Oliver Camelot Mead

Camelot Mead from Oliver, made in Indiana, is a honey wine at 10.0% ABV, listed in the fruit dessert wine category. Mead is fermented from honey rather than grapes, so there is no grape variety to speak of. The honey is the whole show. Oliver's own description points to a sweet honey profile with a smooth, light finish, and that fits the style: expect floral and wildflower-honey aromas, a softly viscous texture, and a touch of orchard-fruit or citrus-peel brightness behind the sweetness. With no tannin from skins and no oak character to count on, the structure comes from sugar balanced against whatever acidity the honey and fermentation leave behind, which is why the finish stays clean and not heavy. At this strength and sweetness, Camelot behaves like a dessert-leaning wine that can still be poured with a meal. Sweetness works well against salt, spice and fat, so it suits sharp or blue-veined cheeses, aged Gouda, and cured meats such as prosciutto. It also handles mildly spicy dishes, including Thai curries, jerk chicken and barbecue pork, where the honey tempers the heat. For dessert, pair it with fruit tarts, baked apples, pound cake or almond biscotti. It should sit at least as sweet as the dish, otherwise the food will make it taste thin. Serve it chilled, roughly 45 to 50°F, which keeps the sweetness lively and the finish crisp; an hour or two in the refrigerator is usually enough, or a short stint in an ice bucket. Slightly cooler suits warm weather, and a few degrees warmer lets the floral notes open up. There is no need to decant. A small white-wine glass or a dessert wine glass with a modest bowl concentrates the aromatics, and 3 to 4 ounce pours are typical for a sweet wine. This is a drink-now bottle. Mead of this style is made for freshness and honey aroma rather than long cellaring, so keep it in a cool, dark place and finish it within a few days of opening, with the cork or cap tightly in and the bottle in the refrigerator.