Mead doesn't typically spend eighteen months in French oak. But Dancing Skeleton Meadery, based in Boulder, Colorado, treats its Reserve Blend more like a restrained Burgundy than a Viking-hall staple. The result is a $35 bottle that demands a spot alongside mid-tier bourbons and vintage Ports on your shelf—and just might convert the mead-curious into true believers.
What You're Drinking
Mead is fermented honey, full stop. For centuries it carried a reputation tied to Renaissance fairs and syrupy sweetness. Dancing Skeleton's Reserve Blend works against type. This is a 14.5% ABV still mead built from a blend of 70% wildflower honey and 30% buckwheat honey, the latter contributing an earthy, almost molasses-like backbone that keeps the florals from floating away.
The "Reserve Blend" designation refers to the split aging regimen: six months in French oak barrels, followed by a year in stainless steel tanks. It's not a gimmick. The oak lends tannic structure and vanilla notes rarely found in mead, while the stainless steel preserves the raw honey's aromatics that extended barrel contact can flatten. The meadery releases it in numbered batches of roughly 500 cases each.
In the Glass
Pour it and the color reads deep amber, catching light like late-afternoon cider. On the nose: dried apricot, clove, and a distinct beeswax quality that announces its source material without shouting.
The first sip lands like butterscotch left to cool on a windowsill—rich, yes, but cut by a sharp, almost cider-like acidity that keeps the sweetness from cloying. Mid-palate brings caramelized apple and a faint, pleasant bitterness from the buckwheat. The finish is long, with oak spice and a whisper of wildflower honey that lingers without sticking. Serve it slightly chilled, around 55°F, and let it open in the glass.
Why It Works
What separates this from the dessert-wine aisle is balance. Many oak-aged meads lean too heavily on vanilla and sugar, ending up indistinguishable from a late-harvest wine. The Reserve Blend maintains its honey identity through that acidity and the buckwheat's savory depth. It drinks like a conversation between mead and white Burgundy, mediated by a bourbon barrel.
The Details
| Price | $32–$38 per 750ml bottle |
| ABV | 14.5% |
| Availability | Select liquor stores in Colorado, California, and Texas; also direct from the meadery's website |
| Rating | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
How to Drink It
With food: Pair it with roasted duck, aged gouda, or a mushroom risotto. The earthiness in the mead finds its match in savory, umami-rich dishes.
Solo: Pour a small glass after dinner in place of a Calvados or amontillado sherry. It doesn't need accompaniment to justify itself.
The Verdict
At this price, Dancing Skeleton Reserve Blend is asking you to take mead seriously—and it earns the request. Worth seeking out if your local shop carries it, and worth ordering direct if they don't.
Follow: @DancingSkeletonMeadery for release announcements and batch numbers.
Cheers.
