Port style mead

[Anthony]

I'd been kicking around an idea for a blueberry melomel fortified with 90 proof blueberry brandy.

Today I started thinking, rather then making a melomel then adding brandy to the finished, why not make a true port style mead.

Something sweet, between 18% - 20% abv, that would go well with chocolate.

Here's what I'm thinking;

9 lb clover honey
9 lb blueberries
1 lb brown sugar
water to make 3 gallon
1 t. pectin enzym
1 t. superfood +
K1-V yeast

90 proof blueberry brandy;
5 bottles = 18% abv
7 bottles = 20% abv

? oz ? toast ? oak cubes

Put 1 gal. water on to boil, place fruit in straining bag and mash in primary, stir sugar into boiling water then pour over blueberries. When must is room temp. remove bag and blend in honey, pectin enzym and superfood. Return fruit to primary and add water to make 3 gallons before pitching yeast.

Must should have a potential around 18% abv.

When abv reaches 9%, remove straining bag and hang fruit over primary to drain, allow to settle before racking off the less, over 5 - 7 bottles blueberry brandy and oak cubes in a 5 gal. carboy. Age for ? months/years.

Any thoughts?

Anthony

[Ben Brewcat]

Sounds yummy; 9% residual honey/sugar sweetness, plus sugars from the blueberries, will be very sweet. Also I tend to oak (when I oak at all) only after a mead has had a chance to age into a semblance of it's mature flavor to 1) make sure I want to oak it at all and 2) so I can ballpark what kind of and how much to oak. Though oaking early for a mead that you know you'll lay down for a while lets you go a little bigger; the oak will fade and mellow somewhat and you can always add more if it needs it.

Sounds fun!

[Anthony]

Hey Ben,

A normal port would be stopped when the wine hit half of the 12% oential, letting a mead with an 18% potentail go until it hit 12% would be ballanced, sweetness wise the same. That may be a better way to go.

Anthony

[Anthony]

Yo Ben,

This came to me after posting the last responce.
Port wine is aged in oak cask after teh fermentation has been stopped with spirits. Thats why I was thinking to oak this"Port" mead from the start.

Anthony