By
George Brozowski
Have
you ever experienced an epiphany? No, that's
not some kind of Polish sausage; it's a sudden and striking
realization of deep religious, philosophical or scientific
importance. I usually have my epiphanies right around the
5th shot of Vodka but I just experienced an epiphany when
I received this bottle of 1876 Vodka.
Gary
and Kevin Kelleher, the good old Texas boys who brought us
Dripping Springs Vodka, which they distill near Austin Texas,
must have had their own epiphany when they decided to whip
up this hooch. Their Dripping Springs Vodka is made with artesian
water, which has seeped slowly through limestone formations
and garnered a very interesting and tasty mineral rich profile
along the way. Their new 1876 Vodka is distilled
with purified water. Why even go there?
I
believe that the epiphany the three of us probably share is
that Vodka distillers the world over, rightly or wrongly,
appear to be in search of the Holy Grail of Vodka. That's
right, the Holy Grail of Vodka.
Let
me explain. Vodka is traditionally defined as an un-aged,
colorless distilled spirit with no aroma and no taste. I do
believe that of the more than 100 vodkas I have tried lately
none live up to that definition. Not even vodkas costing hundreds
of dollars have managed to embrace that definition 100%. That
is what I believe to be the Holy Grail of Vodka, a spirit
with no color, no taste and no aroma. Maybe that's why the
Kelleher boys switched out their tasty limestone water for
purified water, so they could don their armor, mount their
sturdy steeds, strap on their broadswords and chase the Holy
Grail of Vodka.
I'm
not even sure I would want to find that Holy Grail as I do
in fact believe that all those interesting little differences
in taste are what I enjoy in the Vodkas I prefer. Vodka without
a hint of its terroir, that unique sense of place that contributes
to the flavor of the water and the crops, just may not be
worthwhile consuming and possibly even boring. Besides, even
if you start out with purified, distilled tasteless water
you still have to ferment tasty stuff like corn or wheat or
rice or potatoes or any number of other grains, rice, fruits
or vegetables and then add yeast to get the whole thing bubbling
and cranking out alcohol. All of those ingredients have unique
and distinct flavors that I truly believe no type or amount
of filtration can completely remove. I will allow that all
those parts and pieces can be so masterfully mixed that almost
all flavors and aromas are neutralized and the final experience
can come close to tasting like the Holy Grail of Vodka but
as we all know "close" only counts in horseshoes
and hand grenades.
If per chance you believe you have sipped of the Holy Grail
of Vodka let me know what it was so I can get my hands on
it and share your religious experience and become one with
you and the universe.
All
that being said let's get to the task at hand and pop the
top on the 1876 Vodka. The nose is soft with very little alcohol
influencing the warm and tender aroma of fermented grains.
There is really no distinct note to pick out but the blend
is earthy and pleasant. I really prefer this over the nothingness
of supposedly perfect vodka. On the palate the earthiness
lays dormant and warm upon my tongue but as soon as I swallow
it awakens and produces a pleasurable peppery spice note that
lasts a while in the mouth but does not extend down the throat.
On
the rocks, the nose becomes even more neutral with absolutely
no traces of alcohol at all. The fermented grains fade back
into clean rain and wind swept farm fields. On the palate
a veritable miracle happens. Laying gently upon my tongue
the spirit is completely neutral, warm, slightly oily and
my best friend. The finish is warm and tender with none of
the spice and pepper of the straight up tasting. Although
it is not the Holy Grail of Vodka it has transformed into
what could pass as an affordable super premium Vodka depending
upon its price. And that's when the second epiphany of the
day struck me.
This
stuff is so new I couldn't find a price on the Internet so
I ended up contacting the mother ship in Austin and much to
my surprise and delight I was informed this hooch was going
to sell for $13.99 per 750ml bottle. I had to ask about that
price several times because I just couldn't believe my ears.
Taste wise this hooch definitely qualifies as an affordable
super premium and that being the case could sell for around
$20.00 per 750ml bottle. As a matter of fact it tastes like
super premiums selling northward of $30.00 per bottle. WOW
two epiphanies for just $13.99, what a deal!
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
www.1876vodka.com/