Inner Sanctum 

1st member bottle 2026

Mead Details

For this first member bottle we came up with a delicious blend. 

We blended our bourbon barrel aged cyser bochet with delicious raspberry mead. The cyser bochet was made with local maple syrup from H&H Sugarbush. The cider we used was from Northern Spy Apples from Northern Michigan. And the honey was caramelized local wildflower honey from right here in Ypsilanti Michigan. 

The yeast we used was QA23

This Cyser bochet was approximately 12 months in a DCD bourbon barrel and 18 months old before we blended it. 

The raspberry mead was made using raspberry concentrate and the yeast we used was RC212. And was approximately 9 months old before we blended it. 

Karl’s tasting notes 

The time has come once again to thank our members within the Final Gravity Society! With the first of four 2026 member’s bottles debuting, the Inner Sanctum is here! Featuring a new take on an old friend and legacy mead of ours, transformed into the mead before me now! It is my pleasure to evaluate this ruby red treasure!

The nose first, as always, promotes and boasts notes of immediate raspberry goodness. This note dominated my initial inhale in a very very good way. I can sense more under it, so allow me to open it up! As I dive in further I can discern deeper fathoms of sweet and spiced flavor below this sea of juicy raspberry. Think I’ll just have to dive in for the full picture!

My first impression? Tart and sweet raspberry-honey nectar. It’s rich, full-bodied like raspberry jam without the density; a smooth velvet of honey and berry dancing for my attention. That’s just the first sip. A robust undertone of sweetness swiftly dominated by raspberry. Sexy and easy to drink and well worth the wait! Enjoy and drink deep!!