Belvedere Heritage 176

Product of: Poland

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So named due to its being made using an 18th-century Polish method of malting rye using fire-kilned drying, Belvedere Heritage is made by blending 98% Belvedere vodka made using modern column distillation with 2% malted rye spirit distilled from fermented fire kilned malted rye.

The introduction of the Coffey still in 1831 allowed distillation to much higher levels of purity, leading to highly rectified modern-day vodka. Indeed, to be labelled vodka, modern-day laws require this level of purity but with this highly rectified purity also comes a more neutral flavour.

To retain the character of fire-kilned dried malted rye, Belvedere distil this to a much lower strength, more aligned with whiskey production than that for modern-day vodka production. Just 2% of this flavoursome rye spirit is blended with 98% modern-day Belvedere vodka to produce Heritage 176. This 2% rye spirit adds considerable character, but its addition means that Heritage 176 cannot be labelled vodka, hence the "spirit drink" classification. However, discerning drinkers should consider this a flavoursome rye vodka.

Review and Tasting

Sampled on 12/10/2020

Appearance:

Cyrstal clear.

Aroma:

Slightly burnt toasted rye bread with creamy walnut and delicate cinnamon spice.

Taste:

Toasty rye bread to the fore with brazil nuts, coffee beans and buttery toffee. Enlivened by the cracked black pepper spice that rye imparts in spirits.

Aftertaste:

Long finish with black pepper and cinnamon-spiced burnt toasted rye bread. Fades with dark chocolate and coffee covered toasted brazil nuts.

Overall:

The clean crisp cleansing neutrality of vodka blended with a hint of the rich bready character found in new make spirit. This makes a tasty Vodka Martini and a simply brilliant in a Vesper.