Wine Tasting: New World Camelot Mead Honey Wine

     

Wine Name: New World Camelot Mead Honey Wine

Varietal: Mead made from Orange Blossom Honey

Region: Bloomington, Indiana, USA

Vintage Year: 2021

Price: $10

Online Critique: "The first thing I noticed when drinking this wine is that it has a smooth gelish texture as it slides down your throat which differentiates it from other types of wines.  CAMELOT MEAD HONEY WINE also has a nice citrusy taste with a refreshing honey twist to it.  Oliver Winery and Vineyards accomplishes this unique flavoring by only utilizing bee hives that produce honey from orange blossoms.  So you know there is some real craftsmanship and effort put into producing these wines." - 2017 https://www.ageekdaddy.com/2017/05/camelot-mead-honey-wine.html

Wine Folly: Honey wine is not covered in the text. I think that it may be comparable to Muscat Blanc (page 138) based on the book's flavor profile. I tasted the sweetness of honey combined with the floral aroma and flavor of orange blossom. There was a slight acidity as well that I predict may have been from an added citrus --- perhaps lemon. 

My Review: I chose to let my wine chill in the refrigerator over night as it is a light/white colored wine. Before smelling, I set my glass of wine aside to decant for about 10 minutes. I then swirled it, and I smelled the sweetness of honey. I thought that the honey smelled like clover honey, but the label claims that it comes from orange blossoms. I also detected gentle floral aromas, but it was masked by a degree by the scent of alcohol. My friend, who sampled it with me, said that he smelled paint thinner, but I did not agree. Upon tasting, the first thing I noted was the sweetness of it; this surprised me because I thought that honey wine was supposed to be on the dry side. Interestingly enough, I did not taste much honey at all but a fairly strong floral taste. It left a film in my mouth after swallowing and a slightly acidic taste in the back of my throat. In general, it was a very smooth wine. It also had an after taste that I can only describe as graham crackers. I did like the wine, and I feel that it was a great starting point for my wine journey. I would probably buy it again because it was decent tasting for a cheap price. If I were to pair it with a food, I would try a light cheese as it feels too much like desert to pair with a full meal.