Belvedere Single Estate Vodka: Reign of Terroir

All vodka tastes the same, right? Certainly, that was the received wisdom towards the end of the 20th century. Why else would companies feel compelled to adulterate the stuff with teeth-jangling toffee aroma-chemicals. Or indeed donut, cereal milk, wedding cake, bubble gum and, wait for it, electricity…. It was all shocking stuff.

The 90s was a flavour fiasco for vodka, and as we watched it unfurl while sipping an early naughties gin martini instead, I suspected vodka had raised the white flag in the integrity battle. But even back then, we retained the hope that quality vodka might find its way back.

Pre-20th century, vodka had character and flavour, it wasn’t until the American regulations demanded the distillate be ‘be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or colour’, that we witnessed the insipid flavourless or insane flavoured incarnations. But as we headed into the new millennium, the changing demands from drinkers suggested it could re-establish itself as a discerning distillate. And now it seems the spirit is ready to re-affirm its base character, to find the flavour not in aroma chemicals but in the ingredient that it is distilled from.

Vodka doesn’t ‘all taste the same’. Far from it, and the tide is turning away from neutrality and fake flavours, to an artisan and luxury spirt. Finding flavour in the base ingredient is important because vodka can be made from any fermentable, and what should set it apart is agricultural element at its heart. Whether its potatoes, grains such as rye and barley, or even the use of grapes, each vodka needs to make a case for itself when it comes to taste.

In the case of Belvedere this is rye and the vodka brand has famously championed “terroir” in emphatic style with its Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek vodkas.

Belvedere’s bespoke variants are christened after the regions where they rye grows, and crucially they are crafted to capture the distinctive essence of their respective agriculture. Terroir has been critical in the development of these products, each grain variant at the base of the spirit being grown in a starkly different environment to provide a difference that is clearly detected on the palate in the final distillates.

Two vodkas, made the same way using the same ingredient harvested from different regions, and both provide varied aroma and taste.

Belvedere

Smogóry Forest: The rye is grown behind a woodland shield, protecting the crop from harsh external influences while also imparting an earthy and woody nose. On the palate it has a mellow, almost honeyed quality, with a hint of sweet smoke.

Lake Bartężek: Harsh and exposed winter climes in this region put more stress on the rye, which in turn delivers a lighter and more delicate grain and spirit. The vodka is notably fresher than Smogóry Forest , with a cut grass aroma, and a clean, minty and crisp finish. £49 Clos19.com,