醸造家のメモ〈これが決定版 ― そば〉

"This is it" is a low-alcohol sparkling mead made with honey from Myanmar.

I had long wanted to try making a version with a similar profile but using different honey, but I avoided it until I found the right spark because I was worried it would end up feeling like a half-hearted, marketing-driven product.

As I kept gaining experience tasting various honeys, I realized that honeys that are too delicious tend to work better in more full-bodied creations (like barrel-aged meads such as our Shiomead).

Then, Ryo-chan, a close chef friend of mine who is the same age as me, invited me, saying, "Why don't we do a soba and mead event?"
I thought it would be interesting to pair soba noodles with a mead made using buckwheat honey, and that finally gave me the push I needed.

The honey is 100% buckwheat honey from Hokkaido.
Buckwheat honey has an intense aroma—like butterscotch candy, medicated patches, or something animalistic. If you compare it to a wildflower honey, it’s like honey containing goldenrod from the autumn. It’s not the kind of thing you’d clap your hands for and call delicious immediately.

But I had a hunch it might turn out quite well as a mead, so I took a leap of faith.
Regardless, I believe this has become a product where it’s clear that a change in honey results in a completely different flavor.

〈 This is it - soba - 〉

"This is it," made with wildflower honey from Myanmar, is an ANTELOPE staple. This is a version where all of that honey has been replaced with buckwheat honey from Hokkaido.

Buckwheat honey has a strong, assertive aroma reminiscent of smoke, medicated patches, and grilled mandarin oranges. I added some ripe persimmons during fermentation to add a touch of softness. I hope you enjoy the change in flavor brought about by the different honey.

I had hoped it would pair well with soba, and it seems like it would go well with Oroshi Soba (soba topped with grated daikon radish).

〈Static → Dynamic〉

Is it because I've become an adult that I find myself seeking stability? Was it my love for the Myanmar honey, or did I become fearful after learning the depths of brewing?
In any case, I felt as though my pride as a simple mead maker—the core principle of brewing with a variety of honeys—was starting to fade.

I have finally attempted a challenge, shifting from static thinking to dynamic thinking.
This is "This is it" made with buckwheat honey.
I tried using the same label but in a different color, though it doesn't look as different as I thought it would—it might be risky, but I guess it’ll do.

I took on this challenge with the idea of choosing a honey that would produce the most distinct difference possible. It has quite a unique character, so I also fermented it with a small amount of ripe Hamamatsu persimmons, which share a similar aromatic profile.

〈Tasting Note〉
The ABV is 6%. Perhaps it's unique to mead that you can sense a distinct phenolic aroma and a hint of pyridine. It’s like something between a Belgian beer and a wine, with a personality that’s almost reminiscent of Laphroaig. It’s mysterious, but it’s interesting to pair with smoked dishes or pungent fish dishes.

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Style: Traditional Sparkling Mead
ABV: 6%
Carbonation: Yes
Volume: 500ml
Ingredients: Buckwheat honey (from Hokkaido), Persimmon
Sweetness (10-point scale): 7 (Sweet)
Serving Temperature: Well-chilled (4-8°C)
Pairing: Pungent cheeses, smoked foods, cooked fish dishes

〈Mead making〉
Buckwheat honey and water were mixed together and transferred to a fermentation tank. Yeast was added, and it was fermented at 18°C. From the middle of fermentation, fully ripened persimmons, which had been post-ripened at the factory, were added as a puree. After fermentation was complete, the persimmons were removed, and the mead was pasteurized. It was finished with carbonation.