Last night I was amazed to see my great friend Kurt Demmer had a bottle of cyser (with original label), that I had made back in 1996.

I had only just started my journey into mead making back then, maybe having made several batches of mead.

The journey started in July of 1995, I was at a joint homebrew summer party with the Boston Wort Processors and Brew Free or Die. It was at this meeting where I tried my first mead, a cyser, which was made by Greg Kushmerek, that day ended up changing my life, as I fell completely in love with the unique flavor, and aroma of mead. It was unlike anything I had ever tried, and I was determined to make my own great meads. So I started making mead, all kinds of meads (straight, cyser, pineapple melomel, pyment, metheglin), the list goes on and on, I suspect I have made almost 100 batches of mead over the past 15 years.

A cyser is a mead that's made with honey and apple cider.

In the fall of 1996, I made a cyser which I bottled in champagne bottles. As I recall, I made 30 gallons, as I remember picking up 10 cases of champagne bottles from a club member. I love to share mead with family and friends, as I am always looking to provide that same "wow moment" to others like I had experienced.

I can't recall when I had last had a bottle left in my supply, but I suspect it was all gone by 1998. Years go by and I continued to make more and more mead. I forgot about this cyser I made, it was gone, so I forgot about it, until last night.

Kurt is an amazingly generous best friend, and apparently he's got this amazing collection of beverages that I have made over the past 15 years in his basement, that he continues to impress me with.

As he pulled a bottle out from behind his back, I saw the label, and recalled instantly what it was, I was in awe, and pretty close to speechless, and somewhat nervous (was it going to be horrible, a gusher, I didn't know). Putting my fears aside, we chilled the bottle, as I knew it was carbonated, and would best be served slightly chilled.

With a gentle nudge of the bottle opener the hiss of cO2 released from the bottle, and as I carefully decanted the mead into glasses, I could smell the wonderful apple/honey aroma. I knew I was headed for a rare treat, and that my fears had been exaggerated.

Here's my review:

Aroma, dominate honey characteristics, with a distinctive fresh apple cider note. Quite pleasing and in it's prime, no off aromas, or faults, has aged to perfection. The clarity was a bit off, due to its transportation from Salem to Londonderry, but all in all not bad. The color is a dark straw, with a pettilant level of carbonation, tiny bubbles, no head. The flavor, honey and apples in perfect harmony, I would classify as semi-dry, but leaning towards dry. The apple flavor wasn't tart, or astringent. The flavor finished very clean, and lasted for several minutes. Both Kurt and I were impressed with how well the mead had kept for all these years, it wasn't oxidized, and no faults were detected by either of us. Body was medium. We both agreed it was an incredible treat.

So thank you my great friend, for sharing such a wonderful beverage. Who knew that I would someday be a commercial mead maker, and would get to taste one of my first meads after so many years. Apparently you did my friend, as you held on to such treasures for so long, and had the kindness to share, thank you!!!