Pips Meadery Cellar Reserve 004 | Mead Melomel

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

4.7Untappd

Pips Meadery’s Cellar Reserve #004 is a strikingly crafted Melomel from Gurnee, Illinois, conceived as a re-imagination of Key Lime Pie. In the glass it pours a pale golden hue with a luminous clarity characteristic of carefully conditioned meads, offering little head but a composed, wine-like stillness that signals precision at every stage of production. On the nose, the aroma is immediately inviting — bright citrus oils lifted from lime zest open proceedings, followed by the warm, dark-sugar depth of maple blossom honey, a gentle waft of fresh vanilla bean, and the faint toasty whisper of graham cracker. The palate is lush and medium-bodied, with a sweetness that feels balanced rather than cloying: the deliberate shift from lime juice to lime zest brings citrus oils to the fore, yielding a brighter, more perfumed fruit character rather than sharp acidity.

Caramelised sugars from the barrel aging thread through the mid-palate with quiet authority. The finish is the showpiece — whipped cream and toasted biscuit linger delicately, courtesy of the vanilla and graham cracker additions, evoking a dessert course without heaviness. Beautifully drinkable now, yet structured enough to reward a few months of additional cellaring. Explore this release on Untappd: https://untappd.com/b/pips-meadery-cellar-reserve-004/6643338

Food Pairing

Pips Meadery Cellar Reserve 004 pairs exquisitely with a classic Florida-style key lime tart — the mead’s citrus oil brightness and graham cracker finish echo the dessert’s own architecture. It is equally compelling alongside a delicate goat’s cheese cheesecake drizzled with honey and lime zest, where the melomel’s maple blossom sweetness and barrel-aged depth bring both contrast and harmony to every bite.

Pips Meadery Cellar Reserve #004 (Key Lime Pie Melomel)