RJ Spagnols More sugar= less sweet

[GaDawg]

I have made an Orchard Breezin kit (Peach Chardonnay) about 2 years ago with 4 lbs of sugar in a SS in the primary to kick up the ABV. I thought it was way to sweet, but my friends liked it. This year I made another Orchard Breezin kit (Watermelon White Merlot) with 5 lbs of sugar and it seems less sweet. Did the extra alcohol compensate for the sweetness and have any of you guys had similar experiences?

 

[SouthernChemist]

Higher alcohol levels can offset sweetness (or vice versa), but in this case you're really comparing too different flavors. There's always the chance your perception of sweetness is being influenced by the other flavors in the wine or that the f-packs included in the kits aren't equally as sweet.

 

[BernardSmith]

Wouldn't different levels of acidity and kinds of acidity have an impact on the perceived sweetness?

 

[GaDawg]

Yes, acidity will change sweetness, and I know I'm comparing apples and oranges (or in this case watermelon and peaches) but what I ask was if my ABV will change the perception of sweetness and do ya'll have any experience with this?


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[byathread]

Yes, it has always been my experience that higher ABV offsets sweetness. I have a hard time with sweeter wines and meads, but some sweetness in a 16%+ mead is much less "sweet" and therefore less off-putting to me. For this reason I used to enjoy making 1 or 2 very fruity (4+lbs/gal) 16-18% abv dessert meads per year and they were pretty popular. I've never had a port, but I imagine I might enjoy them for the same reason...one of these days.