Full Review

elit

elit
Vodka

Category: Unflavored Vodka

Date Tasted:
Country: Latvia
Alcohol: 40%
Gluten-Free
97 Points
Platinum Medal
Superlative
$40

elit
Vodka

Category: Unflavored Vodka

Date Tasted:
Country: Latvia
Alcohol: 40%
Clear color. Aromas and flavors of lemon zest, almond paste, honey comb, and ginger with a round, crisp, dry light-to-medium body and a tingling, delightful, medium-length finish that presents nuances of lemon pepper, vanilla, honeysuckle, and cocoa nib. Super clean and crisp with almost no flavor or aroma and also almost no alcohol burn, this is impressive distillation. A benchmark example for the category.

Tasting Info

Spirits Glass Style: Spicy & Complex
Aroma Aroma: lemon zest, almond paste, honey comb, and ginger
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with nuances of lemon pepper, vanilla, honeysuckle, and cocoa nib
Smoothness Smoothness: Tingling
Enjoy Enjoy: in cocktails and neat
Cocktail Cocktails: Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule, Vodka Martini
Bottom Line Bottom Line: Super clean and crisp with almost no flavor or aroma and also almost no alcohol burn, this is impressive distillation. A benchmark example for the category.

The Producer

SPI Group

The Producer
Valley Park F 44 rue de la Vallée
1 352-24 695 131

Their Portfolio

93 Cenote™ Blanco Tequila 40% (Mexico) $49.00.
BR Cenote™ Reposado Tequila 40% (Mexico) $54.00. - Bronze Medal
90 Cenote™ Anejo Tequila 40% (Mexico) $64.00.
93 Cenote™ Cristalino Tequila Añejo 40% (Mexico) $74.00.
97 elit Vodka 40% (Latvia) $40.00.
BR Gator Bite Satsuma & Rum Liqueur 30% (USA) $16.99. - Bronze Medal
BR Gator Bite Coffee Liqueur 26% (USA) $16.99. - Bronze Medal
94 Se Busca Joven Mezcal Artesanal 40% (Mexico) $42.00.
89 Se Busca Reposado Mezcal Artesanal 40% (Mexico) $55.00.
90 Se Busca Añejo Mezcal Artesanal 40% (Mexico) $70.00.
94 Se Busca Joven Madrecuishe Mezcal Artesanal 45% (Mexico) $150.00.
93 Stolichnaya Lime Flavored Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $19.00.
92 Stolichnaya Strasberi Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $22.00.
92 Stolichnaya "100 Proof" Vodka 50% (Latvia) $22.00.
93 Stolichnaya Hot Jalapeno Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $22.00.
88 Stolichnaya Peachik Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $19.00.
92 Stolichnaya Vodka 40% (Latvia) $20.00.
89 Stolichnaya Stoli Chamoy Vodka 35% (Latvia) $20.00.
88 Stolichnaya Razberi Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
90 Stolichnaya Ohranj Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
92 Stolichnaya Blueberi Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
90 Stolichnaya Citros Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
95 Stolichnaya Cucumber Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
94 Stolichnaya Vanil Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
94 Stolichnaya Salted Karamel Vodka 37.5% (Latvia) $20.00.
92 Stolichnaya Gluten Free Vodka 40% (Latvia) $20.00.
96 Stolichnaya Gold Vodka 40% (Latvia) $34.00.
88 Villa One Silver Tequila 40% (Mexico) $44.00.
88 Villa One Reposado Tequila 40% (Mexico) $49.00.
92 Villa One Añejo Tequila 40% (Mexico) $59.00.

Unflavored Vodka

Spirits Glass Shot Clear.jpg
Serve in a Shot Glass
Unflavored vodka is defined in the US as a "neutral" spirit devoid of color, aroma, and taste, however, the finest unflavored vodkas are served neat and do have a subtle taste, sometimes of the base grain or ingredient, citrus or even anise. But most vodkas are used for cocktails, often mixed with fruit juice (cranberry juice for Cosmopolitans or orange juice for Screwdrivers.), tonic, or soda for the ubiquitous bar-hopper favorite Vodka & Soda. To which craft bartenders these days like to say, "vodka pays the bills."

Unflavored vodka is made by fermenting and then distilling the simple sugars from a mash of pale grain or vegetal matter. Vodka is produced from grain, potatoes, molasses, beets, and a variety of other plants. Rye and wheat are the classic grains for Vodka, with most of the best Russian Vodkas being made from wheat while in Poland they are mostly made from a rye mash. Swedish and Baltic distillers are partial to wheat mashes. Potatoes are looked down on by Russian distillers, but are held in high esteem by some of their Polish counterparts. Molasses, a sticky, sweet residue from sugar production, is widely used for inexpensive, mass-produced brands of Vodka. American distillers use the full range of base ingredients, but most are made from the abundant supply of corn from the US heartland.