Jack Ratt Westcountry Mead, Lyme Bay Winery 14.5%

Description

Jack Ratt Westcountry Mead is a lightly spiced mead made by the Lyme bay Winery. Think of it as a lighter, more summer-y version of their Christmas mead. It is a medium sweet mead with a sweet spicy overtones and hints of honey.

Jack Ratt Mead is made by the Lyme Bay Winery who are based at Shute, near Axminster, in Dorset. Lyme Bay Cider was founded 20 years ago in 1994 and has grown from a small shop selling cider to a large winery producing ciders, wines, meads, liqueurs and has, more recently, expanded greatly into English Wines.

Mead is thought to be one of the oldest alcoholic drinks produced, dating back to Babylonian times, and it is thought by many to be an elixir of health, fertility and longevity. It is mentioned in both Beowulf and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It is made by fermenting honey and water with yeast.

Jack Ratt meads are names after a famous 18th Century local smuggler called Jack Rattenbury who was known as the “Rob Roy of the West”. In 1837, after a life at sea as a fisherman, pilot, seaman and smuggler, Rattenbury wrote the book “Memoirs of a smuggler, compiled from his diary and journal: containing the principal events in the life of John Rattenbury, of Beer, Devonshire; commonly called “The Rob Roy of the West”

Jack Ratt Westcountry Mead is made by fermenting honey and water which is then flavoured with natural spices and flavourings (if we were talking gin, we would be calling them botanicals!).

Suitable for vegetarians.