Judge’s Review: 96 Rating – Largus HypoHydromelosis by Funktastic Meads & Beer

Fruit and Spice Mead | Limited Release | USA

By Randy Scorby

Judges Rating: 96.00
Aroma: 23.00
Appearance: 6.00
Flavor: 38.00
Mouthfeel: 10.00
Overall Impression: 19.00

Largus Largus HypoHydromelosis by Funktastic Meads & Beer is being evaluated as a Fruit and Spice Mead (Category M3) from the 2015 BJCP Mead Style Guidelines.
This lovely mead pours a very deep and rich crimson color with brilliant clarity. The mead is still with no signs of carbonation. The alcohol sheeting on the glass turns into a mesmerizing sight with slow moving legs, which is enhanced by the residual sugar content. This mead has a very inviting appearance.
This mead explodes with the aroma of fresh, tart plum and plum skins, with the strawberries making an appearance in a supporting role. As the fruit starts to mellow a bit, a light earthy, leafy honey character emerges along with a background note of vanilla. This mead displays quite a rich and complex cornucopia of fruit. A moderately light floral alcohol element surfaces to provide additional complexity. As expected, there were no fermentation esters behind the fruit additions. An impression of sweetness was noted in the aroma.
The flavor follows the aroma with prominent fruitiness, with the plums taking center stage. The earthy honey character arises behind the plums along with a hit of strawberry and light vanilla. The floral alcohol is very well integrated and smooth throughout. The mead is sweet without being cloying and is balanced by a firm acidity and moderate tannins. Moderate and smooth alcohol warming rounds out the four balancing cornerstones and contributes to the richness and complexity of this mead.
Largus Largus HypoHydromelosis is a very well-made mead that keeps you reaching for the glass. The fruit is prominent without being dominant and it is balanced by both the honey and vanilla character. This sack-strength mead has a smooth alcohol expression that could easily sneak up on you fast. This is a sipper, so when you open the bottle, make sure you have some serious time in front of you to really take the opportunity to enjoy such a World Class offering.