It highlights the nuances between different postcodes, and the contrasts of urban (a wide variety of nutrients) against rural (bigger areas with just one or two crops). Wine says that a vineyard's 'terroir' soil, altitude, weather etc, has a major impact on flavour.
But as honey's flavour derives from each flower or bush or tree, this gives mead fanciers the opportunity for terroir on steroids. The sweet shop flavours of Oxfordshire honey; the lighter more perfumed flavours of Bishops Stortford; and the more consistent flavours of E15 and W5.
Says Tom Gosnell: “Brewing these four Postcode Meads has demonstrated the awe-inspiring brilliance of the bee, and the differences in flavour between urban and rural honeys.
"It's my belief we have demonstrated both the terroir of each location and the nectars they contain. The flora available, on which the bees foraged, created significant nuances in all four of the meads."
He went on to explain: "While rural apiaries often gather a springtime honey harvest from agricultural crops with a summer harvest in addition, urban apiaries tend to have only a single summer harvest.
"Urban apiaries can benefit from a wider variety of nutrients from their parks, municipal plantings, allotments and residential gardens, while rural apiaries exposed to modern monoculture farming can experience extremes of feast and famine, and limited alternative forage. However pollinators are in steep decline as the variety and accessibility of flowers on which they can forage has decreased with the use of pesticides and herbicides, though hopefully this may now change.
The four 50cl bottles with sample pots of their relevant honeys and an elegantly penned brochure are available at £39 from www.gosnells.co.uk.
These are ideal for Christmas gifts for the Mead and honey lovers in your life. Or for a nifty example of self-gifting? You decide! Or why not buy for others and for yourself?
Tom Gosnell developed the recipe for his sparkling classic Gosnells of London 5.5% in 2013. His aim was to take mead away from its dark colour, strong sweet flavours and high strength past. He did this by creating a mead which was much lower in alcohol (5.5%) and with characteristics closer to an elegant white wine. Using honey from Spanish Orange groves as its base, along with a zesty yeast, gave Gosnells of London a light, crisp citrus flavour. It is made from just honey, water and time. It contains no added sugar, sulphites, artificial flavours or colourings.
Gosnells of London has the elegance of a Chardonnay-rich sparkling wine. It is gluten free, and best served chilled in Champagne flutes or tall white wine glasses.
Founder Tom Gosnell, London's only mead maker, goes on to say: “'Gosnells of London' is gluten free and just 5.5% against the 12% of most sparkling wines. Just think how many people would prefer that gentler flavour profile and lower alcohol levels of meads at Christmas. And there is so much subtlety in the flavours produced by those under-appreciated bees.
"Our five brightly coloured 4% abv canned meads, including our new Wildflower Mead, are all flying. They are purposefully modern and challenge old perceptions that mead needs to be high in alcohol and conservative. But for Christmas we feel that our original bottled mead's time has come. We're aiming to build on its earlier success to drive sales in the UK and abroad”
Gosnells of London benefits from a consistent flavour profile, combining elements of tart sourdough bread, a smooth richness and an edge of gentle orange. This is a perfect gift for Christmas, and it will make a great replacement for Champagne or Prosecco, and with the Xmas meal. It is ace with all manner of cheeses, and with that turkey, fish, and especially smoked salmon.
The gently sparkling 5.5% ABV mead will be available in a smart gift box, the 75cl bottle retailing at £12.50 a bottle from https://www.gosnells.co.uk. This natural product has already been dubbed Peckham's answer to Prosecco – by its SE15 fans.
