B. Nektar Evil Genius
I received this bottle of B. Nektar Evil Genius a couple of days ago as a very early Father’s Day gift. It was among a pile of beer that came my way and was the only bottle that I had not had prior. Now, admittedly, I am not a mead drinker. I can’t even guess the last time I sampled one — perhaps a dozen years ago at a wine festival with the wife. But any time I get something new and interesting, I can’t help but get excited.
B. Nektar crafts Evil Genius — which as of May this year is being discontinued by the way — with hop extract/oil to give the product a decidedly bitter hop finish, hence the “IPA Style” flag on the bottle’s label. The combination of the earthy honey and moderate sweetness that’s already present in the mead creates a bit of a conflict with a dry finish that isn’t really bitter and confuses the palate. I’m not entirely sure what to make of Evil Genius, but I know that I wasn’t a fan of it and, honestly, probably won’t be exploring any meads any time in the future.
Appearance
B. Nektar Evil Genius pours an extremely pale, light yellow. It’s crystal clear and without any sort of head. There’s a small amount of carbonation activity within the glass.
Aroma
The mead does present a solid amount of leafy, piney hop character with a touch of grapefruit and a hint of honey in the background.
Taste
Huh. It’s definitely interesting. My initial impression was that of a watered down IPA blended with a soft champagne. It’s quite sweet with distant, leafy hops and grapefruit that transitions through to a drying finish. There’s a good amount of honey that’s carried by the fizzy texture of the carbonation.
Overall
I had mixed feelings about Evil Genius. I really like the nose on the mead, but the flavors just conflict too much for my own liking. It’s not quite meady enough and definitely doesn’t lean enough toward the “IPA” aspect. Oh well, at least it was an opportunity to try something new.
Rating: 2.25/5
