KVLT Mead NV Speedwheel Burning Blackcurrant Blackberry Honey Wine with Vanilla and Coffee, Washington, $35

Billed as Tacoma’s first meadery, KVLT goes beyond straightforward honey wine with a kaleidoscope of styles that seem inspired by a mixologist. Each starts with Washington clover honey, and in this case, Brian Sprouse builds complexity with blackcurrant and blackberry, then adds a few Ugandan vanilla beans and a spot of cold-brewed joe from Valhalla Coffee Co. Blackberry and coffee battle for initial scent dominance. Can a wine smell like your favorite diner? This one does. Currant and blackberry syrup lead the palate followed by coffee grounds and a hint of vanilla extract. Move over mimosas! Serve this semi-sweet mead with fluffy pancakes at your next brunch. (The price listed here is for a 32-ounce growler.) The success of KVLT recently prompted Sprouse and co-owner Jen Otis to move from near the Tacoma Dome into a large warehouse — 5011 S. Washington St. — west of Tacoma Mall. They expect to relaunch after Thanksgiving 2020. Their Speedwheel Burning rolled off with a gold medal at the eighth annual Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition, a judging staged the first week of October at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Ore., on behalf of sommeliers, wine merchants and journalists from across the country.

Rating: Outstanding!

Production: 21 cases

Alcohol: 14%

Winery’s website