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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