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The William Grant & Sons-owned brand is one of many distillers now embracing eco-friendly practices. First of all, Cardi Bay Vodka received a Master medal for its “delicate nose with notes of vanilla and coconut”. “An easy tipple for a bartender to make tasty drinks with,” noted Pamplin.
Filer said of the Premium flight: “A flight with impressive quality, considering the value of the products; some still have the distinctive ‘cheap vodka’ flavour and texture, but some present a balance and complexity that is impressive for the price point.” Judge Rodriguez-Curtis gave it full marks for being “smooth, very well done, rounded, creamy and enjoyable’’, and went on to say it would go well in “a killer Martini”. Banks and Bloom Ice Vodka impressed Filer, who said: “Soft nose with some creamy vanilla, lemon and grain. A smooth and oily mouthfeel with a saline element, and a balanced profile of peppery grain with sweet citrus, and no disruptive heat.” Showing that good things do indeed come in threes, Nykur’s vodka, hailing from the Faroe Islands, was the third and final bottle in the Organic round deemed worthy of Masters medal.Dixon said of the round: “There were some flavour‐combination wins here, proving that seemingly unconventional pairings can sometimes surprise.”
Winning five Master medals at The Vodka Masters helps us further position ourselves at the top bars – not just in London but in the world.” Nine vodkas scored Best of Category. The top Vodka – Neutral Character among domestic producers is Felənē, American Handcrafted Vodka. Felənē is a Denver, Colorado-based distiller that crafts vodka from sugar cane juice. Four Gold medals were awarded in this round, and one Silver – all of which went to Belvedere products. Among the Gold winners was another flavoured expression, Belvedere Organic Infusions Lemon & Basil, which delivered “lots of lemon on the nose, with some light pesto”.Athavia described Neft as having “interesting flavours of chocolate, apricots, and a soft finish – lovely”. Altamura Distilleries Vodka also added to its growing medal haul in this round with another Gold medal. Gorn said the vodka was “lovely round and elegant, with everything in balance”. Three Silvers completed the flight. The Best of Category Flavored Vodka, Distilled Spirit, is Heritage Distilling Company Lavender Flavored Vodka. The competition progressed to Vodka – Grain, in which a Silver medal was awarded to Pur Sang Select, with “earthy cereal” notes. In the following flight, Vodka – Wheat, two more Silvers were celebrated: “classic, creamy” Skyy Vodka, and Altamura Distilleries Vodka, with its “waxy body”.
Moving onto the Organic contingent, and a Master medal was bestowed upon Koskenkorva Vodka Organic. Rodriguez said of the entry: “A nice start on the nose with a clean neutral character. The palate has some weight to it, great body and touch of spice and heat.” A trio of Gold medals and one Silver were also awarded in this round. To mark World Vodka Day today (4 October), we’ve rounded up 10 stand-out bottles that impressed the judges at The Vodka Masters 2023 blind tasting this summer. All the vodkas in is round-up secured a coveted Masters medal at The Vodka Masters 2023 blind tasting Smith called the flight a “step up in interest and complexity from the previous category, with a more developed character from some of these products”. Shaken, stirred or sipped neat, there are plenty of quality options to discover in this year’s resultsOther Golds went to Koskenkorva Vodka Climate Action, enjoyed for its “delicate sweetness and hints of white chocolate and earthy spice”, the “sweet and earthy” Jean Marc XO Vodka, and the “clean and crisp” White Claw Spirits Triple Wave Filtered Premium Vodka. The brand has already made a mark on some of the UK’s top bars and restaurants, from Mayfair’s Michelin-starred Benares to Fitzrovia’s Pahli Hill, the glitzy Farzi, trendy Hoppers and the prestigious Coburg Bar at the award-winning Connaught Hotel. The brand has ambitious expansion plans this year, and its unique and unforgettable taste is sure to continue to make waves in the industry. Made with 100% British peas, it also made one judge a fan for its “expressive green, grassy, leafy, lactic notes’’ on the nose, and ”sweet caramel notes’’ on the palate. Among the international entries, Vodka – Residual Base Character, Distilled, the Best of Class Vodka was Republic of Freemantle Distilling, Signature Vodka. Republic’s vodka is distilled from a wine made with locally grown Verdelho grapes. Verdelho is a white grape variety widely grown in Portugal. It is used to make Madeira, as well as dry white wines. Republic of Freemantle also took the Best of Category award in its division.
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