ClubGonzo’s Framboosenmead

Mead/Melomel, 14.5%

ClubGozo’s Framboosenmead, mead batch 33.

Deep red body.

Raspberries and beer is a lovely combination, so what about raspberries and mead?

In the glass it looks clear, and it has a very deep red colour.

The aroma is strong and laden with very sweet and overripe raspberries. There is not much tartness to be found here. Not much honey either, for that matter.

The strong flavour follows the overripe path of the aroma, with additional hints of cherry pits.

Oh, this is some serious sweet stuff! I had expected some acidity from the raspberries, but this is just pure sugary sweetness.

The texture is thick and syrupy.

Conclusion: a bit too violently sweet and overripe, but still a decent mead.

Aroma:      6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      5/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    11/20
Ratebeer score: 3.0/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Absolutely Bananas

Mead, 11.5% ABV.

ClubGonzo’s Absolutely Bananas, mead batch 30.

Not the usual golden colour, instead is pale amber.

The previous banana mead from ClubGonzo did not impress me at all, let’s see if this one is any better.

It pours a pale amber body that is crystal clear.

The strong aroma reminds me of the dreaded Norwegian banana spread “Banos”, i.e. overly sweet and overripe bananas mixed with sugar. The honey is also quite apparent, giving the mead an even sweeter first impression.

There is a surprisingly solid intensity in the flavour as well, and it’s actually not that hard to pinpoint the banana. I had assumed that there was hardly any discernible banana left, since this melomel is getting really old. I won’t claim that it’s aged well, but it’s not bad in any way (as was the case with the Melonmel that I had a few days ago). The taste is heavy sweet, and the texture is sirupy and thick.

Conclusion: a bit too old, sweet and faint, but still possible to drink. 

Aroma:      5/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      5/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    10/20
Ratebeer score: 2.8/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Pineapple Delight

Mead, 12% ABV.

ClubGonzo’s Pineapple Delight, mead batch 29.

Seen from above the Pineapple Delight looks a bit like a pineapple cut in half, right?

Tropical fruits are winners in beers, so why not in a mead?

The colour of this brew is deep golden, and the body is clear.

Strong aroma of honey and sweet, overripe pineapples, with a touch of acidity and fruity spiciness.

The flavour is also strong and it has the same notes found in the aroma. The overripeness is a bit pronounced and the sweetness is rather heavy, but the pineapple acidity prevents the brew from becoming cloying. A highly drinkable mead.

Conclusion: tasty sweet and sour. Maybe mix in some deep fried pork in the next batch?

Aroma:      6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      6/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    13/20
Ratebeer score: 3.3/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Plum Bliss

Mead/Melomel, 10.6% ABV.

 

ClubGonzo’s Plum Bliss, mead batch no 18.

Look at that body!

This mead pours a crystal clear, beautiful orangey golden body.

The aroma is surprisingly faint, but there are definitely plums present. The honey is further in the back.

There isn’t much intensity in the flavour either, and the profile is as simple as in the aroma: plums and faint honey. But I like plums, and I like honey, so I do enjoy what’s in my glass. Heavy sweet taste with a light acidic tail.

It’s a full-bodied brew with a syrupy texture.

Conclusion: a boring, modest and simple mead. That is quite good.

Aroma:      5/10
Appearance: 5/5
Taste:      6/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    11/20
Ratebeer score: 3.1/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Melonmel

Mead/Melomel, 15% ABV.

ClubGonzo’s Melonmel, mead batch no 19.

I had more fun making artsy photos of this mead than drinking it.

The King of Puns presents a melomel with melon, called Melonmel!

In the glass it’s crystal clear and has a nice golden colour.

The aroma isn’t very strong, but that it’s ok with me, because it isn’t particularly pleasant. You know the smell of the bin the day after you threw in some melon rinds? Yep. The rotting fruit totally overpowers the honey.

The strong flavour of rotten fruit and rotten leaves is equally offensive. Are there even some rotten fish(!) in there? Ouch.

Up till now I’ve had the impression that too old meads just get faint and boring, but this one has just turned bad.

Conclusion: For all I know this once was a decent mead, but now its drainpour. Good pun or not.

Aroma:      3/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      2/10
Palate:     3/5
Overall:    4/20
Ratebeer score: 1.6/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Blackberry Finn

Mead/Melomel, 10% ABV.

Deep red body.

ClubGonzo’s Blackberry Finn, mead batch 17.

Will this mead make me wish I had blackberries in my garden?

In the glass it has a deep red and clear body.

The aroma is very strong, with notes of honey, Husholdningssaft™ and berries. I do not recognise the blackberries, but I guess that is a too modest berry to really make a distinguishable impact. Nevertheless, it’s a pleasant honey/berry aroma.

The strong flavour follows the aroma – honey and sweet berries. It’s a simple but effective flavour profile, making the mead drinkable and easy to like. I can’t imagine anyone will find this one offensive in any way. The taste is very sweet, but there are also some very nice hints of balancing berry acidity and some dryness in the finish.

Conclusion: a likeable and drinkable mead that won’t win any prizes, but might be able to trick someone into liking mead. 

Aroma:      6/10
Appearance: 5/5
Taste:      7/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    12/20
Ratebeer score: 3.4/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Mango Unchained

Mango Unchained by ClubGonzo, Mead/Melomel, 14% ABV.

This mead is brewed with mango. I like mango. I like mead?

Mango Unchained, mead batch no. 15.

Bird’s-eye view of this good-looking mead.

In the glass it looks crystal clear and has a lovely golden colour.

The aroma might be a bit fruity, but I don’t get any mango associations whatsoever. This actually reminds a bit of ClubGonzo’s Banana Split mead, it has some of the same strange, undefinable and dry vegetal notes. The honey notes are in there somewhere.

The honey is more present in the strong flavour, and the vegetal notes are more subdued. The fruitiness is quite pleasant, but again I find it very hard to discover any tropical fruits, let alone mango. It has a sweet taste, but not sugary sweet. The alcohol is well integrated.

Conclusion: almost a decent brew, but mangos are probably more fitting in an IPA than in a mead.

 

 

Aroma:      5/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      6/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    10/20
Ratebeer score: 2.9/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Strawberry Meadows Forever

Strawberry Meadows Forever by ClubGonzo, Mead/Melomel, 13.3% ABV.

Strawberry Meadows Forever, aka. mead batch no. 14.

So… aren’t strawberries supposed to be red? Still, looking good!

One day you’ll kill me with your puns, ClubGonzo!

This one pours a clear, light amber body.

The aroma is strong, and reminds me of strawberry candy: very sweet and very fruity. And then a teaspoon of honey.

The flavour isn’t very strong, but the honey coated strawberry candies are still present. It has a very sweet taste, a nice and chewy texture, and the alcohol is well integrated.

Conclusion: putting strawberries in a mead was a better idea than I thought, although it’s not a splendid brew. Nice enough, though. 

Aroma:      6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      5/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    11/20
Ratebeer score: 3.0/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Mon Cherry

Mon Cherry by ClubGonzo, Mead/Melomel, 13.1% ABV.

Mon Cherry, batch no. 13.

Look at the colour!

Mon Cherry is, believe it or not, brewed with cherries.

The colour of this mead is deep ruby red, and the body is clear. Beautiful!

I do get lot’s of cherries in the strong aroma, but they are a bit too overripe, bordering on rotten. The honey is also present in the background.

In the flavour the overripeness of the cherries isn’t that obvious, it’s actually quite pleasant. I also get cherry pits, in a pleasant almond-like way. There are also sweet traces of vanilla and a touch of spices. Interesting stuff! It has a pleasing sweetness and the alcohol is masterly integrated.

 Conclusion: a complex and nice mead, once in the mouth. 

Aroma:      5/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      7/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    14/20
Ratebeer score: 3.4/5.0

ClubGonzo’s Pink Goose

Pink Goose by ClubGonzo, Mead/Melomel, 12.6% ABV.

Pink Goose, ClubGonzo’s 11th mead batch.

Light red or pink, take your pick.

I must admit that I haven’t tasted gooseberries since I was a kid, so I don’t remember what they taste like. I wonder if this brew can wake up some dormant childhood memories?

It pours a light red, crystal clear body. Unusual, but very good-looking.

The aroma is strong and it’s more dominated by honey than the last few ClubGonzo meads I’ve had. There is a fruity background, but it’s quite subtle. It’s a pleasant aroma, but somewhat simple and not as over the top as I’m used to from this experimental brewer.

The flavour is moderate, and there’s a good balance between the honey and the gentle sweet candy-like fruity notes (ok, berry notes, then). It’s thick, very sweet and syrupy, with reasonably well integrated alcohol.

Conclusion: a well crafted mead, but not extremely interesting. If it tastes gooseberries? Frankly I don’t know. 

Aroma:      6/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste:      6/10
Palate:     4/5
Overall:    12/20
Ratebeer score: 3.2/5.0