Allspice or Pimento in Mead

One can be excused for seeing a jar of ground Allspice on the shelf at the supermarket and thinking it was just like five spice, only more inclusive. It makes sense, why else would they call it that?

This is not the case and that Allspice is a spice all in its own right. It is a dried berry from a plant that is a member of the myrtle family and is also known as Myrtle Pepper, Jamaican Pepper and Pimento.

It isn't hard to see how it got its name: cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and cloves are all bound up in this amazing spice. If you only had one spice available to you and you wanted all of these spice profiles: Allspice aka Pimento, is your friend.

This is a spice that is best whole as little dried berries, it loses its pungency when ground.

I get the most out of Allspice by treating it the same way as I do Nutmeg: Toasting it whole, giving it a rough smash and returning it to the toasting pan for another quick toast. Then back in the mortar and a better grind before going into the mead, usually post ferment.  Allspice will carry some notes through from primary if you want to ferment it, I do at times but add it late in the fermentation when I do.

It does its best work post fermentation.