So I added some gall nut tannin to the Saffron mead about three weeks ago. There was cardamom in there too at one point, but the saffron flavor came through stronger when I tasted it today. I don't know if it was the tannin or the extra three weeks, but the flavor has vastly improved over the last time I tasted it, and now that the off flavors are gone, I think it will be good blended with some of the Rhodomel, which was my original plan for this batch.
They're both a nice rich amber hue, more orange tinted than some of my other batches because of the pigments from the (pink red and yellow) roses and the saffron respectively.
Note: the lighting is weird because I used flash while the room's bright overhead light was on.
Speaking of the Rhodomel, I went to grab it and the stopper had popped out sometime between today and last night without my realizing. I tasted it and it still tastes the same, so I didn't ruin it, thankfully. I think it was just a change in air pressure that forced the stopper out. The room I'm storing it in doesn't have good temperature control, and gets pretty hot in the afternoon. Anyway, I sprayed some argon gas into the bottle (look for wine-saver air cans if you're shopping for argon; it's heavier than oxygen so it creates a layer of inert gas on top of your brew that protects against oxidation) and sealed with a polyseal screw cap.
That'll have to do for now until I start doing some proper bottling.
