Time In A Bottle 

Winter 2026

Final Gravity Society Members Bottle Release 

4th club bottle 

14% abv

Mead Details 

This was a fun one.  TK came to the tasting room and we made a delicious mead together. This was a collaborative effort and man I tell you TK really knocked this one out of the park. 

He came up with this recipe concept. He wanted to use specifically Indiana Clover honey because of the profile he was creating.  Also some Northern Michigan Montmorency Cherries. Which we whipped up that night. After about 4 months we added to a freshly dumped Detroit City Distillery Bourbon barrel. Where it laid to rest for just over a year. 

After that we added Almonds and Vanilla Beans and let that mellow for almost another year before the release.  

For a total of almost 28 months before this mead hits your face.

The yeast TK chose was 71B

Karl’s tasting notes 

Time in a Bottle

Finally, it’s time. The last of four Final Gravity Society Member’s bottles is upon us, just in time for Year’s End. Where does all of the time go? INTO THIS MEAD I GUESS! (I’ll stop now). We have a special treat as we welcome a new year of Maniacal soon. Time in a Bottle is an ancient mead that was made in collaboration with a good friend of ours (iykyk); a cherry treat that’s been hiding in Maniacal for literal years now. It’s finally time -one more, had to- to bring this one into the light and make it a holiday treat!

The nose smells nostalgic for me. Like a candied fruit that my German grandmother might’ve put onto a Christmas pastry. It’s that not-so-sweet but still sweet kind of first impression. Sugar isnt doing the work, but the fructose in the fruit is with only a lick of assistance. This mead’s nose slams me with that. Under that cherry is wholeheartedly almond too. I’ve got it! This mead smells like my Oma’s vanillekipferl (look it up) with a cherry sauce. Considering she only made vanillekipferl for Christmas, I’m certainly getting the correct vibe so far! Wow!

The first sip is more fruitcake than vanilla-almond cookie, but I’m still immediately in the mood for cookies! The cherry rolls over with the honey first, like a substantial fruit sauce. Following and backed by a sweet and full vanilla sweetness and the almond sneaking in to say hello under it all. This mead is very special. Doubtful many will relate to this emotional nostalgia journey I just went on! However, I’m certain that many will share my sentiments on this mead’s quality! Frohe Feiertage an alle! Tschüss!