Last October when I first got started in homebrewing and
mead/winemaking one of the first recipes I tried was the Christmas
Spice Metheglin on Vicky's site (listed below). I followed the recipe to the letter
and now, a year later, I was finally starting to think about checking
it for bottling. I tasted it a few days ago and though I do taste the
spices and such in it, it's a very weak drink. It's almost as if it
has been watered down (which it wasn't). Little body or flavor,
though what flavor I can detect seems like it would have been pretty
good!

Anyone know what can be done with this? How can I add body and more
flavor at this point? I was hoping to bottle it now to be ready for
this Christmas, but I'm thinking there's little chance of that now.
I'll be happy just to salvage it.

So what's the advice? Thanks.

-Jae

I'll post the recipe here from http://www.gotmead.com :




1 gal honey (I used a local NC honey)
1 tbsp dried lemon peel
2-3 cinnamon sticks
5 tbsp lemon juice
60 whole cloves
6 tsp fresh nutmeg
15 bay leaves (I used CA bay leaves)
5 inches bruised ginger root
5 tbsp orange peel
35 allspice berries, crushed
1 handful of black tea (I used Christmas tea)
1 pkg Red Star Montrachet yeast
4 tsp mead yeast nutrient

Heat 1 gal. of water to 160 and add the honey. Simmer at 160, stirring
for 15 minutes until all honey is dissolved. Add spice tea (see below)
Put 3 gal room temperature water in pail. Add hot must to bucket and
and let cool to below 80. Pitch yeast starter into pail, agitate
vigorously and seal pail with top and airlock. Rack after a month.
Rack again at 3 months, and again until most sediment is left behind,
or until hyrdrometer reading approaches 1.00. Taste test periodically,
and if necessary, make another spice tea, let cool and add in next
racking. Allow the mead to sit until it drops clear. Age in carboy if
you can for at least 6 months (but a year is better, this takes a
while to age out). Rack once more and bottle.

This mead will end up a slightly sweet, very spicy Christmas mead.