The first vodka release from The Oxford Artisan Distillery! This expression was distilled in two handmade, purpose built stills, Nautilus (2,200 litre) and Nemo (500 litre), using an ancient population of heritage grain that's grown exclusively within a 50 mile radius of the site on organic farms.
Clear and light, black pepper and rye bread lead with a splash of vanilla essence.
Fantastic stuff - it somehow manages to taste like butter and caramel. Very easy drinking. The bottle is beautiful too. Took a bottle to friends in Norway and now they’re hooked too!
For years vodka has been a drink that needed a mixer. A source of alcohol to turn your mixer into an alcoholic drink. This one, however, is different. The smell and taste makes you think that it has been artificially flavoured with caramel, which is subtle, yet very tasty. The fact is, however, that those caramel flavours are completely natural due to the distilling process that they use. I had a fascinating conversation with one of their staff members about this. The vodka is very smooth and is definitely one that can be drunk on its own, much like a whiskey. If you like a gin too, try theirs. They do a couple of different ones that taste sublime!
As a recent vodka drinker I confess I have been finding many of them the same. Sure, Grey Goose is. Little smoother than Lidl’s £8.99 offering, but there’s not a whole heap of differentiation. This one is different. It’s genuinely delicious, with an almost caramel-like finish balanced by a hint of pepper. Perfect just neat or over ice.
I’m a big fan of craft distilleries, so I decided to try out Toad. I was very surprised by the vodka. Unlike a lot of vodkas, which I think of as neutral, this one had flavour. It is rich and full, with notes of chocolate,butterscotch, and malt. More of a sipping Vodka, not one for the freezer.
