IWS Dingle: A Little Something Different

Dear members,

Kinsale Mead Co was founded in 2017 by Kate and Denis Dempsey to rediscover the ancient art of mead making and to create a world-class range of Irish mead. Inspired by ancient recipes and using the best techniques of modern wine-making, their meads are finished wine-strength at 11-12% ABV. They are fermented from carefully sourced, raw honey and ripe berries, matured and bottled by hand in their meadery in Kinsale.

Mead is the oldest alcohol in the world, fermented from honey, dating back to at least 6,500 BC with evidence in an archaeological dig in China. It has a rich, global history and in Ireland, is woven through our history, culture and social rituals.

After aging some meads in French oak wine barrels, they spent two years working with different whiskey casks from a little closer to home - Midleton distillery to develop and perfect  a process for ageing mead in Irish whiskey casks, the first in the world. They balance the complex flavour profile of the meads with the oak structure and distinctive whiskey nuances from these very special casks. The result is a series of very limited releases — the first meads ever aged in Irish whiskey casks — collectively known as Miskey.

Their award-winning meads are judged in international competitions as among the best in the world. They embody the modern, refined style of mead making, refreshingly different and versatile, either served on their own or as a lovely alternative to wine when paired with food or in a range of cocktails.

Kate is Ireland’s first and currently only BJCP accredited mead judge and has judged in internationally in Europe and the USA. She will take us through a tasting of meads, honeys and miskeys, including a deconstructed tasting of their Dark Forest Honey Mead as well as the technical and cultural challenges of bringing this ancient drink back into the modern day.