Imperial Funky Monky

Maker: B.Nektar, Ferndale, Michigan, USA

Style: Cherry Melomel

ABV: 12%

Notes: Hopped

Appearance: Fizzy burgundy.

Nose: Honey, cherry, not much else.

On the palate: Medium-bodied, lighter than expected. Quite sweet. Lots of cherry, with the cherry’s tartness balanced off by the bitter notes from the honey. Honey also adds sweetness, of course and there’s lots and lots of it in here. Also a bit of a concord grape juice taste.

Finish: Sweet, not much else.

Parting words: This stuff is supposed to be hopped, but for the life of me I can’t find hops anywhere in the mix. To call Funky Monky one-dimensional would be wrong, but it’s not very complex either. Just a lot of cherry with a bit o’ honey. I think they were going for something like a cherry lambic (called a Kriek), given the monk angle. It works as a fun, funky warm-weather dessert wine and it’s priced like one. I just wish there was more going on. Imperial Funky Monky is mildly recommended.

B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead

Maker: B. Nektar, Ferndale, Michigan, USA

ABV: 12-14%

Appearance: Bright gold

Nose: Sweet, orange peel, lemon, orange blossom.

On the palate: Full-bodied, sweet. Orange blossoms (duh), lavender, tarragon, bay.

Finish: A bit of fruit, then a long, clingy, honeyed bitterness.

Parting words: This one is slightly different from the wildflower mead, but I don’t think I would do well in a Pepsi challenge situation. This bottle has been open for a while, but I haven’t detected much, if any, change in the flavors or aromas. This would support the bottle’s assertion that it ages well. Maybe I’ll buy another bottle to lay down to test that hypothesis. At any rate, this is a well-crafted, well-balanced, straight-ahead Orange Blossom Mead. Recommended.

B. Nektar Wildflower Mead

Maker: B. Nektar, Ferndale, Michigan, USA

Varietal: Wildflower

ABV: 14%

Appearance: Pale straw, like young chardonnay.

Nose: Honey (duh), pear, wild herbs, sweet hay.

On the palate: Full-bodied, lightly sweet, Riesling-like with a bit of citrus, but still lots of wildflower honey character, especially as the glass warms.

Finish: Lightly bittersweet and clingy. Slowly fades to a pleasant sweetness.

Parting words:  I’ve long been eager to review B. Nektar’s Wildflower mead if for no other reason than to establish a baseline for tasting their other, funkier, offerings, and also becuase the meadery is about 2 1/2 miles from my house. It doesn’t disappoint. It’s more elegant and delicate than Oliver’s Camelot mead, but still delivers plenty of varietal character as I said above. It’s a good deal more expensive than Camelot, but Camelot is probably underpriced and B. Nektar’s wildflower honey is better so it all evens out. This is mead to be savored, not slammed. Recommended.

Camelot Mead

Maker: Oliver Winery, Bloomington, Indiana, USA

ABV: 11%

Appearance: Light straw, like a chardonnay.

Nose: Honey (duh), apples, citrus blossoms.

On the palate: medium bodied, big sweetness, fruit juice, more floral notes, followed by a slightly bitter honey flavor.

Finish: Pretty light. The fruity sweetness lingers in the cheeks and frankly makes my teeth hurt a little.

Parting Words: Camelot is a good beginner’s mead. In fact, it was one of the first products ever produced by Oliver Winery when it began nearly forty years ago. It’s light and sweet, not too bitter, but still has a decent amount of honey character. Works well on its own or as a dessert wine. Not life-changing, but at under $10, it’s hard to complain too much. Recommended.