Stony Creek Traditional 

16.3% 

Spring 2025 release 

Mead Details 

This was a really fun project for us.  We acquired some delicious honey from our friends at Smokin Barrels Ranch. Right here in Ypsi. Right from their winery. So when I had the opportunity to make some mead with this ultra rare honey, I jumped. And wow did it turn out delightful.  I used VRB Yeast and this mead was just about 1 year old when we bottled it.  

Karl’s tasting notes.

Next up is a lovely new Traditional mead made from more Michigan honey! For some extra fun, I’ve been told very little about this mead; just that it’s local honey from Smokin’ Barrels Ranch. So here we go, I have high hopes!

As always, I start with the nose. A prominent and robust cascade of honey right up front. This is a very different impression than my average experience with, say, local wildflower honey. This is sweet nectar, like a sunflower or a daisy, with nearly a dark fruit leather bolstering from underneath. Opening it up transforms the nose, enhancing the sweetness and giving me notes akin to fruit juice or a floral tea. There’s a woody scent hiding in there too, I’m getting. Honey and juicy fruit.

My first sip surprises me. Sweet, soft, but almost savory? Like a note of sweet bell pepper amongst it all. Going in for more just to clarify. Wood notes with the flavor of capsaicin, without the spice and that essence of sweet peppers. Those are the most striking notes that I get and they make me question myself. More research is needed! Confirming sweet honey nectar with a lightly woody and earthy bell pepper experience. Truly fascinating! Despite my initial confusion, quite tasty and nowhere near as sweet as I would’ve guessed from the nose. An easy sipper with a profile that I could -lovingly- enjoy for hours