Some bottles are worth keeping after the last glass. Ultimat arrives in a cobalt blue crystal decanter with thick walls and a single small air bubble suspended in the middle of the glass. The bubble is not a flaw. It is placed there deliberately, and every decanter is inspected before it is filled.
Expert description
Ultimat is a Polish Vodka distilled from wheat, rye and potato alike, bottled at 40%.
The combination is the unusual part. Polish vodka is almost always made either from grain or from potato, because the two raw materials behave differently through fermentation and distillation and each needs its own handling. Ultimat does both and blends afterwards, with every ingredient playing a role: wheat for softness, rye for spice and clarity, potato for body and weight.
It shows up most clearly in the mouthfeel. Pure grain vodkas are often light and direct, while potato vodka is thicker and fuller, almost oily. This one sits between the two, a fat, dense texture with a dry, peppery edge from the rye laid over the top. It fills the mouth more than the alcohol percentage alone would suggest.
The decanter is meant to match the contents. The thick cobalt blue crystal is heavy to lift, the stopper sits firmly, and the shape looks closer to a perfume flacon than a spirits bottle. If you are giving vodka to someone who would never buy it themselves, this one is hard to argue with.
Tasting notes
Nose
Discreet and clean with a trace of wheat bread. Behind it sits an earthy tone from the potato, clearest when the vodka is not fully chilled.
Palate
Fat and dense in the mouth with a soft sweetness on the attack. The rye arrives halfway with dryness and white pepper, and the potato supplies the weight underneath it all.
Finish
Long for a vodka, dry and lightly peppered. No sharpness at the end, just a receding warmth.
Specifications
Name: Ultimat
Producer: Ultimat Vodka
Region/Country: Poland
Type: Polish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Distilled from wheat, rye and potato
Serving suggestion: Cool and neat in a small glass, or in a Vodka Martini where the texture gets room to spread.
Flavour profile
Full bodied · Peppery · Soft · Dry
Did you know?
The term Polska Wodka is protected in the EU in much the same way as Champagne. To use it, both the grain and the potato must be grown in Poland and the entire production has to take place in the country. It is one of the few corners of the vodka world where origin is actually written into law.
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