Review: Triple Eight Blueberry Vodka
Triple Eight Blueberry Vodka was introduced in 2003. It is one of four flavored vodkas crafted at the Triple Eight Distillery on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts. They also make an unflavored vodka, rum, bourbon, gin, and several liqueurs. Triple Eight is named for their water, sourced from well number 888. The vodka base is made from organic wheat grown in Italy and triple distilled in a pot still. Pure sand filtered water from a deep island aquifer, well number 888, is blended to reduce to proof. Wild low bush blueberries grown in Maine are infused before bottling at 68 proof. Read more 
Review: Rain Cucumber Vodka
Rain Cucumber Vodka is made from corn at the Buffalo Trace Distiller in Frankfort Kentucky. After seven distinct distillations and a polishing stage that adds limestone water, natural flavors are infused before bottling at 60 proof. Rain Vodka was one of the first organic vodkas, and at one time they offered an Organics line of flavored vodkas, which included Cucumber-Lime, Red Grape Hibiscus, Lavender Lemonade, and Honey Mango flavors. These have been replaced by a lineup that includes only two flavors, Cucumber and Mango. Gone from the bottles label is the word Organic. This leads me to believe these vodkas are no longer produced with organic corn. Read more
Review: Heritage Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
Heritage Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka was released October 31 2014. Ruby Red was one of 22 naturally flavored vodka’s they launched that day to celebrate the companies second anniversary, and the grand opening of HDC Waterfront, in downtown Gig Harbor Washington. Heritage Ruby Red Grapefruit starts with their award winning Triple Distilled Vodka as a base. This vodka is small batch triple distilled from wine grapes in an Italian made still named Nonna. Natural flavors are then blended before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Heritage Mango Vodka
Heritage Mango Vodka is one of 23 flavored vodkas crafted at the Heritage Distilling Company in Gig Harbor Washington. They also produce several unflavored vodka’s, along with several gins, and whiskeys. This is a distillery I have tracked for some time, but their distribution is limited to the West Coast, so I have not been able to pick up a bottle to review. I was very happy to see their full spirit line is now available for purchase direct from Heritage Distilling. Heritage Mango Vodka is small batch distilled with a vodka base made from wine grapes, and then blended with natural flavors and bottled at 60 proof at their distillery in Gig Harbor Washington. Read more
Review: Breckenridge Pear Vodka
Breckenridge Pear Vodka is crafted in Breckenridge Colorado at 9600 feet above sea level. No other spirit is distilled at a higher altitude. They also create Breckenridge Chili Chile a vodka infused with Colorado Chile and Turkish Chili, and Breckenridge Espresso Flavored Vodka. Each of these vodkas start with their unflavored original Breckenridge Vodka, made from 100% sweet corn as a base. After fermenting in a traditional Scotch-style open top fermenter the vodka is distilled five times in a 700 gallon Vendome custom copper combination pot still. A coconut shell charcoal filtration follows, before pure ice cold Rocky Mountain snowmelt water is blended to reduce to proof. In crafting Breckenridge Pear Vodka, a pear brandy is made from Palisade Colorado Pears grown on Colorado’s Western slopes. This brandy is infused with the vodka before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Western Son Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka
Western Son Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka was released September 2012. It is one of six flavored vodkas they craft in Pilot Point Texas. The other flavors include Hill Country Peach, Piney Woods Blueberry, South Texas Prickly Pear, South Plains Cucumber, and their newest flavor Apricot. The vodka base is made from American Corn and water filtered through reverse osmosis. After 10 distillations through a 20 foot column still, the vodka is quadruple filtered. Natural ruby red grapefruit essence, the result of a fruit juice concentrating process, are blended with the original vodka base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear Vodka
Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear Vodka was just released. It is the 17th flavored vodka in their Infusions line of vodka. The Bartlett Pear’s origin dates back to the 1760’s in England and was first named a Williams Pear. Seeds from this pear were first brought to the US around 1800. They were planted in Massachusetts on an estate later acquired by Enoch Bartlett. Hence the Bartlett name. Today nearly 50% of the pears harvested in the US are Bartlett Pears. This is actually down from the 80% market share they enjoyed 30 years ago. Bartlett Pears are eaten fresh and they are used for canning, puree and pear juice. Pear is not a common vodka flavor and two of the pear flavored vodkas currently in my bar, one made by Smirnoff, and the other by Hangar One, are no longer available. Skyy Infusions Bartlett Pear is made from a vodka base of Midwestern grown wheat that is quadruple distilled in Pekin Illinois. Upon arriving in San Jose California the vodka is blended with water filtered through reverse osmosis and then filtered through California Limestone. The vodka is then infused with Bartlett Pear and other natural flavors before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Ciroc Mango Vodka
Ciroc Mango Vodka was just released. The Ciroc line of vodka was first launched by Diageo in the US in 2003. In 2007 they partnered with Sean Diddy Combs in a partnership where profits are equally split. Mango is their seventh flavored vodka produced for the US market, and ninth Ciroc Vodka Variety. Ciroc also creates a Pink Grapefruit flavored vodka that is sold exclusively in the UK. Ciroc Mango is crafted in Southern France from the juice of Ugni Blanc Grapes that are distilled 4 times in a stainless steel column still, and the juice from Mauzac Blanc grapes that are distilled once in a copper continuous still. Once distilled they are blended together and distilled a final time in a copper pot still. Mango and other natural flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Effen Green Apple Vodka
Effen Green Apple Vodka is one of two new flavored vodka’s just released by Effen. The previously reviewed Effen Blood Orange is the other flavor. This is the forth new apple flavored vodka launched this year. Three Olives Apples and Pears and Smirnoff Sourced Cranberry Apple vodka were also introduced in 2016. While I’m not ready to select apple as the 2016 Best Tasting Spirits Flavor of the Year, it certainly appears to be the vodka flavor of the year. Effen Green Apple starts with a vodka base crafted with premium wheat from Northern Holland. After a low temperature continuous distillation in stainless steel columns the vodka is filtered five times through active carbon in a bottom up filtration process. Pure spring water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis is blended with the vodka for several days to reduce to proof. Natural flavor is infused before bottling at 75 proof in their trademark color coordinated polymer sleeved bottle. Read more
Review: Effen Blood Orange Vodka
Effen Blood Orange Vodka is one of two new flavors that join the four vodka varieties Effen currently produces. Gone is Effen Salted Caramel. Effen vodka is crafted with premium wheat from Northern Holland and pure spring water that has been filtered through reverse osmosis. A low temperature continuous rectification process is used to avoid caramelization of the sugars. It is filtered five times through active carbon in a bottom up filtration process. Natural flavor is infused before bottling at 75 proof. Read more