A month of tastings

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vcasey

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This month I've decided to tasted a different wine/mead every day. I'll try and post here because this way I can cheat and not have to try and find the original thread because its most likely buried somewhere since a lot of these are a few years old.

Today I'll post 2. One from last night and one from today (yes I know what time it is).

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Day 1 Fall's Bounty Cyser - Still young tasting, nice amount of spices, makes an outstanding mulling wine.

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Day 2 Pear's Harvest - Younger then the Fall's Bounty but already tasting so much better. I am seriously considering using pear juice in all my cysers instead of apple juice. I've made a couple recipes side by side with the only difference being the juice and I've liked the apple but love the pear.

On a side note because I'm mulling the pear right now my whole house smells wonderful.
 
Vcasey, you must have quite an assortment of meads to be able to taste one a day for a month!!! Would you also note how old each mead is??? I know I would like to know maybe others would too!!

BOB
 
Ok, I guess you did with the labels..... MY BAD...
 
Day 3 Cranberry wine and a Cranberry Cyser

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I found this wine buried on one of our wine racks. Found 2 bottles and after tasting I have none left. My notes from a couple of years ago show that I liked this at one time, but both bottles were done and not in a good way.

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Because the wine was so disappointing I went on a search for a Cranberry Cyser that was made at the same time. This one is really nice, my notes on this one say that it was tart at one time but no more. I used Orange Blossom Honey and back sweetened with maple syrup. Will be enjoying this while watching the game.
 
Bummer about the wine going south. I just had to pop and dump about 23 bottles of a fruit batch thats was 5 1/2 years old. It was a crab apple wine and it was delish at one time but not any more. These bottles were made when my basement was leaking liking crazy and were stored in a fridge for some time and then not and also had inferior corks so they really went through hell with temp changes being pretty drastic. At least the labels came off really easy though.
 
23 bottles! I only lost 2 so really not that bad, although I do have 4 bottles of a 2009 cranberry wine to taste soon and a rather large list of others, which is why I came up with this idea.

Bob, the dates on the labels are the year the wine was made, when it was bottled is another story.
 
Day 4 CC Showcase Amarone

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This wine is ok, not bad just after the MM Ren Amarone and all the positive feedback I expected a lot more. I think what it's missing is the raisins, I'm not picking up on any on the taste and that was part of the profile I enjoyed so much with the other.
 
Day 5 Apple Ice Cider

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Well it sounded like a good idea. Reduce apple cider by freezing, thawing half and repeat. Oh well maybe I'll try again another time. And this is why on some of my crazy ideas I only make a gallon. The good news is I know have 5 clean bottles ready for filling.
 
Does sound good and it is a great label. Was it too sweet or whats the deal with it?
 
Wade I think this is just my tastes more then anything else, but it seems to taste even more raw or like a new wine then when it was bottled. Could it have been the freezing and thawing process? Maybe I'll try just reducing it on the stove next time. I'll be recycling that label at one point.
 
Day 6 Traditional Tupelo Mead and Sweet Tupelo Mead

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You folks get 2 today because I bottled a couple from last years National Mead Day. The first is a traditional mead and with tupelo honey, water and 71B yeast. It tasted young but has a really nice honey aroma and the flavor does come through.

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The second is the sweet tupelo mead made almost the same except I used some light DME and kept adding honey until the yeast gave up. Then I added some sweet orange peel and it sat on some brandy soaked oak for a bit.
 
This is such a neat thread but I am so jealous. I have enough ready to drink wine that I could do this for less than a week. Can't wait for tomorrow. Living vicariously through you vcasey.
 
Is there a Blueberry his in there somewhere awaiting tasting?
 
Waldo I think I can do a weeks worth on Blueberry variations alone and yes a blueberry wine is in the mix, along with another experiment using blueberries.

I think I could manage around 2 months as well Wade. We don't drink a whole lot either so I tend to make more 1 gallon batches just for variety and if we really love something I'll make a larger batch.
 
Day 7 Orange Chocolate Port

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It's cold, windy and rainy out tonight and I thought a port would be nice to sip on this evening. The OCP has remained one of my favorites and is always a treat. This particular wine is very popular among friends and family who have requested (demanded) that we never run out. So as long as this kit is made I'm safe.
 
Oh man, thats probably the only RJS kit I didnt like and like a fool I made a dble batch when I did it as I love chocolate covered orange peels.
 
I know Wade and I was thinking about that as I was posting. I had not planned on this one today but the weather is perfect for a port and the bottle was just sitting on the bar.
 

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