Two weeks before the Christmas holidays of 2009 I set out to create non traditional mead. While the concoction I brewed is not technically considered mead (it’s actually an agave pulgue) its flavor profile and composition are so similar that I like to consider it within the same category. The difference of course being that I used unrefined blue agave nectar as my base sugar as opposed to a traditional honey base. Once this base completely fermented using standard bread yeast, I added 2 lbs of honey, 10 lbs of wild dark plums in sugar base and an additional dose of fresh yeast. Secondary fermentation continued for two months with a resulting alcohol ABV of around 9%. The addition of the plums really changed the flavor profile of this drink. The agave nectar on its own produced a slightly bready but very smooth and subtle beverage. This beverage was much less harsh at 1 month than meads tend to be. The plums significantly acidified the drink so in order to balance out the tart profile I added .75lbs of un-fermentable sugars. The resulting beverage at 4 months is pale to pinkish in color, sweet but not cloying, and sips like a tart Belgian lambic without the funk. It is defiantly a sipper, not a session brew. The vanilla stick is unnoticeable if present. The lighter alcohol compared to mead will make this a pleasant evening drink during the warmer summer months should it last that long in the keg. It serves best cold.
If I was going to brew this recipe again, I would avoid the plums altogether and add a dose or two more of honey, in order to raise the abv. I would let this ferment to dryness and serve as a champagne. I’m coming to learn that my personal preference is on the dryer side.
Grain Bill
Plum Wine Agave Base
- 9lb dark agave syrup
- 2 lb dark honey
- 5 cans of plums in heavy syrup and 1 large package of prunes (Around 1-2 lbs dextrose sugar syrup)
- .5 gallons pale ale base (1lb grain)
- Standard bread yeast – primary fermentation
- Champaign yeast – secondary
- .75 lb lactose sugar
- ½ stick of vanilla bean for aroma