Bols Charcoal & Copper Filtered Premium Dutch Vodka 37,5%

Very few bottles tell you what happened to the contents. This one has printed the process on the label: two filtrations, two materials and two entirely different ways of taking something away.

Expert description

Bols Charcoal & Copper Filtered is a Dutch Vodka from Lucas Bols, filtered through both copper and activated charcoal and bottled at 37.5%.

Copper is the oldest trick in the trade. The metal binds sulphur compounds that would otherwise give a spirit something close to struck match or boiled cabbage, which is why stills have been built in copper for centuries. Put copper to work after distillation as well, and the last of those compounds get one more chance to be caught.

Activated charcoal works differently. It removes nothing by chemical bonding but by trapping the larger molecules in the pores of the carbon, while ethanol and water pass through more or less unhindered. Fusel oils and heavy aroma compounds stay in the filter, and the spirit comes out lighter than it went in.

The balance is the whole craft. Filter too hard and the small grain character that makes a vodka worth tasting disappears too, leaving something clean with nothing at all to say. Here the level is set so the bottle turns dry and smooth rather than washed out, which makes it an efficient building block behind a bar.

Tasting notes

Nose

Almost silent. Cool and mineral, with only a faint suggestion of grain and a touch of fresh metal.

Palate

Dry and sharply cut. There is very little sweetness, the body is slim, and the profile runs straight without any bends from the first sip.

Finish

Very short. It lets go quickly and leaves a trace of pepper and no weight at all.

Specifications

Name: Bols Charcoal & Copper Filtered
Producer: Lucas Bols
Region/Country: Netherlands
Type: Dutch Vodka
ABV: 37.5%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Filtered through copper and activated charcoal
EAN no.: 5900471026200
Serving suggestion: Use it in a Vodka Tonic or a Bloody Mary, where the dry profile leaves room for everything else.

Flavour profile

Dry · Clean · Slim · Mineral

Did you know?

Activated charcoal has an absurdly large internal surface area. A single gram can amount to several hundred square metres, because the carbon is riddled with microscopic pores — and that area is exactly what the filtration lives off.

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Frequently asked questions about Bols Charcoal & Copper Filtered

What does charcoal filtration actually do?

It leads the vodka through activated carbon, which soaks up larger molecules. Fusel oils and heavy aroma compounds stay behind in the pores while alcohol and water run through. The method is used worldwide and is older than most vodka brands.

What does the copper do to the flavour?

It takes out the sulphur notes. Sulphur compounds otherwise give a tone like struck match or boiled greens, and copper binds them so they never reach the glass. The effect registers as an absence rather than an addition.

Does it taste of metal?

No. The copper acts as a surface the spirit passes over, not as an ingredient, and no metal dissolves into the vodka. The fresh, almost mineral impression on the nose comes from the absence of heavy compounds.

Is it possible to over-filter?

Yes, and that is the classic trap. Run a spirit through too many times and the trace compounds that give grain a voice vanish as well, leaving pure alcohol and water with no character. Filtration is as much about knowing when to stop.

Which drinks suit it best?

The ones where the vodka should step aside. Vodka Tonic, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan and Espresso Martini all read more clearly on a dry base, because no sweetness is pushing at the other flavours.

How should it be served neat?

Very cold and in small amounts. The dry profile handles the freezer well, and the cold lends a thicker texture that the bottle does not carry on its own. Serve it alongside something salty rather than by itself.

Can it be used in cooking?

Yes, and that use is often overlooked. A dry vodka pulls aroma compounds out of tomato and chilli that neither water nor fat can reach, which is why it turns up in pasta sauces and marinades. To see other houses, browse our Vodka brands.