Review: Ciroc Summer Citrus Vodka
Ciroc Summer Citrus Vodka was just released. This is a limited release, and Ciroc’s third summer seasonal vodka flavor following Ciroc Summer Colada, and Ciroc Summer Watermelon. It joins Ciroc’s flavored vodka lineup that currently includes Ciroc Peach, Mango, Apple, Pineapple, Red Berry, and Coconut. The vodka base is made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. The wine is distilled four times in stainless column stills by Master Distiller Jean-Sebastien Robicquet at his 500 year old family owned Maison Villevert Distillery. A fifth distillation follows in a traditional custom copper pot still at Distillation de Chevanceaux in the South of France. A blend of natural orange and citrus flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Boardroom Fresh Citrus Vodka
We recently picked up a bottle of Boardroom Fresh Citrus Vodka for review. We had heard good things about the vodka and after sampling ourselves, we liked it so much we awarded a gold medal. Since then Boardroom Distillery has informed us they have updated their Citrus Vodka and it is now made from a 100% non GMO corn vodka base. The previous version was made from a vodka base made from wheat. The current Boardroom Fresh Citrus was released near the end of 2017. They were kind enough to send us a bottle and provide some additional details on how they craft their citrus vodka. The vodka base is distilled in a Hagyo custom built 530 gallon still. It is then infused with real lemon, lime, and orange. It is a combination of dried and fresh citrus zest. The dried citrus provides greater flavor, while the fresh is more aromatic. No artificial flavors, color, sugar, or preservatives are added before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Sandcastle Citrus Vodka
Sandcastle Citrus Vodka is made in Cape May New Jersey from their Sandcastle Vodka base, which is distilled from potatoes. The Cape May Distillery also crafts 6 rums, a bourbon, a rye, and a gin. The vodka is small batch distilled. Real orange, lemon, and lime are infused with the vodka base before bottling on site at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Boardroom Spirits Fresh Citrus Vodka
Boardroom Spirits Fresh Citrus Vodka was launched November 2016. It is made from an organic wheat based vodka. The vodka base is distilled in a custom crafted 120 gallon copper three plate column still produced by Hagyo Distilling in Hungary. Real fresh lemon, lime, and orange peel is infused. No artificial flavors, color, sugar, or preservatives are added. The ingredient list reads: organic wheat vodka, real citrus peel, water. It is hand bottled at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Manifest Citrus Vodka
Manifest Citrus Vodka is the result of a mistake. While experimenting with the production of their gin they created individual botanical distillations, some of which were different types of citrus peels. During a fractional blending, different citrus distillates were mixed. The tasty result was the light bulb moment for Manifest Citrus Vodka. Manifest Citrus starts with a high proof potato neutral spirit made from non GMO Russet potatoes sourced from a craft distillery in Idaho. Valencia and Parson Brown oranges, Meyer Lemon and Pink Grapefruit sourced from C&S Groves in San Mateo Florida are washed, cut and pressed to remove the juice. The fruit is then macerated for two days and redistilled with the high proof distillate in a pot still. Deionized water is blended to reduce to proof. I am reviewing bottle 1204 from batch 2 Read more
Review: Old Dominick Honeybell Citrus Vodka
Old Dominick Honeybell Citrus Vodka is distilled in Memphis by Alex Castle, the first female distiller in Tennessee. Honeybell citrus is also known as Minneola Tangelo, and is a cross between a Duncan Grapefruit, and Darcy Mandarin. The brand is named for Domenico Canale whose image appears on the back of each bottle. Domenico was born in Italy. At 16 he sailed to America in 1859, and worked for his uncle running a fruit cart up and down the streets of Memphis. In 1866 he established D. Canale & Co, a food wholesaler. In 1880 he developed The Dominick Toddy, A bourbon based cordial. In 1919 Dominick died and three days later Prohibition was ratified ending the brands 39 year run. In 2013 Chris and Alex Canale discovered an unopened bottle of Old Dominick Toddy and they decided to recreate the spirit brand their great, great, grandfather launched. In 2016 their distillery opened in an old warehouse where they spent $10 million converting. The Honeybell Citrus vodka base is made from corn and pristine water sourced from the Memphis sand aquifer. The spirit is double distilled. First in a 250 gallon pot still and then in a column still. The vodka is filtered for clarity. A natural extract and no sugar are infused with the vodka base before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Burnetts Citrus Vodka
Burnetts Citrus Vodka was introduced in 2000. Citrus and Orange were Burnetts first two flavored vodka’s. They currently product 33 flavored vodka’s. While this number is impressive, at one time they made 37. Burnetts has not released a new flavor in 5 years. Burnetts Citrus starts with a vodka base made from 100% grain in Bardstown Kentucky by Heaven Hill Distillers. Heaven Hill also make Elijah Craig Bourbon, Blackheart Spiced Rum, Lunazul Tequila, Christian Brothers Brandy, and Deep Eddy Vodka. The Burnett’s vodka base is quadruple distilled and triple charcoal filtered. Natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Little additional information is available but the bottles label only pictures a lemon. Read more
Review: Sobieski Cytron Vodka
Sobieski Cytron Vodka was released in the US in 2009. Sobieski is the number one selling vodka in Poland. The brand is named for King Jan III Sobieski. At one time Sobieski produced eleven flavored vodka’s for the US market. They now have four, including Orange, Vanilla, and Raspberry. Each flavored vodka is crafted with Dankowski rye and crystalline water from Oligocene springs. The vodka is distilled in a continuous column still. Natural flavors are then infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Two Brothers Citrus Vodka
Two Brothers Citrus Vodka was released March 2018. It is crafted in Aurora Illinois in a former roundhouse that was constructed in 1856 to serve Aurora on the Chicago and Aurora Railroad. Brothers Jim and Jason Ebel have been crafting Two Brothers Beer for 22 years. They now also distill an expanding line of craft spirits. Two Brothers Citrus Vodka is made from a 100% corn base. The spirit is distilled in a 300 gallon hybrid three column 20 plate still. The vodka only runs through the still once, but achieves the same amount of purification and distillation as 20 times through a standard one plate still. Four types of citrus zest are muddled and steeped for one week. The vodka is run through a loose filter to make sure they do not remove any color or flavor. Nothing else is added to the vodka for color or flavor. Read more
Review: Van Gogh Citroen Vodka
Van Gogh Citroen Vodka was introduced in 2000. It is one of 16 flavored vodka’s currently crafted at the Royal Dirkzwager Distillery in Tilburg, The Netherlands. At one time they produced 22 flavors. Van Gogh Citroen is made from a vodka base of wheat, corn, and barley. It is small batch double distilled by Master Distiller Tim Vos. The first distillation is in a column still and then it is distilled again in a pot still. Purified water is blended to reduce to proof. Lemons grown in the United States and lime grown in Southeast Asia are double infused with the vodka base for six weeks before bottling at 70 proof. Read more