Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Can’t remember the vintage, but it was 2004 or 2005, most likely. Bottle shared at the brewery on 4/7/06
A lightly viscous, minimally hazed, light straw yellow with almost a light bronze-greenish tint to it. Legs left behind quite profusely on the glass, with light sediment on bottom of the bottle
The nose comes alive with spicy vanilla, honey-fermenation notes (lightly sharp, spicy phenols) and mild earthiness. Difficult to describe, as I am poor with meads, but it is both spicy from the vanilla and cinnamon, but also soothing from the honey used (not sure what kind). The irish ale yeast produces a mostly clean character to the flavor, and the vanilla and cinnamon are done so tastefully they are only lightly apparent, but used in just enough quantity to add complexity and light balance to the honey. Probably medium-dry overall, with a nearly-rich texture of soothing honey. Highly flavorful with none of the wateriness, heavy sharpness, alcohol apparency and heavy mineralic nature of most mass-produced meads.