Review: Viking Blod Mead

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do”. Ecclesiastes 9:7

Wherein I write the first review of one of the few forms of alcohol worth drinking: Mead. For those not yet acquainted with this fine beverage, mead, or “honey wine” as it is sometimes (and perhaps, not entirely accurately) called, is an alcoholic beverage, principally made from fermented honey and water (although various fruits, herbs and spices are sometimes added for additional flavoring). Mead is most commonly associated with Northern Europe – particularly the Vikings – although fermented honey drinks have been produced by many different cultures across the world.

Mead seems to have played an especially important role in the early medieval Scandinavian cultures. The Saga of Beowulf mentions Heorot, a “mead-hall” of impressive portions, whose unlucky occupants were slaughtered by the monster Grendel. We can find references in Nordic mythology as well: the halls of Valhalla were supposed to be well-stocked with mead, to sate the thirst of the Gods and victorious warriors during their feasts, and skáldskapar mjaðar (the Mead of Poetry) was a mythical mead that conferred upon the drinker assorted scholastic powers.

Lastly, in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (required reading for any aspiring young Catholic gentleman), the house of the shape-shifter Beorn includes a fine mead hall, where mead and food is served to Bilbo, Gandalf and the Company of Dwarves.

I have sampled a number of meads, but today I will be reviewing what is possibly my all-time favorite, Viking Blod Danish Mead.

Viking Blod:

Gladius Fidelis Rating: 10/10

19% Alc/Vol

Standard Bottle Size: 750ml
Country of origin: Denmark

Importer’s Description: “This artisan metheglin-style Danish mead has hibiscus and hops, which give it a soft, citrus-like flavor and very floral aroma. Its finish is hoppy-dry, spicy, and very warming”.

Made by Dansk Mjød, from Bilund, Denmark. Easily the best mead I have ever had the pleasure to sample, I was introduced to Viking Blod by (appropriately enough) a Danish friend of mine from college. Viking Blod is, to put it simply, superb (no surprises there, as the Scandinavians have been making mead for many hundreds of years) and best enjoyed in small quantities. It has a smooth, honeyed taste, with a delightful finish. The hops and hibiscus are subtle, and are a fine, "organic" addition to the honeyed, quintessential "mead" flavor. It is sweet, but not cloyingly so. There is a very faint “peppery” finish, but (strange as that might sound), it complements the hops/hibiscus finish extremely well. The alcohol content - 19% - is certainly noticeable, but not overpowering, and is perhaps half the proof of some harder drinks, such as vodka or whiskey. It comes in a study, heavy earthenware bottle with an especially attractive label.

 

I recommend drinking it in moderate portions, served in a well-chilled glass, or should you be lucky enough to own one, a Viking drinking horn.