Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka England 70 cl 40%

On a farm in West Dorset the cows stand out on grass, the milk comes in, and the cheese gets made as it always has. What used to run down the drain afterwards now ends up in a bottle. That is the whole story behind Black Cow — and it is every bit as odd as it sounds.

Expert description

Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka is an English Vodka from Black Cow in West Dorset, distilled from whey off grass-grazed cows' milk and bottled at 40%.

The idea turned up in 2011 over a few drinks between two neighbours, one of whom, Jason Barber, is a fifth-generation dairy farmer. A year later the first bottle was ready, and Black Cow became the world's first vodka made purely from milk.

The method follows the dairy. Milk is separated into curds and whey; the curds go to cheese, while the whey — usually a leftover — is set to ferment with a yeast developed specifically to turn milk sugar into alcohol. The resulting "milk beer" is distilled into a neutral spirit, which is then blended by the house's own process, triple filtered and bottled by hand on the farm.

The raw material shows. Lactose ferments differently from the starch in grain or potatoes, and the trace compounds left after distillation pull towards something soft and lightly creamy rather than towards grain sweetness or peppery bite. This is not a vodka that tastes of milk, but nor is it a vodka that tastes like all the others.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft and faintly sweet, with an impression of whipped cream and a small fresh citrus edge.

Palate

Full and smooth with a clear creaminess that settles like a film across the tongue. The sweetness is mild and carries no sharp edge.

Finish

Clean and soft, medium in length. The creaminess lets go slowly, and a light mineral dryness arrives at the close.

Specifications

Name: Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka
Producer: Black Cow
Region/Country: West Dorset, England
Type: English Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Distilled from fermented whey, triple filtered
EAN no.: 5060323760000
Serving suggestion: Neat and properly cold in a small glass, or as the base of an Espresso Martini where the creaminess has a part to play.

Flavour profile

Creamy · Soft · Mild · Round

Did you know?

The herd numbers around 250 cows grazing the fields around the distillery, and every single bottle is filled by hand on the farm itself. It is less than a mile from Jason Barber's dairy to the place where the vodka is made.

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Frequently asked questions about Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka

Does it taste of milk?

No, but it is softer than most. Distillation removes the milk flavour itself while the texture stays behind: a creamy, almost velvety mouthfeel that is hard to find in a vodka made from grain or potatoes.

Does it contain lactose?

No. The milk sugar is converted into alcohol during fermentation, and whatever might remain does not carry over in distillation, because sugars do not evaporate. The finished vodka is therefore lactose free.

Is it vegan?

No. The raw material is cows' milk, and there is no version without. Vegetarians can drink it, but it falls outside a vegan diet in the same way cheese does.

What makes whey different from grain and potatoes?

The sugar. Grain and potatoes must first have their starch broken down into sugar, while whey arrives with lactose from the start and needs a yeast able to chew exactly that. The result is a different set of trace compounds in the spirit and therefore a different texture.

How is it best drunk?

Properly cold, but not frozen. Too cold and the very creaminess that is the whole point disappears. Fridge temperature in a small glass shows it off best.

Which cocktails work?

The ones where texture can be felt. An Espresso Martini becomes markedly fuller, and a White Russian gains body without extra cream. In a Vodka Tonic the softness is easily drowned out.

What food does it suit?

Rich, salty food with acidity. Smoked salmon with lemon, cheese on bread and oysters all sit well beside it, because the creaminess meets the salt without fighting it. To compare other raw materials, browse our Vodka brands.