. They had a more raw and floral quality. I believe she grew some variant of green or white grapes, and she would make wine out of them. There's big earthy, floral grape aromas. There's also some honey, saffron, and tons of floral aroma; lots of orange blossom, as advertised. This mead is supposedly aged on American oak, but that's not really coming through in the aroma.

The taste is heavy, cloying, and super sweet. You feel every bit of the 12.5% ABV as it punches you with huge honey, grape sweetness, floral notes, saffron, and sugar. The depth of the honey and the grape that you get is off the charts. Again...I'm not really getting oak in this? Maybe a hint of wood tannin or assertive vanilla, but not something I would likely finger in a blind tasting as "oak."

I would describe this as full-bodied with a thick mouthfeel. This is a sipping mead, despite the friendly flavors and the very light carbonation. The palate depth is full and good, and this is very complex. It's drinkable for what it is.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average. Really good stuff...a bit cloying and sweet, but I think that's kind of the idea. It's obviously not something to drink on a regular basis or by yourself. Share the bottle for sure....or don't.... But pair this with some ceviche or white pasta sauce, or mussels, or chicken and cheese and a white sauce. Maybe something heavy on the olive oil. You could pair this with anything that goes with an oaky, heavy, white wine. I don't remember how much this cost, but it was priced favorably compared to a good wine. Also, this should age well. Definitely worth checking out.

Random Thought: I enjoy a good mead or cider, it's a nice change of pace from time to time.