Nectar of the Gods: 10 best vodkas

[Terpe]

Whether it’s distilled in Russia, Poland or closer to home, vodka’s a spirit cabinet staple that’s here to stay......


1. Konik’s Tail



Launched in 2010, Konik’s Tail is named after the wild ponies of Poland’s primeval forest and is crafted from three distinct grains – spelt, rye and early winter wheat, represented by the three koniks on the label. It’s as smooth as silk and regularly rated by aficionados to be the best sipping vodka.

£38.99, selfridges.com


2. Russian Standard



There’s no hint of sharpness with this good value spirit, a market leader in Russia; it’s smooth and creamy upfront and finishes on a touch of spice. One to buy to celebrate the next Sochi medal.

£15.65, thewhiskyexchange.com


3. Zubrowka



This Polish rye vodka is blended with subtle but tasty bison grass, which gives the spirit its distinctive colour – and it’s good. Distilled from rye, the flavour has notes of vanilla, coconut and almond. Poles drink it with cranberry juice or apple juice though it’s good neat on ice.

£20, ocado.com


4. Chase Original



Made using potatoes grown on a family farm in Herefordshire, Chase is the only single-estate distillery in the country, meaning that they do absolutely everything, from growing the potatoes to distilling to hand-bottling on-site. In 2010 their vodka was crowned “The World’s Best” at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards.

£22.50, chasedistillery.co.uk


5. Royal Dragon Imperial Gold Leaf



Royal Dragon Vodka doesn’t come cheap, but it’s superb. Winter rye is distilled through charcoal five times to create a silky smooth award-winning vodka that comes in a hand-blown bottle with 23 karat gold flakes inside.

£64.99, selfridges.com


6. Vestal



This artisan vodka is named after the region it comes from in Eastern Poland. The local spuds add real character to the flavour, thanks to the local sandy soils and the result is a vodka with good body and a lovely creaminess, as well as being wonderfully aromatic.

£26.50, harveynichols.com


7. Sipsmith



This barley vodka is distilled from English barley spirit and is a handmade spirit that’s deliciously smooth and buttery, as well as being unusually elegant in texture. It starts off sweet, then the mellow barley notes and light nuttiness and spiciness emerge, all of which is perfectly balanced with an underlying dryness.

£27.55, waitrose.com


8. Crystal Head



This is worth buying for the bottle alone. This company which makes it (owned by actor Dan Aykroyd) has produced a pure, smooth vodka. Crafted from virtually pollution-free water of Newfoundland, Canada, and high-quality grain, it has no additives and is quadruple distilled and filtered seven times.

£46.90, amazon.co.uk


9. Stolichnaya Premium



This is a gentle sipper and particularly good cocktail base that’s affordable and available in most retailers. You might also like to try their elite version, an ultra-luxurious, triple-distilled, quadrupled filtered vodka.

£17.12, thedrinkshop.com


10. Beluga Noble



Famed for its smooth and subtle taste, it’s the number one super premium vodka in Russia. Made using a natural fermentation process, which makes it environmentally friendly too.

£40.70, waitrose.com


Source:-
http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/...s-9130776.html

[Terpe]