Pyments to me are really satisfying to make, and even more to drink. That may be because I’m a huge fan of wine, so mixing it together with mead just feels right. That pop of honey under the fermented grape flavor is just so good!

This is the first time I cut down the usual several part video series down to two! (Not including the tasting) I was pretty proud of myself after this one, not just the video editing, but the entire process.

Anticipate dropping a pretty penny though, for both the bucket of grapes that will run a minimum of $100, to the used barrel that cost $50. Not to mention the several pounds of honey to fill this 5 gallon batch!

However, the results are worth it!

My friend BC with Doin’ The Most made something similar, so we did a joint – Zoom – tasting video. It was great comparing our creations, his being aged in a whiskey barrel, mine aged in bourbon.

I look forward to future batches of pyment, as wine is so similar to mead in the brewing process.

Below is my 5 gallon recipe: If I were to make this again I would back sweeten more! This ended on the dry side with a heavy emphasis on the bourbon.

Primary:
Packet of Lalvin D47 yeast (Feel free to change the yeast)
6 Gallon pail of frozen Chardonnay grapes – Thawed and hand crushed (Very labor intensive, definitely recommend using a grape press if you’re able)
9lb Dutch Gold Clover (I initially added 5.5lb, but did not stabilize, so I ended up adding another 4.5lb to “back sweeten” but the yeast tore through it and I ended up with a very high ABV)
Added water to reach 5 gallons liquid
Quite a bit of grape skin/pulp

Follow TOSNA 2.0 nutrient schedule

Secondary:
Rack into Barrel
Stabilize
Backsweeten


Allow to sit for anywhere from 3-6 months depending on how fresh your barrel is and how strong you want that flavor to be. I left this for 6 months and the bourbon was VERY potent. Longer aging time would be recommended for red wine bases over white wine.