Mead production and quality: A review of chemical and sensory mead quality evaluation with a focus on analytical methods

Mead, an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of honey in water by yeast, has an expanding global market and popularity, and a concurrently broadening library of related scientific literature. Quality of mead can be evaluated using both sensory and physicochemical characteristics, with volatile aroma and phenolic profiles being of particular importance. Different mead-making techniques can have significant impact on these parameters and thus the overall mead quality. With the increasing prevalence of mead-quality related research, optimised analytical methodologies are of great relevance to research in this field. This review provides an overview and discussion of the relevant published literature regarding mead quality analysis, with a focus on the analytical methodologies used to evaluate the volatile and phenolic profiles of mead. In addition, the mead production process is outlined, and studies related to the sensory evaluation of mead are summarised. The state of the literature regarding mead quality has seen significant growth in recent years, including the development of improved and increasingly tailored analytical methodology, particularly GC and HPLC methods, although these have great scope to be further optimised for the mead matrix, particularly GC methods. Additionally, there is great scope for studies which integrate multiple aspects of mead quality such as sensory characteristics, volatile aroma components, and potentially bioactive compounds. This review will aid researchers looking to design and develop their own mead-related experimental and analytical methodologies, furthering high-quality research in the field, and contribute towards the advancement of the mead industry.