DEEPSEEK - kiwi-

In this day and age, I shouldn't say this too loudly, but I have a certain admiration for what we used to call "manliness." What I mean is that I seek out romance. I believe alcohol is romance itself, and I feel something indescribable in barrel aging in particular.

We have created a line of barrel-aged products called DEEPSEEK. This lineup was launched with the desire to continue pursuing the character of honey inherent in mead, combined with the complexity gained through barrel aging, and we use bourbon barrels for this process. We are releasing three types of DEEPSEEK this time, and one of them is this DEEPSEEK-kiwi-.

The green, herbaceous scent of the kiwi gradually escapes through the gaps in the barrel, leaving behind a finish with acidity and a fragrance reminiscent of the core of a kiwi, along with the sweet aroma derived from the barrel. It seems complex, but the flavor is relatively simple, so it goes perfectly with fermented foods.

〈Yasu→World〉

There is a meadery we deeply respect and love: Superstition Meadery in Arizona, USA. I visited there last month and was able to drink many of their barrel-aged meads. While feeling overwhelmed by their meads, which have won top honors in mead competitions time and again, I found myself strongly wishing that "we, too, could reach that level."

This DEEPSEEK-kiwi- we made isn't very "mead-like," and I get the impression that kiwi is often used in combination with other fruits. Even so, the fastest way to learn is to use it on its own first, so we released it with a simple recipe this time.

Okada-kun, who works with me, tried pairing it with homemade sauerkraut, and it was apparently wonderful. I think it also goes well with ice cream, and I feel that pairing it with breakfast breads like a panini might be acceptable—at least on holidays.

〈Tasting Note〉

A sweet mead aged for six months in bourbon barrels was blended with plenty of NZ kiwi and aged further.

There is also a batch from the same period that we added strawberries to, so it’s great to compare the two. The slightly green aroma and acidity of the kiwi mingle with the vanilla notes of the bourbon barrel, giving it a tart-like character. It pairs perfectly with acidic pickles or sauerkraut.

Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Fruited Mead

ABV: 13%

Carbonation: None

Volume: 500ml

Ingredients: Pure honey, kiwi

Sweetness (10-point scale): 10 (Very Sweet)

Serving temperature: Room temperature (14-20℃)

Storage: Keep in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight

〈Mead making〉

All of the DEEPSEEK series we are releasing this time share the same base mead. We make a must (the liquid before fermentation) that has more honey than water and ferment it slowly. It seems that overseas, they use a variety of techniques to finish fermentation in a week, and while it's not that we couldn't do the same, we still believe in the school of thought that slow fermentation produces a better result, so that is the approach we have adopted.

Regardless, we added fresh kiwi, which we puréed ourselves, to the mead before primary fermentation was completely finished, and put it directly into bourbon barrels to age.

As it aged, the "kiwi-ness" gradually settled down, and by the final stages of aging, it felt as if only the soul of the kiwi remained. Yet, there was still a solid core. It really is a mysterious fruit.

This is a limited release of 200 bottles. Get yours soon!