Heritage Winery
Axum T'ej
Heritage Winery is one of the oldest T'ej producers in the US. Their Axum T'ej (13.5% alcohol by volume) is an Ethiopian mead spiced with gesho named after the 4th century Kingdom of Axum. It has a light honey, earthy, spicy, woody smell that gets spicier and woodier as the glass warms. It pours brilliant gold with a clear meniscus and thick, well developed legs. The taste is honey sweet with some candy up front and a touch of citrus leading to a very pleasant, spicy finish. It is a drying finish with some light tannic astringent notes and a subtle bitterness. It is sweet but well balanced. As the T'ej warms the bitterness becomes more pronounced and nuanced with some slightly woody and herbal notes. I rate it 90 and will look for it again.
T'ej
Mead