ClubGonzo’s Blue for My Honey

Blue for My Honey by ClubGonzo, Mead/Melomel, 11.6% ABV.

I had such a good time rating my very first homebrewed mead (ClubGonzo’s Heather Heathen) that I want to taste another one right away, before I’ll return to my regular beer ratings.

ClubGonzo’s Blue for My Honey, Mead Batch no. 02.

Blue for My Honey is a melomel, or a fruit mead. It’s made from honey, the label doesn’t say what sort, and blueberries.

This mead is deep red to purple, and the body is opaque. It looks like the last pour of a ruby port wine that someone forgot to decant. Looks tempting to me!

The aroma is rather strong, and leads me to believe that this mead also is based on Norwegian heather honey. The honey notes are nowhere near as dominating as they where for the Heather Heathen, due to a distinct fruity background. I’m not sure if it’s the port wine glass that’s trying to trick me, but the fruity notes strongly remind me of a fruity port wine, or maybe a sharper sherry. I also get faint traces of alcohol. It’s a complex and very inviting aroma.

Blueberry mead.

The flavour is not very strong, it seems like the honey and the berries play each other down somewhat, leaving the alcohol notes a bit too dominant. The honey part is no longer obvious heather honey, while the fruity side is definitely blueberries. The flavour also has a distinct port wine feel, it seems oxidised in a pleasant way.

The taste is sweet, but it’s far less sweet than e.g. the before mentioned Heather Honey. The finish feels almost dry-ish, with the fruity dryness of unsweetened blueberry juice and the tannin-like pluckiness of blueberry skin. There is also a light acidic taste.

Conclusion: complex and nice elements from both honey and berries, and an elegant fortified wine feel. The flavour and aroma could have been stronger, and the alcohol better integrated, but definitely a tasty brew and an exciting sub-style of mead.

Aroma:      7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      7/10
Palate:     3/5
Overall:    13/20
Ratebeer score: 3.4/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Raspberry Discovery

Raspberry Discovery by ClubGonzo, Cider, ABV 4.7%.

This is the same cider as the Øystese Discovery, with the slight modification of some raspberries in the fermenter.

Raspberry Discovery aka. Cider Batch 02.

The raspberries definitely is evident visually: the body is hazy and medium red, what a lovely colour! You might argue that it would have looked more elegant with a bit more subtle red colour, but I like it. Interestingly the light pink fizzy head forms a fully lasting bubbly ring at the walls of the glass. Why? Proteins from the raspberries? Anyway, it makes the cider look even more interesting.

Raspberry Discovery in the glass.

The aroma is quite strong and very pleasant. I get a lovely mix of tart apples and overripe raspberries and a lambic-like acidic scent, but also some sweetness. Interesting!

The taste has the same moderate to heavy acidity as the non-raspberrified version, but somehow it feels more fitting when accompanied by raspberry flavours. The raspberries are most evident initially, then sweet apples take over (note: flavours of sweet apples, the taste is very acidic). I also get notes of lemon and some cherries in the back, I guess it’s the acidity and the raspberries that fool me. The finish is moderate dry, the carbonation is moderate and the body is quite light.

Conclusion: the raspberries was a really good idea! It’s still too acidic, though.

Aroma:      7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      6/10
Palate:     3/5
Overall:   10/20
Ratebeer score: 3.0/5.0