Crystal Head Aurora Limited Edition Premium Canadian Vodka 70 cl 40%

The northern lights never hold still. They change colour while you watch and vanish before you have found the camera. The Aurora bottle attempts the same trick in glass: turn it a quarter of a rotation and the surface slides from green to violet to copper.

Expert description

Crystal Head Aurora is a Canadian Vodka distilled five times from English wheat and bottled at 40%.

Aurora reached the market in 2016 as the second expression from Crystal Head. Where the original is built on corn, the raw material here is English wheat, and that moves the flavour noticeably. Wheat delivers a tighter, more peppery spirit, while corn pulls towards creamy sweetness. The spirit is blended with Newfoundland water and nothing is added along the way.

The purity comes from five distillations and seven filtrations. The last three filtrations pass through layers of Herkimer diamonds, the semi-precious quartz crystals the house has used from the start. The bottle gets its metallised surface through a process that lays the colour unevenly across the glass, which is why no two bottles look quite the same.

Tasting notes

Nose

Crisp and dry. Delicate floral notes sit on top with a discreet breath of anise beneath them.

Palate

Warm and clearly peppercorn driven from the first sip. A small sweetness sits underneath, but the wheat leads all the way.

Finish

Dry, clean and warming. The pepper releases slowly and nothing sticky is left behind.

Specifications

Name: Crystal Head Aurora
Distillery: Crystal Head Vodka
Region/Country: Newfoundland, Canada
Type: Canadian Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Five times distilled
EAN no.: 62704041159
Serving suggestion: Cold in a Vodka Martini, where the peppercorn note is allowed to carry the drink.

Flavour profile

Peppery · Floral · Dry · Warming

Did you know?

No two Aurora bottles are identical. The iridescent metallised surface settles differently on every single unit, so the play of colour varies from bottle to bottle and shifts depending on the angle the light arrives from.

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Frequently asked questions about Crystal Head Aurora

What separates Aurora from the original Crystal Head?

The grain. Aurora is made from English wheat and distilled five times, the original from Canadian corn and distilled four times. Wheat gives a drier, more peppery vodka while corn gives softness and vanilla. The bottle differs too: Aurora carries the iridescent metallic finish.

Why is it called Aurora?

After the aurora borealis. Crystal Head created the expression as a tribute to the light display, and the shifting colour of the bottle is meant to echo the way that light moves across the sky. Newfoundland sits far enough north that the phenomenon is no distant idea.

Is it gluten free even though it is made from wheat?

Crystal Head states that its whole range is gluten free, since distillation breaks down the proteins in the wheat. If you are highly sensitive, it is still worth speaking to a healthcare professional before trying any grain based spirit.

How is it best served?

Cold, but from the fridge rather than the freezer. At around 8 degrees the floral notes and the anise step forward, while deep freezing shuts them down. In a mixed drink it holds up anywhere the pepper is allowed to contribute. Browse more bottles among our Vodka brands.

Can the bottle be reused afterwards?

Yes, and plenty of people do. The metallised surface lasts, and the glass is heavy and moulded without any label. Rinse it thoroughly and it works as a decanter, a vase or a lamp base. The cap seals tightly enough for it to serve as a water bottle on the table.

Does it suit someone who rarely drinks vodka neat?

Partly. It is dry and peppery rather than soft, so it asks a little more of the drinker than a creamy corn vodka. On the other hand it is easy to work with in drinks, where the spice pushes back against sweetness from liqueur or fruit.

Where is it made?

In St. John’s, Newfoundland, in Canada, at one of the last government owned distilleries in the world. That is where the spirit is cut with local water down to 40% and run through the seven filtrations before bottling.