• American Lagers
• Belgian Whites 
• Dubbles and Tripels
• English Ales
• Strong English Ales
• German Beers
• India Pale Ales
• Lambics
• Mixed Styles I
• Mixed Styles II
• Mixed Styles III
• Mixed Styles IV
• Mixed Styles V
• Mystery Styles
  
• Oktoberfests 1999
• Oktoberfests 2000
• Pilseners
• Stouts 
• Strong Beers I
• Strong Beers II
• Strong Beers III
• Strong Beers IV
• Wheat / Golden Beers

• Alpharetta / Cumming, GA
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
  
• Athens, GA
• Atlanta, GA
• Austin, TX 
• Belgium 
• Chicago, IL 
• Fort Collins, CO
• Minneapolis, St. Paul
• Nashville, TN
• New England - RI, NH, ME
• New Orleans, LA 1999
• New Orleans Beer Tour Photos 2001
• New York, NY 
• Philadelphia, PA
• Germany: Munich, Bamberg, Kulmbach, and Berlin 
• Germany: Munich, Kelheim, and Regensburg
  
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Tampa, FL 
• Chimay Trappist 
• Orval Trappist 
• Rochefort Trappist 
• Westvleteren Trappist 
• Westmalle Trappist 


 
 
 
 

For more information on beer and Mead styles and judging, please be sure to visit www.bjcp.org. The Beer Judge Certification Program has information, study materials, and exams that will enable you to become a better homebrewer and even a certified beer judge!

FIRST PLACE Life Force Vandal Gold  Varietal Mead with Wildflower and Buckwheat Honey  Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR www.chateaulorane.com Aroma: Grain, candy, earthy, farm-like aromas.  Slightly sour hint in aroma.  Complex grape/fruit smells. Appearance: Bright, clear, golden in color. Flavor: Buckwheat, rye, earthy/cellar character, oak.  Unusual, but in an interesting way.  Balance of honey and fruit character is nice.  Slight dryness in the finish makes you want another sip.  This is a Mead with a unique, delicious flavor.

SECOND PLACE Chaucer's Mead  Traditional Mead  Bargetto Winery, Soquel, CA www.bargetto.com Aroma: Apples, honey, perfume, spice, flowers, clean/pure honey. Appearance: Clear and light gold in color. Flavor: Sweet with a nice, honey, floral complexity.  This Mead has sugar-like notes with a lemon hint.  This is a smooth, yet complex Mead with beautiful flavors.

THIRD PLACE Macadamia Nut Honey Wine  Varietal Mead with Honey from Macadamia Trees  Volcano Winery, Volcano, HI www.volcanowinery.com Aroma: Light aroma of flowers, alcohol and nuts.  There is an earthy complexity that is nice.  Solvent hints are there, but do no detract. Appearance: Clear and light in color like water. Flavor: Viscous, alcohol, tannin-cranberry undertones.  This is a very smooth Mead with an elegant character.

FIRST HONORABLE MENTION
Life Force Huckleberry Mead 
Varietal Mead with Honey from Huckleberry Plants 
Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR
www.chateaulorane.com
Aroma: Fruit, berry, and honey.  There is a mild, subtle, cherry-like character.  Very nice.
Appearance: Glowing red -- clear with ruby hints.
Flavor: Sweetness is very nice.  Alcohol and berry flavors are up front.  There are also notes of vanilla.  This is a delicious and elegant Mead.

SECOND HONORABLE MENTION
Raspberry Melomel 
Fruit Melomel (Mead with Fruit Added) 
Kenco Farms, Sutton, WV
ph: 304-765-7980 
Aroma: Sweet raspberries and alcohol.  Solvent hints.  Slightly perfumy with aromas of soda pop.
Appearance: Light pink color with a clear/brilliant appearance.
Flavor: Dry finish.  This Mead is slightly tart with some earthy/cellar notes that are quite interesting.  The berry tartness is pleasant.  Body is perhaps a bit thin -- a touch more fruit and honey would be appealing.  Overall, a very fruity, refreshing, dry Melomel.

Sky River Dry Mead 
Traditional Mead 
Sky River Meadery, Sultan, WA
www.skyriverbrewing.com 
Aroma: Nice aroma of citrus and lemon.
Appearance: Very pale with a light straw color and hint of tiny bubbles.
Flavor: Citrus notes up front with honey flavors at the finish.  Apple-like undertones are pleasant with honey flavors being dominant.  Tastes semi-sweet rather than very dry.

Mead 
Traditional Mead 
Kenco Farms, Sutton, WV
ph: 304-765-7980 
Aroma: Hints of plastic and phenol.  Smells of something that is a bit burnt.  Vanilla notes.
Appearance: Almost clear and very light in color.
Flavor: Honey flavors impaired somewhat by phenols (band-aid).  There is a nice mouthfeel and a semi-sweet flavor.  This has a good, almost cotton candy/sugar quality to the flavor.

Sky River Sweet Mead 
Traditional Mead 
Sky River Meadery, Sultan, WA
www.skyriverbrewing.com 
Aroma: Nice honey with hints of spice.  Hints of herbal/grassy aromas.
Appearance: Light straw color that is very clear.
Flavor: Sweet with an alcohol warmness.  There are also citrus notes.  This is a clean, tasty dessert wine that is very pleasant, but not very complex.

Seyval Mead 
Pyment (Seyval Wine with 10% Honey in this case) 
Kirkwood Winery, Summerville, WV
ph: 304-872-7332
Aroma: Butter, sherry, cinnamon, muscat grapes, madeira, honey.
Appearance: Clear with a medium/dark gold color.
Flavor: Short flavor of herbal, sherry quality.  There is very little finish.  This could be an old bottle because it also has hints of paper and vermouth.

Peach Melomel 
Fruit Melomel (Mead with Fruit Added) 
Kenco Farms, Sutton, WV
ph: 304-765-7980 
Aroma: Wild grapes with cellar/earthy hints.
Appearance: Clear with a pretty yellow/straw color and nice glow.
Flavor: Very dry with a tart character.  The peach flavors are hidden in the deep background.  This would be a fine Melomel if it had more fresh peach flavor and a bit more body and sweetness.

Life Force Marionberry Mead 
Fruit Melomel (Mead with Fruit Added) 
Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR
www.chateaulorane.com
Aroma: Candy, sugar, and apples.  Smells a bit artificial.
Appearance: Deep red with a dark cranberry/garnet color.
Flavor: Spicy berry with hints of cherry pits, almond, and amaretto.  Not extremely sweet -- a bit light in body and sweetness.  Almost a bit bitter.  A very interesting Mead.

Desi's Wildflower Sparkling Mead 
Varietal Honey Mead 
Desi's Dew Meadery, Rougemont, NC
ph: 919-732-2808
Aroma: Interesting aromas of anise, honey, carbon dioxide, and bananas.
Appearance: Light golden in color.  Carbonation is perfect.  Very attractive.
Flavor: Very dry with sherry hints.  Interesting flavors of spices.  This has a light, fun flavor and would be a great aperitif.  Not very astringent -- the sparkling character provides a good balance.  A bit dry and bitter.

Mead Harbor Captain's Reserve 
Varietal Honey Mead with Tupelo Honey 
T & A Vintners, Howell, MI
www.tavintners.com
Aroma: Spicy, apple strudel character.  Smells of fruit, dough, and applesauce.
Appearance: CAUTION -- This bottle was very over-carbonated and gushed with some force when opened.  Clear in color and very fizzy.  This is not supposed to be a sparkling Mead (we thought).
Flavor: Cotton candy, medicinal, toasty, applesauce hints.  Very dry from secondary fermentation in the bottle.  Very over-attenuated.

Life Force Mead 
Varietal Mead with Wildflower Honey 
Chateau Lorane, Lorane, OR
www.chateaulorane.com
Aroma: Moderate honey aroma that is nice.  There are hints of phenols, however.  Rubber/plastic notes in aroma.
Appearance: Hint of haze with a nice, light golden color.
Flavor: Nutty with a sweet, big mouthfeel.  Unfortunately there are also undertones of rubber, plastic, and medicine.  Alcohol warmth is good.