Other Black Raspberry Merlot Pyment

I've gotten a wild hair and have decided to try to make a pyment. I've never tasted mead or pyment, and have been curious, so when I ran across George's recipe this weekend I decided to give it a try.
I've ordered an Island Mist Black Raspberry Merlot Wine Kit, and plan to follow these instructions (straight from finevinewines.com):
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Pick any of the Island Mist, Summer Breeze or Ochard Breezin' wine kits.
Start the wine kit as usual by adding the bentonite and concentrate.
Then when you would add enough water to bring the kit to 6 gallons, add 6 pounds of honey, first, then top off with water.
Add your yeast and let it go to work.

Follow the rest of the kit instructions and you will have made a Pyment.
By adding the honey in the beginning, you will be raising the alcohol by 6%, so instead of 6-7% alcohol, your Pyment will have 12-13% alcohol. As a general rule, 1 pound of sugar will raise the alcohol level by 1% in a 6-gallon batch.
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I ordered some American Oak Medium Plus Toast spirals and am considering adding them to the pyment, but wonder what affect it will have and if the flavors will clash.

Anyway, it should be fun!
Has anyone else here tried this combination?
Nell

First Mead/Pyment started!

My first pyment is underway!
I used local blackberry honey. The recipe called for 6 lbs of honey, but once I'd put everything together my SG was only 1.076/20 Brix. An experienced winemaking friend says he starts everything at 23 brix for a good final 12-13, so I added the rest of the honey in my house, another 1.5 lbs. It only raised it to 1.080. That's all I've got, so that's what I'll go with!

After primary fermentation I plan to split the batch into 2 three gallon carboys and add one American oak spiral to one of them. I don't have a good idea of oaked versus unoaked flavor, so this will be a way to learn.

Well, I guess I should split the batch after all the additives have been added and I've degassed.

How did it turn out? I have a pyment going right now in secondary. 6 lbs of Concord grapes, 2.5 lbs of farmer's market honey (not sure what type). 1 gallon batch.