B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead

I purchased the B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead in February 2013. The label looked different than the other B. Nektar mead I have had in the past, sporting a black background instead of white. It seems the description has also changed. The website describes the mead:

Our orange blossom mead is made from the honey of orange and other citrus trees, and is aged on American oak. The flavor and bouquet will transport you to warm climates, where citrus groves stretch on for miles and miles. This mead will continue to mature wonderfully in your cellar.

Yet, the bottle states:

In this traditional mead, we celebrate the bees from tropical climates. Taking a sip, we can imagine the journey each bee takes as it flys from tree to tree, pollinating the orange blossoms. Semi-sweet with a subtle acidity and hints of bitter orange peel. Ages well. Serve chilled.

I guess it must have been a recent switch in packaging, and that the site is static html (I can help you out with that brad!). Nevertheless, back to the mead… It poured a very clear, very pale yellow with a slight haze. It had a sweet floral aroma with the orange blossom shining through. The orange blossom was present in the first sip as well.  It had a little thicker mouthfeel than the color would suggest. It’s sweet, smooth and at 12.5% the alcohol was not very prominent.

A reviewer on ratebeer.com, mentioned “candy cigarette” taste, which I thought was quite creative and surprisingly accurate. I’m not sure of the specific time I had one, but I can definitely recall the distinct flavor. I definitely got a little bit of that taste on the palette. For a semi-sweet mead, it’s a little more on the sweet side. It’s simple, which is a good thing. It exhibits the orange blossom honey very nicely.

Not a big fan of the blue bottle – it really doesn’t make me think “orange blossom mead.” The black of the label struggles to smoothly transition to the blue of the bottle. I do however really like the little sweet/dry gauge on the side of the bottle. It’s a cool way to help the uninformed consumer decide on the type of mead they want to purchase. Hopefully they are at the store choosing from a wide range of mead types from a spectrum of meaderies. If you pick B. Nektar Orange Blossom Mead, you really won’t be disappointed. It’s a fine libation.