Java Plum Blossom

Early Fall 2025

15%

Mead Details

This mead was made using Hawaiian Java Plum Blossom honey. 

The yeast we used was QA23. 

This mead was about 10 months old before bottling. 

Karl’s tasting notes

This time in our Hawaiian honey Traditionals lineup is the Java Plum Blossom honey! Another on the list of previously unknown plant species from Hawaii and beyond for me to give an opinion on! Java Plum is a Southeast Asian native species of evergreens that produces a plum-like fruit. This Hawaiian variant is particularly reminiscent of coffee bean cherries, which makes me wonder about the origin of its name. The flower blossoms from which the nectar for this mead was collected, however, are truly unique; they appear to be a cross between a sea anemone and a mushroom. It’s a remarkable sight—I highly recommend looking it up.

Okay, I was joking about the sea anemone thing, but my first impression on the nose reminded me of the ocean. What?? More research required… There’s no mistake. This mead has a scent akin to ocean flora still damp from the sea, in a rather flattering way. This unusual scent blends richly with a sweet, dry grass and gentle tropical flower notes. The more I dive in, I get a lush fruit skin scent that’s lovely. This is one of the most fascinating scents from a mead I’ve ever smelled. It’s a flawless and beautiful nose that builds its own story, like the smell of wild flowers hugging the sandy edges of a seaside beach.

The taste is a delicious and rich honey forward with a fruit leather molasses impression on the first sip. Deep notes of fruit, leaning plum, peach, and other stone fruits. The bite of alcohol comes through enough to remind me of a sherry or a semi-sweet port. The honey brings me back to mead; this is unmistakably a Traditional. That note of caramel and/or molasses is still there, blending with the earthier notes under the fruity honey. Yes. I’m firm with my opinion that this mead shares some traits with a fruity sherry-aged bourbon in its own way. I’m impressed.