Semi-sweet sparkling passionfruit hard cider made with local Julian apples.
Tasting Notes
Almost wine-like, with sweet acidity from loads of passionfruit, a hint of honey, and tartness from local Julian apples
Pairs with: Creamy cheeses, Korean bbq, Spicy dishes, and bbq dishes
Sweetness: Semi-Sweet
Specs
Alcohol: 6%
Mulberry Hard Cider, 500ml
Sweet sparkling mulberry hard cider made with local Julian apples.
Tasting Notes
Sweet berry notes from loads of mulberries, a hint of honey and tartness from local Julian apples
Pairs with: Creamy cheeses, Salads with nuts (like walnuts), bbq dishes
Sweetness: Sweet
Specs
Alcohol: 6%
Sweet Raspberry Hard Cider, 500ml
Sweet sparkling raspberry hard cider made with local Julian apples.
Tasting Notes
Sweet berry notes from loads of raspberries, a hint of honey and tartness from local Julian apples
Pairs with: Creamy cheeses, Salads with nuts (like walnuts), bbq dishes
Sweetness: Sweet
Alcohol: 6%
Batch Mead is family owned and operated by just three of us! (Derek & Danielle Busch and Danielle’s brother Bryan Kennedy). At Batch Mead, we love locally sourced honey, apples, and other ingredients. We focus on small batches to keep taps rotating and deliver delicious meads and hard ciders.
We recently won a Silver Medal from the Sunset Wine Competition (2021) and Best in Show from the San Diego International Beer Festival (2020).
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Hello all! Mead-lover and resident bad boy Shotgun here.
You might remember me from previous wine reviews in which I claimed a royal lineage, and then later admitted to carrying naught but peasant blood in a tearful admission of being an utter fraud.
I’m sorry to say that because this surprise review bottle of Sweet Raspberry Hard Cider arrived so suddenly, you won’t get to experience another one of my crazy stories while deciding whether or not to buy today’s offering. But at the same time I don’t want to delay the review (and possibly anger the gods who are supplying me with free alcohol), so please join me in a very expedient and ordinary episode of “Drinking and Reviewing Alcohol While Riding the New York City Subway at 2 AM.”
I’m very content that the bottle has a crown cap, because opening a cork would’ve been exceptionally difficult in my current circumstances. Knocking it off against one of the metal handrails was a breeze.
Zero smell. Pouring some off into an empty water bottle I have, I see that it’s a bit opaque, and has a muted, purple-ish, off-red color. A speed bump caused some unfortunate spillage, and I can confidently say it looks just as good on the floor as it does in the glass. I’m sure the rats will enjoy it.
Wow, this stuff is good. I tend to lean toward sweeter things, and this is sweet. Either they’re using super-sweet apples (Gala apples, maybe?) in this stuff, a lot of honey, or adding sugar. Possibly all three. (Is there added sugar in this?)
There’s carbonation, but it’s not strong. Like on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a freshly-opened seltzer, this is somewhere around a 4 or a 5.
This seriously tastes like liquid, carbonated raspberry jam, with just a hint of something tart in the background. There’s also a very faint hint of the kind of “floral” or maybe “bitter” that you get from honey, but I’d never be able to tell that there’s honey in this from the taste alone. This is basically diluted, carbonated raspberry syrup, in a good way.
Because of the low ABV, this basically drinks like a raspberry soda, just without the chemical aftertaste. It has a crisp, natural feel. I do wish it were stronger; you will get diabetes before you become drunk with this stuff.
I’ll feel like an idiot later if I don’t get this, and I have a coupon…Goddamn it.
I’m not sure what else to say. I’m getting off in two stops, and that hobo is eyeing up my bottle, so I’m just gonna chug it. Like I already explained last time, I have absolutely no class, but at least this time I won’t be falling asleep and missing my stop while “reviewing” a $3 200ml bottle of “Georgi” vodka.
Buy it if you want sweet, alcoholic raspberry soda! Well, there are two other types too, but I assume they’re similar enough to this one.
To clarify, no, the $3 vodka was a different day, and a different “review.”
I don’t know what I’d add to this to make it stronger, if I were to do that at all. Maybe some gin? Raspberry gin, raspberry vodka, and raspberry moonshine all sound pretty nice. You could also just have a few beers and then chase it with one of these things.
I received a bottle of the passion fruit cider/mead.
Tasting notes: first sniff brings a waft of sweet beeswax, maybe honeycomb, followed by a light and intriguing hint of passionfruit and deep apples.
Tasting it reverses this a bit, mostly intense baked apple with a finish of passionfruit and honeycomb.
Sparkling, but softer than some beers and ciders.
This is a very sweet drink, though also very tangy. If you picture martinellis sparkling cider and mentally add some mouth watering passionfruit tanginess, you’re in the right ball park, so if that sounds good, this is a good buy, and if it doesn’t, I recommend skipping it.
@TrinSF and I (yes, I am “charming Leo”) got a chance to labrat this offering from the Batch Mead folks. We had the privilege of labratting for them last summer and bought a half case.
Rather than a mead, this is a “Mulberry cider” made with apples, mulberries, and honey. It’s also in a 500ml bottle, 6% ABV. It’s got a beer/bottlecap top, not a cork or screwtop.
It emerges with a lovely deep red/purple color. Nose is very light, but very distinctly of berries.
When chilled, if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear this was a fruit juice or soda pop that tasted amazing (one could easily treat a whole bottle as a single serving). The cider is effervescent, but not overly so; and, as you might guess, very firmly on the sweet side, with very bright berry flavors, but without being cloying.
At room temperature, more flavors open up. The tartness of the berries steps forward, along with notes of apple. The flavors linger, but the finish is clean.
Wow! It’s a sweet berry bomb of a cider!
We chilled it and poured it cold. Into the glass – it was cranberry red. On the palate, sweet intense berry flavor. I know it’s a cider, but wow, what I taste here is ALL BERRY. There’s a bit of tartness on the finish, but in general it comes across as sweet cherry/berry fizz. Mulberries are sweeter than raspberries, so it doesn’t have a raspberry tartness – much more like a sour cherry.
When I let it warm a bit, I can taste the apple, but there’s little/no honey/mead notes. It does not drink like a melomel, it’s a berry cider.
I don’t know how good the value is gonna be on this, but we’re almost certainly gonna be in for at least a half-case if it’s an assortment like the last offering was.
I tend to agree. This stuff is kinda dangerous – it’s so tasty, it’ll be gone before you know it.
(Charming Leo apologizes for the tardiness of this post.)
I bought this. I like it a lot as a sweet refreshing different drink.
However, that being said, I have had several bottles develop slow leaks from under the crown cap.
I made the mistake of laying them on their side in the rack. Don’t do that. Stand them upright.
The caps did not blow off, but rather seeped very slowly onto and all down one wooden wine rack. It made a mell of a hess out of that particular rack and all the bottles below the leakers.
Passionfruit Hard Cider, 500ml
Tasting Notes
Specs
Mulberry Hard Cider, 500ml
Tasting Notes
Specs
Sweet Raspberry Hard Cider, 500ml
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
$228.00/Case for 4x Passionfruit Hard Cider, 500ml + 4x Mulberry Hard Cider, 500ml + 4x Sweet Raspberry Hard Cider, 500ml at Batch Mead
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 20 - Wednesday, Mar 22
Batch Cider Selections
6 bottles for $71.99 $12/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $119.99 $10/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How sweet is sweet?
@danidani12 martenillis sparkling or thereabouts imo
@novium Ty! Super helpful
Molarchae wants this - anybody want to split?
But yes, how sweet is sweet? Stats and/or rats would be helpful!
@klezman They do sound pretty tasty. I’m also hoping for some rats.
@karenhynes @klezman
Me too
But it is mead. Wven dry mead is sweet
@Cerridwyn @karenhynes @klezman This isn’t mead, it’s cider.
@Cerridwyn @karenhynes @klezman “Batch Mead”…The name throws you off
@klezman I’ll take a bottle of the Passionfruit.
@MarkDaSpark sounds like molarchae didn’t order. And even if she had, good luck prying a passionfruit bottle out of her hands!
Sweet Raspberry Hard Cider
Hello all! Mead-lover and resident bad boy Shotgun here.
You might remember me from previous wine reviews in which I claimed a royal lineage, and then later admitted to carrying naught but peasant blood in a tearful admission of being an utter fraud.
I’m sorry to say that because this surprise review bottle of Sweet Raspberry Hard Cider arrived so suddenly, you won’t get to experience another one of my crazy stories while deciding whether or not to buy today’s offering. But at the same time I don’t want to delay the review (and possibly anger the gods who are supplying me with free alcohol), so please join me in a very expedient and ordinary episode of “Drinking and Reviewing Alcohol While Riding the New York City Subway at 2 AM.”
I’m very content that the bottle has a crown cap, because opening a cork would’ve been exceptionally difficult in my current circumstances. Knocking it off against one of the metal handrails was a breeze.
Zero smell. Pouring some off into an empty water bottle I have, I see that it’s a bit opaque, and has a muted, purple-ish, off-red color. A speed bump caused some unfortunate spillage, and I can confidently say it looks just as good on the floor as it does in the glass. I’m sure the rats will enjoy it.
Wow, this stuff is good. I tend to lean toward sweeter things, and this is sweet. Either they’re using super-sweet apples (Gala apples, maybe?) in this stuff, a lot of honey, or adding sugar. Possibly all three. (Is there added sugar in this?)
There’s carbonation, but it’s not strong. Like on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a freshly-opened seltzer, this is somewhere around a 4 or a 5.
This seriously tastes like liquid, carbonated raspberry jam, with just a hint of something tart in the background. There’s also a very faint hint of the kind of “floral” or maybe “bitter” that you get from honey, but I’d never be able to tell that there’s honey in this from the taste alone. This is basically diluted, carbonated raspberry syrup, in a good way.
Because of the low ABV, this basically drinks like a raspberry soda, just without the chemical aftertaste. It has a crisp, natural feel. I do wish it were stronger; you will get diabetes before you become drunk with this stuff.
I’ll feel like an idiot later if I don’t get this, and I have a coupon…Goddamn it.
I’m not sure what else to say. I’m getting off in two stops, and that hobo is eyeing up my bottle, so I’m just gonna chug it. Like I already explained last time, I have absolutely no class, but at least this time I won’t be falling asleep and missing my stop while “reviewing” a $3 200ml bottle of “Georgi” vodka.
Buy it if you want sweet, alcoholic raspberry soda! Well, there are two other types too, but I assume they’re similar enough to this one.
PS: send moar booze
@ShotgunX any thoughts on spirits this might mix well with, to cut the sweetness and, more importantly, up the ABV?
@epicadventure @ShotgunX … was there a hint about adding $3 vodka to it? Somehow I think that would offend the cider-maker.
But seriously this sounds like this could be a good mixer.
@epicadventure @pmarin
To clarify, no, the $3 vodka was a different day, and a different “review.”
I don’t know what I’d add to this to make it stronger, if I were to do that at all. Maybe some gin? Raspberry gin, raspberry vodka, and raspberry moonshine all sound pretty nice. You could also just have a few beers and then chase it with one of these things.
Passionfruit Hard Cider
I received a bottle of the passion fruit cider/mead.
Tasting notes: first sniff brings a waft of sweet beeswax, maybe honeycomb, followed by a light and intriguing hint of passionfruit and deep apples.
Tasting it reverses this a bit, mostly intense baked apple with a finish of passionfruit and honeycomb.
Sparkling, but softer than some beers and ciders.
This is a very sweet drink, though also very tangy. If you picture martinellis sparkling cider and mentally add some mouth watering passionfruit tanginess, you’re in the right ball park, so if that sounds good, this is a good buy, and if it doesn’t, I recommend skipping it.
Best served quite cold, by my estimation.
An interesting experience.
Are these made with Julian apples?
OK. Really do not need any but I am in.
And with that much honey. It’s a hybrid
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
Batch Cider Selections - $24 = 16.66%
Mulberry Hard Cider
This stuff is pretty darned amazing.
@TrinSF and I (yes, I am “charming Leo”) got a chance to labrat this offering from the Batch Mead folks. We had the privilege of labratting for them last summer and bought a half case.
Rather than a mead, this is a “Mulberry cider” made with apples, mulberries, and honey. It’s also in a 500ml bottle, 6% ABV. It’s got a beer/bottlecap top, not a cork or screwtop.
It emerges with a lovely deep red/purple color. Nose is very light, but very distinctly of berries.
When chilled, if you didn’t know any better, you’d swear this was a fruit juice or soda pop that tasted amazing (one could easily treat a whole bottle as a single serving). The cider is effervescent, but not overly so; and, as you might guess, very firmly on the sweet side, with very bright berry flavors, but without being cloying.
At room temperature, more flavors open up. The tartness of the berries steps forward, along with notes of apple. The flavors linger, but the finish is clean.
@TrinSF had this to say:
Wow! It’s a sweet berry bomb of a cider!
We chilled it and poured it cold. Into the glass – it was cranberry red. On the palate, sweet intense berry flavor. I know it’s a cider, but wow, what I taste here is ALL BERRY. There’s a bit of tartness on the finish, but in general it comes across as sweet cherry/berry fizz. Mulberries are sweeter than raspberries, so it doesn’t have a raspberry tartness – much more like a sour cherry.
When I let it warm a bit, I can taste the apple, but there’s little/no honey/mead notes. It does not drink like a melomel, it’s a berry cider.
I don’t know how good the value is gonna be on this, but we’re almost certainly gonna be in for at least a half-case if it’s an assortment like the last offering was.
I tend to agree. This stuff is kinda dangerous – it’s so tasty, it’ll be gone before you know it.
(Charming Leo apologizes for the tardiness of this post.)
A High Jack Comment: I’ve been trying to drink the Mimosa Royale Canned Mimosa’s! So far they are horrible! I’ll make my own from now on!
@Boatman72 I’m glad to hear it. I passed on that deal, largely because I didn’t want a canned mimosa to be any good.
@Boatman72 I made a mimosa boilermaker with a shot of rum and it perked it up!
/giphy smooth-vapid-asiago
No RS #s?
)
What about ppm CO2?
(Okay, maybe asking for the latter is a bit much … my enological bias showing?
I bought this. I like it a lot as a sweet refreshing different drink.
However, that being said, I have had several bottles develop slow leaks from under the crown cap.
I made the mistake of laying them on their side in the rack. Don’t do that. Stand them upright.
The caps did not blow off, but rather seeped very slowly onto and all down one wooden wine rack. It made a mell of a hess out of that particular rack and all the bottles below the leakers.
Just sayin’