At some point in our long history, one ancient hunter-gatherer or another happened upon the sacred trinity of honey, water and wild yeast. Was it an upturned beehive full of rainwater, or a pot of honey left open to the elements? We may never know, such is the ancient, venerable and vague history of mead. It is a drink held high in spiritual regard, in respect for tradition, and often inseparable from the indeterminate realm where Nordic history, mythology and pop culture all overlap.
Nidhoggr Mead Co‘s mission is to bring mead to the masses, by stripping away its previously inaccessible, potentially complex nature and presenting it in a simple and clean manner. Every bottle does what it says on the label, be that the tart Sour Cherry or the wonderfully sweet and earthy Blueberry & Blackcurrant. Where that approach gets a little less precise is in this bottle, simply called ‘Traditional.’ It doesn’t take much imagination to reach the conclusion that this is ‘just’ mead – honey, water, yeast and time. And yet there’s so much potential variety within that four letter word alone.
You’ve got traditional meads made with different honey, different amounts of honey. You’ve got traditional meads that aren’t actually mead but fortified wines with the word ‘mead’ stuck on the label. My point – when I eventually get around to making it – is that Nidhoggr‘s simplest flavour contains a world of possibilities. The only guarantee is that it will taste like some variety of honey.
Nidhoggr Mead Co’s Traditional Mead –
It was particularly interesting sampling this mead after the prior Sour Cherry and Blueberry & Blackcurrant, as they were characterised so intensively by their fruity flavours. While the honey notes were present in varying levels it really just formed the trademark lingering sweetness I’ve come to associate with Nidhoggr, so I was curious to see how their mead fared without the addition of fruit.
Traditional Mead has a robust, classic honey aroma – not a particularly deep or layered smell but a very pleasant and alluring one, a honeyed breeze with delicate floral undertones. Simply describing this mead’s taste as ‘honey’ doesn’t really do it justice – there’s a fantastic balance of sweetness here that allows the honey to exhibit some real depth. Within a smooth sip of Traditional Mead there are hints of creamy vanilla and light toffee, with a delicate floral sparkle that leans into the gentlest suggestion of apple.
Those notes are all contributed purely by the honey itself, measured with that delicate sweetness that serves to accentuate and lift those natural flavours up into the limelight. This traditional mead would be a perfect match for drinkers who enjoy white wine or similar refreshments, equally delicious by itself or in a longer drink. This mead is the perfect match for many a cocktail.
Nidhoggr Mead Co: Traditional Mead – 4/5
A pure and deep traditional mead that gets sweetness just right. It’s not cloying or syrupy, giving every natural note of flavour the honey has to offer a chance to shine. For a relatively simple drink (in terms of ingredients) it has a lot of nuance, whilst still being versatile enough to enjoy in a wide variety of serving styles.
This is Nidhoggr Mead Co‘s strength. Straightforward mead that tastes great and offers enough versatility to have mass appeal. Is it as multi-faceted and complex as some of the meads I have loved before? No. But those drinks aren’t to everyone’s taste, and if mead stands a chance of making a proper comeback it’s going to need something as sturdy and simple as this.
You can get your own bottle of Nidhoggr’s Traditional Mead here.