Dannebrog Vodka 1219 Estonia 100 cl 40%

On 15 June 1219, legend has it, a cloth fell from the sky above a Danish army in Estonia and turned a battle that was slipping away. The cloth became Dannebrog, the Danish flag. This vodka is distilled on the very ground where it was all supposed to have happened.

Expert description

Dannebrog Vodka 1219 is an Estonian Vodka from Remedia in Tallinn, distilled five times from 100% Estonian winter wheat and bottled at 40%.

The Battle of Lyndanisse took place in 1219 under Valdemar II, and the site is Tallinn today. The city's name is generally traced back to the Estonian Taani-linn, meaning Danish castle. The link between Denmark and Estonia therefore sits in the name of the city itself, long before anybody thought of distilling vodka out of the history.

Remedia calls the bottle an Ultra-Premium Small Batch Vintage Vodka. Behind the words sits something concrete: the grain is 100% Estonian winter wheat, the distillation runs five times, and production happens in small portions, with each bottling carrying its own year.

The texture is pale and clear, and this is a vodka where the spice gets the upper hand over the sweetness. The bottle is kept in a taut, almost sober design with nothing trying to convince anybody, and the litre format makes it the sort of bottle you set out when people are coming.

Tasting notes

Nose

Clean and dryly grainy with a faint thread of aniseed. There is no harshness worth mentioning.

Palate

Light and dry with the fine sweetness of wheat. Fennel and aniseed appear mid-palate, and a clear press of pepper sits underneath the lot.

Finish

Medium with a neat warmth. Aniseed, fennel and pepper hold on while the grain withdraws.

Specifications

Name: Dannebrog Vodka 1219
Distillery: Remedia
Region/Country: Tallinn, Estonia
Type: Estonian Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 100 CL
Distillation method: Distilled five times, small batch
EAN no.: 5712421120018
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass alongside herring, rye bread and something pickled.

Flavour profile

Dry · Spiced · Aniseed and fennel · Clean close

Did you know?

Dannebrog is regarded as the oldest national flag still in use. The legend of 1219 was first written down several centuries after the battle, yet it has held up so well that it can still sell a bottle of vodka in Estonia.

See our full range of Vodka

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about Dannebrog Vodka 1219

What does 1219 stand for?

The year of the Battle of Lyndanisse, where the Danish flag according to legend fell from the sky. The site lies in present day Tallinn, and that is where the vodka is produced. The number is a historical reference rather than a vintage.

What do five distillations do to the flavour?

They clean things up sharply, yet spice remains here. Fivefold distillation removes the heaviest compounds, and still aniseed, fennel and pepper stand out clearly. That comes from the character of the wheat and a narrow heart cut rather than added flavouring.

Why Estonian winter wheat?

Because it yields a dry, firm spirit. Winter wheat is sown in autumn, overwinters in the field and develops a kernel with less water and more starch than spring wheat. Estonia has both the climate and the soil for it, and the grain comes from the same country as the distillery.

What does small batch mean in practice?

Fewer litres at a time and more control. With small runs the distiller can cut narrower and discard more of the heads and tails, which costs yield but delivers a cleaner result. Each bottling carries its own year.

Which drinks work?

The clear ones that give the spice room. A Moscow Mule is the obvious pick, because ginger meets pepper, and a Bloody Mary gains something to lean on. In an Espresso Martini the aniseed note turns out to be an asset.

Why does an Estonian vodka use Danish history?

Because the history is shared. The product was created in cooperation between Danish and Estonian parties, and 1219 is one of the few years that means something in both countries. The Danish period in Estonia left marks that can still be read in Tallinn.

What characterises Estonian Vodka?

Baltic grain and a dry, spiced style. Estonian houses often work with wheat and rye from their own fields and land closer to Polish dryness than to Scandinavian neutrality. See the other Vodka brands and compare.