Answers.Body: <p>I had to look up <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chouchen" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chouchen</a> as I'd never heard of it before (see, after many years still learning!) It looks like it's a form of mead made out of Buckwheat honey which gives it that dark color and probably stronger flavor. According to the article, it was originally made out of cider and honey but it looks like both versions are called Chouchen now. I looked around on the internet and saw that they were generally 13-14% ABV which is in the normal strength for wine and mead. Mead, cider and wine all can last many decades. But as with all of them, once the bottle is opened it will go bad within a few days from oxidation. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-09-30T20:10:25.693Z
Answers.Text: Mead usually lasts a couple of years once opened in my experience
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gamora
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-10-01T21:12:50.803Z
Answers.Text: Not going to post an answer, simply said your answer stands to be considered the only logical and correct one. It may last a little longer if kept in the fridge and the excess air is removed.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-10-01T22:28:27.593Z
Answers.Text: @KenGraham right, you can mitigate the effects of oxidation after opening a bottle with an inert gas like Argon or Nitrogen and sticking it in the fridge. But that is only going to work for a couple of extra days. Years is not a possibility. It would be vinegar within months.
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-10-08T11:35:44.577Z
Answers.Text: In my experience, both really sweet wines (Tokaj, Sauternes, etc), as well as deliberately oxidized wines (vin jaune and certain sherries), can keep for at least half a year without even starting to turn bad. Sugar is a good preservative (and oxidized, well, it's already oxidized) , so if Chouchen is sweet it might keep for as long as advertised.
Answers.UserDisplayName: gustafc
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Answers.Text: In my reading there was nothing to suggest it was sweet.
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-10-29T13:06:44.477Z
Answers.Text: @farmersteve it's very sweet, sweeter even than mead! That's also what made me think it might keep longer
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gamora
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-12-02T14:46:54.587Z
Answers.Text: @farmersteve it's made of honey - why would it not be sweet?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gamora
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Answers.CreationDate: 2019-12-03T16:01:04.583Z
Answers.Text: @Bee Grapes are sweet yet we have dry wine. The same thing happens for all fermented beverages. The sugars are converted into alcohol by the yeast.
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
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Answers.Text: @farmersteve I know the basic concepts of fermentation, there is no need to belittle me with patronising comments. Honey is a lot sweeter than grapes, not all the sugars are converted into alcohol - just like in mead which I'm sure you have tasted. I was actually just asking what had made you assume that it was dry rather than sweet - especially since your research has turned up that it is similar to mead.
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Body: <p>I have tried to look this up but have only come up with a few community sites with improper sourcing and varying degrees of answer (from 1 month to many years).</p>
  
  <p>Does anyone have first hand knowledge or a reliable source?</p>
  
  <p>The back of the bottle is written in Breton, which google translate doesn't support, but since it is close to French I think this is the line I am looking for:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Conservation du <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chouchen" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chouchen</a> une fois ouvert des annees.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Which to me sounds something along the lines of 'once opened keeps for years', but it's just a guess. </p>
  
  <p>I also know this is the Breton equivalent to mead, but I believe it's made with apple juice which I assume will make it go off faster. </p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Update: I opened this bottle when I posted this question, forgot about it in the cupboard and remembered it again over the weekend. It tasted absolutely fine (or at least the same as it did when I opened it). I will add an answer when/if the taste changes.</p>
  
Tags: <storage><mead><preservation><brittany><france>
Title: How long does Chouchen keep once opened?
UserDisplayName: Gamora
ThreadText: # How long does Chouchen keep once opened?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-09-30)
  
  I have tried to look this up but have only come up with a few community sites with improper sourcing and varying degrees of answer (from 1 month to many years).
  
  Does anyone have first hand knowledge or a reliable source?
  
  The back of the bottle is written in Breton, which google translate doesn't support, but since it is close to French I think this is the line I am looking for:
  
  > Conservation du [chouchen](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chouchen) une fois ouvert des annees.
  
  Which to me sounds something along the lines of 'once opened keeps for years', but it's just a guess.
  
  I also know this is the Breton equivalent to mead, but I believe it's made with apple juice which I assume will make it go off faster.
  
  ---
  
  Update: I opened this bottle when I posted this question, forgot about it in the cupboard and remembered it again over the weekend. It tasted absolutely fine (or at least the same as it did when I opened it). I will add an answer when/if the taste changes.
  
  **Tags:** storage, mead, preservation, brittany, france
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2019-09-30. Score: 1
  
  I had to look up [Chouchen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chouchen) as I'd never heard of it before (see, after many years still learning!) It looks like it's a form of mead made out of Buckwheat honey which gives it that dark color and probably stronger flavor. According to the article, it was originally made out of cider and honey but it looks like both versions are called Chouchen now. I looked around on the internet and saw that they were generally 13-14% ABV which is in the normal strength for wine and mead. Mead, cider and wine all can last many decades. But as with all of them, once the bottle is opened it will go bad within a few days from oxidation.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Mead usually lasts a couple of years once opened in my experience  
  > **username_2**: Not going to post an answer, simply said your answer stands to be considered the only logical and correct one. It may last a little longer if kept in the fridge and the excess air is removed.  
  > **username_1**: @KenGraham right, you can mitigate the effects of oxidation after opening a bottle with an inert gas like Argon or Nitrogen and sticking it in the fridge. But that is only going to work for a couple of extra days. Years is not a possibility. It would be vinegar within months.  
  > **username_3**: In my experience, both really sweet wines (Tokaj, Sauternes, etc), as well as deliberately oxidized wines (vin jaune and certain sherries), can keep for at least half a year without even starting to turn bad. Sugar is a good preservative (and oxidized, well, it's already oxidized) , so if Chouchen is sweet it might keep for as long as advertised.  
  > **username_1**: In my reading there was nothing to suggest it was sweet.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 it's very sweet, sweeter even than mead! That's also what made me think it might keep longer  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 it's made of honey - why would it not be sweet?  
  > **username_1**: @Bee Grapes are sweet yet we have dry wine. The same thing happens for all fermented beverages. The sugars are converted into alcohol by the yeast.  
  > **username_0**: @username_1 I know the basic concepts of fermentation, there is no need to belittle me with patronising comments. Honey is a lot sweeter than grapes, not all the sugars are converted into alcohol - just like in mead which I'm sure you have tasted. I was actually just asking what had made you assume that it was dry rather than sweet - especially since your research has turned up that it is similar to mead.  
  
  ---
  
  