A honey wine with a touch of residual sweetness — balanced like an off-dry white wine, with gentle honey character, soft fruity esters, and clean alcohol. The middle of the sweetness scale, neither dry nor dessert-sweet.
In the glass
Appearance
Clear to brilliant; color from very pale to deep gold depending on the honey (and any added fruit or spice).
Aroma
Subtle to moderate honey, sometimes with distinctive varietal-honey character; clean.
Flavor
Light honey sweetness in balance with acidity; soft, rounded, off-dry finish; varietal honey can add character.
Mouthfeel
Medium body, fuller than a dry mead but not heavy; sweetness balanced by acidity.
Origin
Mead — fermented honey and water — is among the oldest fermented drinks, appearing across many early cultures and waning in Europe as grape wine and cheap sugar spread before a modern craft revival. The semi-sweet version is the balanced middle of the traditional sweetness range.
Notes
Sweetness and strength are separate dials: this is the off-dry point, made at any strength tier. Honey variety drives much of the character.
Defining examples
Lurgashall Medium Sweet Mead·Redstone Mountain Honey Wine
Sources
BJCP 2015 · M1BSemi-Sweet Mead
Wikipedia contributors. “Mead.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Accessed June 14, 2026. ↗