(Sorry for the double post but I forgot to add this group before posting to
meadmaking.)


I've been making wines and meads for a few years now and I've learned that
meads, cysers, all honey-based fermented beverages need to age out for
several years before they're really drinkable. But what if they honey isn't
used in the fermentation process but added and stabilized after fermentation
is done? Would it still have to age for several years or would it be
drinkable in the normal time?

For example, let's say I make a batch of wine from elderberries, sugar and
water. It ferments to dryness and gets racked a few times along the way.
When it's about ready to bottle, I split it into two batches. To one, I add
a bit of honey and sorbate to stabilize and let it sit for another month
before bottling. The other gets sweetened with sugar and stabilized.

Would both types be drinkable at the same time or would the honey-sweetened
batch take several more years to mellow out?

Paul