| Vodka Tasting-
Biala Dama, Alps, Ketel One, & Polka by Kevin R. Kosar Of late, the vodka samples have been piling up in the office at AlcoholReviews.com. I tried to unload the work of tasting all them to my chief reviewer, Fitzgerald, but he's not answering his phone and is already behind in his reviews. So duty calls, and I am obliged to answer. The four vodkas I chose come from three different countries and all turned out to be good vodkas. Let's take them in alphabetical order, straight up, with no ice, lemon, or anything. |
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Alps Vodka, (40% Alcohol
By Volume) sometimes called French Alps, due to the word "French" being
just above the word ALPS on the label, comes, obviously, from France.
It has a sharp ester smell that quickly informs you, this is vodka.
On the palate it has a big toffee taste and nuttiness, but it finishes
a bit hot and on exhaling I felt like I was exhaling alcohol. As
Desmond Begg in his book The Vodka Companion put it, "Quite thick
in texture with a slight burn. Leaves a bitter aftertaste. Definitely a
mixer." (Rating ***)
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Biala Dama (40% ABV) comes from Poland's Lancut Distillery and is touted as a "luxury vodka." Biala Dama is excellent, and quite complex. Drink it and your mouth is treated to a variety of tastes- toffee, cane-sugar sweetness, and lemon, all of which linger in the mouth after swallowing. Biala Dama is delicious and has very little heat. Highly recommended. (Rating ****1/4) |
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In the past few years, Ketel
One (40% ABV) of Holland has become wildly popular in the United States.
This is understandable, because it is astonishingly smooth. Indeed, this
vodka has almost no taste at all, which delights many drinkers. Indeed, I dare say that
anyone who places a premium on smoothness will find Ketel One perhaps the best voda to be found.
I, however, prefer vodka with clear, pleasant flavors and so tend to favor Biala Dama. Highly recommended. (Rating ****)
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Returning to Polish vodka, here we have Polka, which is also produced by Lancut Distillery. Polka is a lighter vodka, in that is has 37% alcohol by volume instead of 40%. Polka is tangy, slightly grainy, and tastes of a bit of toffee with slight sweetnes and a twist of bitter. Polka is very enjoyable, and it finishes very smooth, with no heat. Highly recommended. (Rating ****) |
