Chase Smoked Vodka English Oak Limited edition 70 cl 40%

Smoke in a glass usually means peat, Islay and a cask that has stood for years. This one arrives from somewhere else entirely: from English oak, from a farm in Herefordshire and from water left sitting in the smoke for five days before it ever met the spirit.

Expert description

Chase Smoked Vodka English Oak Limited Edition is an English Vodka from Chase Distillery in Herefordshire, distilled from the farm's own potatoes and bottled at 40%.

Chase Distillery was founded in 2008 by William Chase. By then he had already built the Tyrrells crisp brand out of his own potato harvest and sold it again, and he chose to stay in the field: the potatoes are grown at Rosemaund Farm, where they are also fermented and distilled. From soil to bottle, all of it happens inside the same fence.

The smoked version came about by turning the process around. Instead of smoking grain or resting the spirit in a charred cask, the water is smoked over English oak for five days and then blended with the potato vodka. The smoke comes in through the back door, carried by water, which gives it a very different structure from the peat smoke of a Single Malt Whisky.

It divides people. Some compare it to a reposado tequila or a mild mezcal because of the vegetal sweetness beneath the smoke, and there is something in that. The potatoes lay down a creamy weight for the smoke to rest on, which is why the bottle works best with a couple of ice cubes and nothing else involved.

Tasting notes

Nose

Cold ash and toasted oak first, then a light note of vanilla. Beneath it sits something earthy, close to freshly boiled potatoes.

Palate

Creamy and broader than expected. The smoke arrives midway and reads dry rather than sooty, with a mild sweetness and a green, vegetal tone in the background.

Finish

Dry and smoky, with good length for a vodka. A touch of pepper turns up at the end as the sweetness falls away.

Specifications

Name: Chase Smoked Vodka English Oak
Distillery: Chase Distillery
Region/Country: Herefordshire, England
Type: English Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Edition: Limited Edition
EAN no.: 5060183131927
Serving suggestion: Pour it over a couple of large ice cubes and drink it with nothing alongside.

Flavour profile

Smoky · Creamy · Dry · Vegetal

Did you know?

Chase took the Best Vodka award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2010 — the same year the smoked version appeared. It is rare for a farm distillery under two years old to beat the entire established field.

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Frequently asked questions about Chase Smoked Vodka English Oak

Does it taste like a peated whisky?

No, the smoke is a different kind. Peat smoke is oily, medicinal and iodine-laced, while the oak smoke here is dry, ashy and woody. None of the sweetish, almost tarry notes familiar from Islay are present.

Why does it not taste of cask?

Because it has never sat in one. The smoke lives in the water rather than in the wood, so you get the aroma without the vanilla, colour and tannin a cask would otherwise add. The vodka is still clear in the glass.

What do the potatoes do to the flavour?

They add weight and a slightly oily texture. Potato vodka usually carries more body and an earthy sweetness than grain vodka, and that body is exactly why the smoke does not feel bolted on here.

How is it best drunk?

Ice cold and simple. A couple of large cubes in a heavy glass is enough, then give it a moment to open. The freezer shuts it down, and tonic or juice covers the smoke completely.

Which cocktails work?

The ones that give the smoke something to push against. A Bloody Mary improves markedly with it, and a dry Martini with a single olive lifts the ashy note. Steer clear of sweet, fruity drinks, where the smoke simply turns messy.

What does Limited Edition mean on this bottle?

That the release was made in a defined run rather than kept in the permanent range. The label does not state how many bottles were filled, so the number is unknown, but it is not coming back in an endless stream.

What food does it suit?

Smoked and salty things. Smoked salmon, eel, sharp cheese on bread and grilled meat all meet it well, and the smoke ties plate and glass together. To compare other styles, browse our Vodka brands.