It’s a beautiful time of year to be a mead lover. For me, the nectar of the gods is inseparable from those moody autumn mornings and cosy dark nights, despite the refreshment it can offer in warmer seasons. There is no better time of year to crack open a fresh bottle and curl up with a good book in the season’s fading glow, no better time to appreciate the rich warmth mead imparts on the soul after a long day.
Our fourth adventure into Nidhoggr Mead Co‘s library of libations is the fiery sweet Ginger Mead – something of a departure for Nidhoggr‘s usual specialty of melomels. Our procession of quality fruit meads has come to a temporary halt and we’re taking a dive into something spicy. I can’t wait.
Nidhoggr Mead Co’s Ginger Mead – Candied ginger with a surprising kick
Where many of the meads we’ve sampled recently have been deep in layers of flavour, Ginger Mead has two very simple but excellent components that work perfectly together. It opens with a light but rich honey flavour – this one does seem to be a little bit sweeter than Nidhoggr‘s typical mead, and I think that may be intentional to stand against the wonderfully warm and heady ginger warmth that lashes across the palate. The simplicity of Nidhoggr’s mead is one of its greatest strengths, capturing the very essence of the flavours they employ and weaving them together to create bottles with seriously powerful tastes.
Ginger Mead uses its flavours in perfect balance. The sweetness transforms the ginger into a swelling, immensely comforting kick of heat. It’s similar to candied ginger or even particularly feisty gingerbread – and I’d implore Nidhoggr Mead Co to consider a run of this mead with some extra spices to capitalise on that for Christmas at some point. Each bottle is built on an incredibly strong and flexible foundation of flavour which is why most of their meads lend themselves so perfectly to cocktails and different serving styles.
I’d really suggest serving this alongside spicy food or festive Yule treats. A big tot of Ginger Mead, a mince pie – sounds simple, but they work together so well. All the mincemeat spices mingle together with the fiery sweetness of the mead, and it works just as well for savoury spice too, accentuating and contrasting with curries very pleasantly. It also works well as a palate cleanser.
Nidhoggr Mead Co: Ginger Mead – 4/5
This is an absolutely marvellous mead, crafted with skill to capitalise on the strengths of both flavours. Nidhoggr Mead Co continues to surprise and impress me with their ability to capture, refine and deliver immense natural flavours in perfect harmony with each other.
This is possibly the best straight ginger mead I’ve tried so far. Ginger Mead gets the flavour just right, compensating for the lovely kick with a touch of added sweetness that makes this a must-try for any ginger lover.
You can purchase a bottle of Nidhoggr Mead Co’s Ginger Mead directly from their website.