Curt's method, my method, Steve Fletty's method, Thomas Eibner's method, ... Probably a dozen or so NHC mead medals there. But we all got it from Ken Schramm. It's all his research.
I don't know...that's not enough collective wisdom to convince me that it's a good method.
As I'm sitting here sipping some of the mead in question, I think I may have been a bit hypercritical initially. Both my wife (whose palate is superior to mine) and I agree that what we're tasting is not solvent-like acetone flavors, but rather just an abundance of ethanol that will likely become more subdued with further aging. Actually, she seems to be enjoying it in its current state quite a bit. I imagine that in another 6-12 months, this will taste much smoother.
I did try backsweetening some of the mead and, honestly, we both preferred the straight dry product.
Gordon, out of curiosity, how do you feel about post-fermentation acid/tannin additions? Is this a common practice among guys like you, Ken, Curt, etc.? I'm not looking to weigh in on the practice, just curious. I'm always looking for ways to improve my product.