We will be sampling several nice Vodkas thanks to host Jason Hamlin. Directions and time available to members. Please don’t forget your door contribution for the host!
Cîroc
Description: Unlike most vodka that is traditionally derived from corn, sorghum, rye, wheat, or potatoes, Cîroc Vodka is made in France from “snap frost” grapes.
Color: Crystal Clear
Aroma: A peculiar bouquet reminiscent of turkey dressing.
Flavor: Light and Fresh.
Finish: Sweet with a noticeable grape taste.
Distillations: Five.
Made From: French “snap frost” grapes.
Country of Origin: France.
Ketel One
Description: Ketel One Vodka is distilled from 100% wheat and made at the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, Holland. It is distilled in alembic copper pot stills, filtered over loose charcoal, and rests in tile lined tanks until ready.
Color: Crystal Clear
Aroma: Enticing aroma of essence of lemon (not fresh lemon), blossom, dried herbs, mineral, brine, anise and white pepper.
Flavor: Clean, lightly citrusy and tinged with lemon, with a touch of sweetness.
Finish: Long, long, clean, tasty finish showing good weight and depth, with just a touch of heat. Menthol aftertaste.
Distillations: Numerous times, charcoal filtered
Made From: Wheat
Country of Origin: Holland
Chopin
Description: Handcrafted in small batches in the town of Polmos Siedlce, Poland, Chopin is a time-tested classic for vodka-lovers everywhere.
Color: Crystal Clear
Aroma: Faint aroma of green apple
Flavor: “Slightly sweet” and “well-rounded” with “perhaps a hint of apple.”
Finish: “medium-length, pleasing burn,” but “very little aftertaste—it’s remarkably clean.”
Distillations: Four
Made From: Stobrawa potatoes, which come from local farms in the Polmos region – actually boasts a higher starch content than regular potatoes, making them an excellent choice for distillation.
Country of Origin: Poland
Stolichnaya
Description: Stolichnaya – or more popularly “Stoli” – is one of the most popular vodka brands on the market today.
Color: Crystal Clear
Aroma: A touch of alcohol backed by notes of warm grain
Flavor: Bright and airy
Finish: Quite smooth, with that vodka bite being almost non-existent and the taste fading relatively quickly.
Distillations: Four.
Made From: Wheat and rye, mixed with artesial water from the Kalingrad region and filtered through quartz, sand, activated charcoal and woven cloth.
Country of Origin: Russia
Jewel of Russia Classic
Description: Terrific authentic Russian vodka made with a mix of wheat and rye, and filtered through charcoal made from the stones of peaches and apricots. A great all-rounder, good from the freezer or in cocktails.
Color: Crystal Clear
Aroma: Mild herb, grain, camphor and a faint cherry tone.
Flavor: Vanilla, custard and pear flavors with mild citrus.
Finish: Lightly spiced lively finish.
Distillations: These vodkas undergo through a continuous triple distillation process so no one really knows the exact number. To say that the vodka is distilled 15 times or more is just simply silly.
Made From: Mix of wheat and rye.
Country of Origin: Russia
Diamond 100
Description: It seems there is always a new vodka out there that is trying to outdo the several hundred others out there in terms of how many times it was distilled or filtered.Well, the bar has just been set higher- a lot higher – by way of a accident during Thanksgiving Break last year. Somebody at Bendistillery left the equipment running…They filtered this vodka 100 times through charcoal and lava rock, then age it slightly in oak.
Color: Clear as glass, body is heavier than water but not excessively so.
Aroma: Very little scent at all.
Flavor: Stones, in a nice positive way-tastes like a high end mineral-water.
Finish: Nice mineral-type edge to it and a crisp light bite at the end and a touch of grain. Exceedingly smooth – light but textured mouthfeel, it just glides down the throat, silky, warming at the end.
Distillations: They filtered this vodka 100 times through charcoal and lava rock, then age it slightly in oak.
Made From: Wheat
Country of Origin: United States
YAZI
We will also get a really nice treat at the end of the tasting! Lance Hardy gave me a bottle of YAZI, Ginger Flavored Vodka for my birthday last month. Definitely is in one of the coolest bottles that I have ever seen…and Ginger root is an aphrodisiac as well. Vodka + Aphrodisiac = Really Great Time! ;-P
