Review: The Walter Collective Vodka
The Walter Collective Vodka was introduced the summer of 2016 joining their previously released gin. It is made from spelt, an ancient wheat grain, and triticale, a wheat-rye hybrid developed in Scotland in the late 1800’s. Matt Melaik, founder of The Walter Collective was inspired by his grandfather Walter J Bade to pursue the art and craft of creating spirits. Walter was a former World War II veteran who worked for the Chicago Water Department by day, and at night enjoyed drinking martini’s, listening to music, and painting. It is Walters image that adorns each bottle. Matt Melaik does not have his own distillery, instead he relies on a collective effort to create the finest spirits. The Walter Collective Vodka is crafted by Master Distiller Ryan Hembree at Skip Rock Distillers in Snohomish Washington. The spirit is twice distilled in small batches in a Kothe still, and minimally filtered to retain the flavor of the grain. The vodka is hand bottled on site. Read more 
Review: Party Animal Vodka
Party Animal Vodka was launched February 2018. Kate Cullen the brand founder and CEO first came up with the concept of creating a vodka that stood for a cause while she was a college student at Chapman University in Orange California. A portion of every bottle purchased will be donated to various wild and domestic animal foundations. Party Animal is made from Idaho Russet Potatoes and pristine water originating in the Teton Mountains. It is distilled and bottled by Distilled Resources in Rigby Idaho. This wind and solar powered distillery also produces the previously reviewed Square One, Blue Ice, American Harvest, 44 North, and Zodiac vodka’s. Read more
Review: Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka is now made with NON-GMO corn. The previous bottling only specified Midwest grown grain, but it was also made from corn. Monsanto created the first commercially available corn with genetically engineered modifications in 1996. Some estimate over 80% of the corn grown in the US today has been genetically modified. If you have shopped for corn recently, you will see a premium charged for NON-GMO corn. Smirnoff is not passing that added expense to it’s customers. Smirnoff is the worlds best selling vodka, and the history dates back to the 1860’s when Piotr Smirnov opened his distillery in Moscow. He was the first to use a charcoal filtration system. Smirnoff No. 21 is distilled in the US, possibly Connecticut, and bottled in Plainfield Illinois. The spirit is triple distilled and ten times filtered. I’m interested in seeing not only how the new Smirnoff No. 21 tastes, but also how it compares with the previous version. So as not to influence my review I will sample and review the new Smirnoff NO.21 before I sample an unopened bottle of the previous Smirnoff No, 21 Vodka. Read more
Review: Corbin Sweet Potato Vodka
Corbin Sweet Potato Vodka is crafted with 100% estate grown sweet potatoes by forth generation farmer David John Souza. He named the vodka after his son Corbin. Ten varieties of sweet potatoes are grown on the family farm. David spent a decade experimented with each variety of sweet potato using several different distilling techniques in creating Corbin Sweet Potato Vodka. He found some sweet potatoes tasted better and others produced more alcohol. He found the perfect balance by blending three varieties of sweet potatoes. It takes over ten pounds of sweet potatoes to produce one bottle of spirit. Each potato is hand selected and cured for 12-16 months. The potatoes are ground and cooked for 6 hours, and then fermented with yeast for five days. The spirit is small batch distilled in a 2 column Alembic copper still and filtered slowly through a carbon blend. The spring water used in production is recycled back to the farm for irrigation and the spent mash is used as fertilizer or cattle feed. Read more
Review: Our/Detroit Vodka
Our/Detroit Vodka was the second member of the Our/Vodka family. Our/Vodka was started by six entrepreneurs in Stockholm Sweden in 2011. Our/Vodka is a global family built by local partners in cities around the world. Our/Detroit is a collaboration between Pernod Richard and local partners Kate Bordine and Catherine Kelly. Currently there are seven city members including Berlin, Amsterdam, New York, London, Los Angeles, and Miami. More are in the development stage. Each location starts with a raw wheat distillate sourced from Ahus Sweden. Each distillery then adds their own local ingredients. Our/Detroit is made in Hubbard-Richard, a neighborhood in Southwest Detroit in a building that once housed Bagley Billiard Center, and later a liquor store. After several years of neglect the building was rehabbed to give life to this micro distillery. Our/Detroit Vodka adds a corn based ethanol sourced from Hiram Walker just across the Detroit River in Canada. This is re-distilled with the raw wheat distillate and then blended with Detroit city water before hand bottling onsite in a 375 ml squat beer bottle shaped container, topped with a metal crown cap. Read more
Review: Our/Los Angeles Vodka
Our/Vodka is a global family of vodkas made in micro distilleries in city centers around the world. Our/Vodka was started by six entrepreneurs in Stockholm Sweden in 2011. Our/Los Angeles Vodka is the sixth release in the series. An electrically heated copper still with a filling capacity of 15.8 gallons is used to distill a raw wheat distillate sourced from Ahus Sweden. This distillate is contant across all of the sister cities. Each micro distillery then adds their own locally sourced ingredients and unique distilling process in crafting their own personal vodka. Our/Los Angeles Vodka starts with demineralized and deionized Los Angeles city water to achieve a pure starting place for the process. The water, high wine distillate from the alembic and rectified spirit which is sourced from Idaho wheat and fermented with a non GMO strain of yeast that is traditionally used in wine making, are blended in a stainless steel agitating tank that has a maximum filling capacity of 132 gallons to achieve the final product. Once blended the bottles are rinsed and filled in a 375 ml. bottle similar in shape to a bottle of Red Stripe beer, then capped with a crown cap on the bottling machine. Read more
Review: Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka
Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka is crafted from organic sugarcane and pristine water sourced from a watershed that originates in old growth redwood forests. The spirit is small batch distilled four times. Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka is free of glycerin, sweeteners, citrus acid or additives. Abe Stevens founded Humboldt Distillery in 2012. They currently also produces a gold rum, spiced rum, and a cannabis infused vodka. All are certified organic. The Humboldt Distillery has increased distribution of their entire product line to now include 12 states. Read more
Review: Enchanted Rock Vodka
Enchanted Rock Vodka is made at the Rebecca Creek Distillery in San Antonio Texas. The distillery was founded by Steve Ison in 2009. The Rebecca Creek Distillery also produces Enchanted Rock Peach Vodka, Rebecca Creek Whiskey, and Texas Ranger Whiskey. Enchanted Rock is named for the pink granite mountain located about 17 miles north of Fredricksburg Texas. It is said to be haunted by ghosts. Enchanted Rock Vodka is crafted in small batches. The hearts of the distillate are made from corn and distilled in a Christian Carl copper pot still. The spirits then enter in vapor form under pressure into a modern 6 plate copper column still where the spirit is distilled the functional equivalent of 10 times. The flavor is rounded out using a proprietary 28 degree frost filtration. The temperature is first reduced to 28 degrees and then the chilled vodka is passed under pressure through 25 microfiber paper filters. Pure limestone filtered water is blended to reduce to proof. Read more
Review: American Anthem Vodka
American Anthem Vodka was released by Diageo May 2018. Diageo already produces the Smirnoff, Ketel One, and Ciroc brands. For every bottle of American Anthem Vodka sold, Diageo will donate $1 to charities supporting military personnel and their families. American Anthem is 5 times distilled from corn grown in Iowa and Indiana. With a retail list price of $14.99 for a 750ml bottle, I purchased my bottle for $9.99, American Anthem appears to be positioned at a price point at or below market leader Smirnoff. This has been a fast growing segment, as the comparably priced New Amsterdam and Platinum 7X have been two of the fastest growing vodka brands in recent years. Read more
Review: Till American Wheat Vodka
Till
American Wheat Vodka was released for sale April 2016 in Kansas and Missouri. Since then several states have been added. As each month passes, they expand their footprint, with the goal someday soon of National distribution. Till American Wheat Vodka is produced by MGP, a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits who first opened their doors in 1941 as a small distillery in Atchison Kansas. In 2011 they acquired a second distillery in Lawrenceburg Indiana once owned by Seagram’s. Many of today’s best known spirits start as a grain neutral spirit distilled by MGP. Their Indiana distillery produces whiskey for about 130 brands. Till is made from red wheat grown in Kansas and distilled using a 75 year old proprietary process. Till American Wheat Vodka was MGP’s first attempt at creating their own brand. Since launching Till, MGP has introduced the Master Crafted line of whiskey. Read more