Bochet (Caramelised-Honey Mead)

Experienced

In season January to December · makes 4.5 L · target OG 1.095

The deliberate exception to don't-boil-honey — caramelising it for toffee notes, with the real burn risk named.

Before you start. Molten honey reaches far above boiling-water temperature and causes severe burns — use a deep pan, cover your arms, keep children well away, and add water off the heat and slowly (it spits violently).

You will need

Honey1.5 kg
Mead or wine yeast1 sachet
Staggered nutrientsee method
Lemons, juice of2
Waterto 4.5 L

Method

1
Sanitise. A bochet is the ONE mead where you deliberately heat the honey — the exception that proves the don't-boil rule. Cooking the honey caramelises it, giving toffee, marshmallow and dark-chocolate notes no ordinary mead has.
2
In a large, deep pan (it foams up hugely), heat the honey gently on its own until it darkens to the colour you want — the longer, the deeper the flavour. Molten honey is far hotter than boiling water and burns severely, so use a deep pan, long sleeves and full attention, and never let a child near it.
3
Take it off the heat and VERY carefully add warm water a little at a time — it will spit and steam violently — until it is safe to pour into the demijohn. Add the lemon juice.
4
Top to 4.5 L (reading ~1.095); pitch the yeast and STAGGERED nutrient (caramelised or not, honey is still nitrogen-poor).
5
Ferment out, rack and age at least a year — the caramel notes deepen.
6
A dark, toffee-rich mead unlike any other; worth the care it takes.

What this one teaches you

· Mead nutrient and patience

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An original MakeWine recipe.