- Collaboration between two iconic Welsh brands is the “sweetest marriage”. -

Afon Mêl, pushing its own boundaries in its pursuit of quality mead has developed an exclusive range of individual meads that have been matured in the traditional way. In these meads, time plays an important part in the process; not only in the time given to the meads to mature but in the selected barrels used in the process.

The first two products in this limited edition collection are built on their Great Taste, Golden Fork winner, Heather Mead. Working with another prestigious Welsh brand, Penderyn Distillery their meads have been finished in both ex-Madeira and ex-bourbon Oak barrels that have previously been used for Welsh whisky maturation.

Sam Cooper, owner, and head mead-maker at Afon Mêl said, “This collection of small batch meads includes the two products matured in ex Bourbon and ex Madeira barrels which have been used at Penderyn to mature their Welsh whisky, once emptied are filled with mead. What comes out is wonderfully and subtly different from what goes in”

The provenance of the barrels; first Bourbon or Madeira, then Penderyn Single Malt Welsh whisky, makes a hugely significant difference to the overall taste of Afon Mêl meads. The mead matured in Madeira barrels is very different from the mead matured in bourbon barrels. They are both refined but also very distinctive.

Experimenting on a barrel share basis with the award-winning Penderyn Distillery was something very important to the brand and has been in Afon Mêl’s planning for the last 6 years.

Sam also added, “All the new meads created allow us to explore different mead-making methods, with these small batch meads we can showcase a new and exciting side to Afon Mel’s Meads.”

The barrel-sharing arrangement with Penderyn is a further step up in Afon Mêl’s quest to produce the finest meads possible.