A Braggot is a mead made with malt or beer. A braggot should be discernable as a mead and not simply a honey beer, but specific ratios of honey to beer are not mandated.
Overall Impression
Like a M1 Traditional Mead with a supporting malt or beer character. A wide range of outcomes are possible depending on choices of the base mead and additional ingredients. The mead character should be stronger than in honey beers, but the blend of mead and beer should be pleasant and well-integrated.
Appearance
Often more similar to a beer in appearance than to a mead. Color may range from light straw to dark brown or black, depending on the malt, beer, and honey used. Clarity may be good to brilliant depending on any declared base beer style, although many braggots are not as clear as other meads. A light to moderate head with some retention is expected if the mead is carbonated.
Aroma
The mead components may be evaluated as in M1 Traditional Mead, but declared malt/beer components should be noticeable and well-integrated with the honey-derived aspects. A pleasant balance between honey and malt/beer should be achieved, and any declared components should be perceivable. The best examples will achieve a synergy between the honey and malt selections, and will not be clashing. Honey and malt do not need to be of equal intensity, but both should be represented. May or may not have hop aroma, as declared.
Flavor
As with the aroma, the declared mead and malt/beer components should both be noticeable and be mutually complementary. The mead components may be evaluated as in Traditional Meads, especially in regards to declared sweetness and any declared honey varieties. If a base beer style is declared, the braggot should have a noticeable character derived from that style. May or may not have bitterness and hop flavor, as declared. Beer flavors tend to somewhat mask typical honey flavors found in other meads. The final presentation must be pleasant, well-integrated, and balanced.
Mouthfeel
May exhibit a character different from other meads in that it can have beer-like qualities. Compared to beer, the body may be fuller or thinner depending on how much of the honey was fermented. Compared to mead, usually has more of a lingering carbonation. Body and warmth depend on declared sweetness and strength levels. Still braggots often have a light carbonation to avoid the flat beer association, but this is not universally true.
Characteristic Ingredients
Same as a M1 Traditional Mead, with the addition of a malt-derived component (malt, malt extract, beer). May be hopped or not. The malt component does not need to represent a Classic Style of beer. A braggot with additional non-malt/beer ingredients should be entered as an M4F Experimental Mead.
Entry Instructions
Entrants must specify sweetness, carbonation, and strength levels. Entrants may identify details such as honey varieties, base beer styles, or types of malt used to allow judges to discern the meadmaker’s intent. A classic base beer style is not required, but entrants should provide enough information to assist judges with ordering the samples. Specifying whether or not hops were used is often helpful to judges.
Comments
Sometimes known as bracket or brackett. Products with a relatively low proportion of honey should be entered as a beer in the 31B Alternative Sugar Beer style. Common flaws in beer (such as oxidation) are also flaws in braggots.