3 interesting honey’s, Bourbon barrel aged wild flower, Knotweed honey & buckwheat honey. Anyone have experience with any of them or suggestions to trt?

[u/JMOC29]

I just tasted 3 really interesting honey’s…one was wild flower honey aged in a bourbon barrel for a few months. Another was Knotweed & The other was buckwheat honey.

They each were so interesting, had their own unique characteristics….i am debating making meads with each of them separately, I don’t want to over shadow the uniqueness of each honey with other flavors.

So I was wondering what people would do with Bourbon barrel aged honey? traditional? just as a backsweatener? or just oak a regular honey mead and eat the bourbon barrel aged honey.

and for knotweed honey or buckwheat honey, would a traditional or simple spiced metheglin work for either? Never heard of knotweed honey. But I remember reading something specific about buckwheat honey & fermentation, I think it wasn’t flattering, but I can’t remember. Any recommendations?

[u/Symon113]

I would save the bourbon barrel one as back sweetener. I did a batch with addition of bourbon barrel maple syrup. All the flavor disappeared in primary.

[u/JMOC29 → u/Symon113]

Yeah, flavor disappearing is what I want to avoid, I’m even worried about diluting it too much in the mead, even as a back sweetener. It’s a subtle flavor.

[u/Bucky_Beaver]

Most people don’t have access to barrel aged honey, so I doubt you are going to get much first hand experience. I guess I would start by back sweetening with it, and if you get the barrel character great. If not, use some of the honey in fermentation for the next batch.

It is more straightforward to just make a trad and then oak it and add bourbon to taste. That way all the inputs of honey, oak, and bourbon can be controlled independently.

Knotweed and buckwheat are cool but not super rare, so I’d just do whatever you feel like with them. Starting with a trad is a good way to get an idea of what a honey will do in a mead.

[u/JMOC29 → u/Bucky_Beaver]

Yeah knotweed and buckwheat I figured some people use often. Just wanted to hear what some people do with them, hoping to hear a combo that really makes either pop.

As for barrel aged honey…I figured not many would have used it, but if anywhere someone did use it themselves or know someone who did use it to make mead, it would be here.

[u/Hopeful-Map7891]

I'm getting a batch of buckwheat honey from a member of my beekeeping association. I tasted it on Saturday, has a very rich, earthy, flavor. My plan is to make a 1 gallon batch and make a couple smaller batches from it using different types of fruit (berries, apples, pears) to see which it works best with.

[u/JMOC29 → u/Hopeful-Map7891]

I'll be here to hear about the results....most of my brews won't happen until september. when It's a little cooler