Tampa’s Garagiste Meadery has announced that they have a little under a year left in business, but that does not mean that they will stop their releases, including barrel-aged meads and crowd favorites.
From Garagiste Meadery:
Meads also nearing extinction include the final bottles of BA Reboog Vitis, CYPM and CYPM Cheesecake. We have less than a case of many of these. In some instances only a single bottle remains.
First up is an award-winning collab we did with Mortalis back in 2021: Barrel Aged Cerberus.
Made with equal parts of blackberries, raspberries and wild, pesticide-free blueberries. Then aged with marshmallow flavors.
Winner of the Gold medal at the National Honey Board Competition.
It’s now spent nearly two years in a freshly emptied bourbon barrel.
It emerges at 17% ABV.
Dark, dark rusty red in color. I get woody notes plus berries and lots of vanilla on the nose. The flavors follow suit. Bold red fruit, woody notes, ethyl vanillin from the bourbon barrel and I feel like the marshmallow presents as a warm, pillowy vanilla. It may be even more present than before it was placed in the barrel.
Barrel Aged Key Lime Pie. A fan favorite; the mead is made using Meadowfoam Honey from the PNW combined with genuine key limes from Florida, vanilla beans and gluten-free graham crackers.
We then aged the mead in a freshly emptied barrel from the Tampa Bay Rum Company. Not just any barrel; we got their coveted reserve rum barrels that won Gold at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition.
Brown in color. I get brown sugar and citrus on the nose. Flavors of key lime are present with a rich caramel undertone. I’m not sure that it evokes Key Lime Pie in a traditional sense anymore. It comes across as a KLP cocktail; which I rather enjoy. More depth and range of flavors after barrel aging.
About Garagiste Meadery
A Garagiste is defined as a small-scale entrepreneurial wine-maker who does not adhere to the traditions of wine making.
Garagiste Meadery started with humble beginnings as home meadmakers in 2015. In early 2016 we decided to make Garagiste Meadery a legitimate business.
Garagiste Meadery would be a full Meadery with a Tasting Room and become our family business. As the Meadery came together we felt the impetus to get better.
Thankfully, some great meadmakers embraced us and helped refine Garagiste Meadery to where we are today.
Come on in, experience mead with us. The exploration continues and we’re thrilled to have you along for the ride.