Those are fortified. Often to higher than that
My boss started keeping bees at home, so in our daily group meeting I asked if he’d be making mead (he home brews beer). The reaction from him and another meeting member was a verbal shudder, like “oh, hell no”, and both considered mead as a class undrinkable. I’ve never tried it myself, but I guess my expectations are sufficiently low if I did.
Ricky the Meadmaker at Groenfell Meadery has interesting videos (ask the meadmaker)
He makes beer strength mead (say 6-8% alcohol).
I’m a homebrewer. I’ve tried making mead many times and don’t like the results. A cyser (honey and apple juice) is better to my palate.
Ordered a case of their mead in a pitiful gesture to help keep them afloat during Covid. Some are ok but nothing that makes me a mead fan, sorry to say.
That kind of criticism stings.