Brewer's Note 〈Barrel Aged -Apple Pie-〉

I decided to take on the challenge of making an apple pie-inspired mead using two types of apples from Yamashita Fruit Farm in Nagano.

From the fermentation stage, I used apples as a base, along with cinnamon and cloves—common ingredients for achieving that "pie-like" quality in brewing—and added just a touch of cardamom. Contrary to my expectation that it would smell great, the apple aroma was so overpowering that I added more spices again during the fermentation phase.

This was a major mistake this time around, and it became one of the main reasons why the mead ultimately required long-term aging. In the end, however, that long aging resulted in a wonderful product.

The golden rule of brewing is to always start with a small amount of spice. The reason is simple: you can't take the scent back out.

And since we couldn't remove it, we put it in barrels to age, choosing to ignore reality for a while. Well, as it turns out, time is an amazing thing; it created a liquid that is incredibly rich, with a texture that is simply smooth and luscious, perfectly blended with the apple aromas.

Ah, mead is wonderful. It makes me feel like I’ve discovered something new I didn’t know before. It’s like "deep seeking."

〈Nagano → Yasu〉

The apples used are Bramley and Maypole, both often used in brewing. They are varieties characterized by their acidity, so I used spices to replicate the sweet aroma they release when baked. I really wanted that buttery nuance, so I aged it in bourbon barrels.

Mr. Yamashita of Yamashita Fruit Farm guided me through his orchard so carefully, and I learned the importance of kindness. It was two years ago that I made that day trip to Nagano. This is the product that was born from that journey. It is cloudy, but there is no issue with the quality, so please enjoy it slowly.

It is also excellent served warm.

〈Tasting Note〉
14% ABV. It features a sweet, slightly warm aroma, as if the apples were fully ripened or made into jam. The scents of fruit and spice are perfectly balanced, holding their own against the barrel character. It has a pronounced sweetness and is unfiltered. It is suitable for further aging, but I wanted to release it now, while apples are in season.
Enjoy it warm, or add a splash of rum to warm you up even more.

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Style: Barrel Aged Mead
ABV: 14%
Carbonation: None
Volume: 500ml
Ingredients: Honey (Myanmar), Apples, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom
Sweetness (1-10 scale): 10 (Very Sweet)
Serving Temperature: Room temperature (12-24°C)
Pairing: Rustic bread with nuts, beef stew

〈Mead making〉
The honey and apples were simmered together lightly, and the spices were added. Yeast was pitched, and additional spices were added in the middle of fermentation. After aging in stainless steel, it was transferred to barrels for one year of aging before bottling.