I am a huge fan of Mead. Not many people are familiar with that mead actually is, or that it has been around for centuries. It dates back all the way to Ancient Greece long before what we know as beer and wine. So what is mead? It is fermented honey that can be blended with fruits and spices.
To my surprise there is place in Ybor City that makes their own mead – Cigar City Cider & Mead. I could not wait to check them out.
They have a huge selection of meads, ciders, and craft beers. They have chalkboards on the wall that lists everything they have available. You can tell which ones are ciders because they have apples on the sign. The meads are noted with a bee.
Cigar City offers meads in flights so I was able to taste a few of them. I went for the following three:
(1) Braggot – 8% ABV
(2) Blind Eye – 7.5% ABV
(3) San Juan Hall – 11% ABV
The Bragott was not sweet like I was expecting. It was thicker in texture but smooth. It went down easy. By the third sip I tasted the coconut that was blended in.
The Blind Eye was very sweet. This one was light in texture. I could really taste the wild flower that was in it.
The San Juan had the highest alcohol content. When I sniffed it, I could smell the hint of pepper. By the second sip the taste got spicier. As I continued drinking, the after-taste became sweeter.
It was a really fun afternoon visit. I would definitely go back not only to try additional meads but to also take one of their tours of the facility.
To plan your visit, go to their website at http://www.cigarcitycider.com/
Enjoy!
T
