Nidhoggr Mead Co‘s founder, Peter Taylor, is on a mission. Real mead for the masses is his driving ethos, riding a passion borne of real reverence and inspiration from the ancient Norse sagas themselves.
One thing that I have always found appealing about Nidhoggr‘s mead is the simplicity of its presentation. They manage to wear their epic inspirations proudly and still present a clean, smart image that wouldn’t look out of place on any shelf. From the tasteful use of runes in the logo to the iconic knotwork that subtly adorns each label, Nidhoggr have managed to make their mead ancient and modern all at once. It’s this meeting of past and future that mead represents in general. A drink so historic and spiritually potent, now fighting to claim a place of its own in today’s culture. Nidhoggr Mead Co have grasped firm control of this battle, and they’ve armed themselves with powerful traditions aimed squarely at modern palates.
Nidhoggr Mead Co are championing the production of real mead – and the protection of just what that is, considering the prevalence of what I’ve taken to calling ‘mead-inspired wines’ in the market (I even accidentally reviewed one of these which Peter politely called me out on. Oops). They’re a meadery on a mission, determined to re-establish mead not just as a drink for renaissance fairs, market stalls and re-enactors, but as a drink for everyone once more, with the respect it deserves as living history.
So that’s Nidhoggr in a nutshell. Does the mead live up to the mission? Let’s find out.
Sour Cherry Mead
First up is Nidhoggr‘s Sour Cherry Mead. In keeping with their clean, minimal branding, each of their meads is named simply according to the flavour. There’s no guesswork involved – you can just find a flavour you like the sound of and get pretty much what it says on the tin. While I do particularly adore the likes of Apothecary Mead & Lancashire Mead Company adorning their bottles with myth and folklore, I can see the struggle in getting those drinks to really permeate the mainstream collective consciousness. Sour Cherry Mead is just as promised on the bottle, and that’s something Nidhoggr do with everything they produce.
A sweet burst of cherry that quickly ascends to a peak of playful sourness – not excessively tart, just enough to really distinguish the cherry/honey notes from one another. At 15% ABV, Nidhoggr‘s mead is among the strongest commercially available options, and it feels like a heavy, hearty drink. The flavours, while simple, are well-balanced and maintain their strength even into the finishing astringence, which departs with a delicate, lingering sweetness. The lightness of the finish almost comes as a surprise in comparison to the initial punch. It’s a warming, substantial beverage with a mouthfeel akin to fruit liqueur – just without the burn (and inevitable hangover).
This mead manages to deliver powerful flavours without being especially rich or cloying. The sweetness is well measured against the slight tart cherry bite, and the delicate aftertaste leaves you feeling refreshed rather than overwhelmed as you could be with a cherry liqueur. An ancient drink for modern tastes, indeed.
Another key part of this mead’s accessibility is versatility – I don’t generally enjoy my mead served long with mixers or other spirits but I did mix some Sour Cherry Mead with lemonade for a cool, more refreshing drink to sip in the evening and it was absolutely delightful, rounding out the sweetness with a splash of citrus like a mead spritzer. The honey adds significantly more depth to both the overall flavour and sweeter notes of any drink, working as a perfect compliment to mixers or fancier cocktails (and Nidhoggr have plenty of ideas for those on their website).
Nidhoggr Mead Co’s Sour Cherry Mead – 4/5
Overall I’d say this one certainly had to grow on me, but the oh-so-slightly sour cherry flavour is really quite moreish after a couple of glasses, and that playful whisper of honey sweetness is excellently executed. A mead for those who want just a touch of honey’s influence on their drink – present enough to taste without overpowering the fruit notes you bought it for. Just as Nidhoggr Mead Co carefully straddle the line between tradition and modernity, so too do they balance simple flavours with great skill.
This is certainly mead borne from a passion for tradition and history, cleverly redefined to suit the tastes and needs of modern drinkers. This particular bottle may not suit those of you who enjoy a more defined honey taste, but for lovers of good red wine or red fruit liqueurs it is a must.
You can get your own bottle of Sour Cherry Mead here.