Element 29 Vodka Copper Edition England 70 cl 40%

Number 29 in the periodic table is copper. That is not a flourish invented for a label but the single thing this whole vodka rests on: the metal in the still, the spiral in the bottle, and the reason the spirit needs no filtration afterwards.

Expert description

Element 29 Vodka Copper Edition is an English Vodka from Element 29, distilled from English wheat in a copper pot still and bottled at 40%.

The still has a name and an age. She is called Angela, was hand-hammered by John Dore & Co in their London workshops in 1903, and has therefore passed a hundred years of service. A pot still of that kind distils more slowly than a modern column, but in far closer contact with the metal.

And that is the point. Copper conducts heat evenly and at the same time binds the sulphur compounds that would otherwise lay a note of struck match and boiled vegetables into the spirit. Remove them on the way through and there is nothing left afterwards to cover up, so the house neither filters nor adds flavouring.

The raw materials are English wheat and spring water from Sussex. The Copper Edition bottle drops a copper spiral into the glass itself as a nod to the still — decoration rather than part of the process, but it makes the bottle hard to miss on a shelf.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and clear with a distinct lift of pepper. Behind it sits a trace of anise and a dry grain note.

Palate

Full and broad with the natural sweetness of wheat through the middle. A fine herbal thread runs across it, which keeps it from turning round and dull.

Finish

Clean and dry, with the pepper returning briefly right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Element 29 Vodka Copper Edition
Producer: Element 29
Region/Country: England
Type: English Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Distilled in a copper pot still, neither filtered nor flavoured
Edition: Copper Edition
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass, or in a Vodka Martini where the pepper gets room.

Flavour profile

Peppery · Dry · Grain-sweet · Herbal

Did you know?

John Dore & Co was founded in London in 1835 by the Irishman Aeneas Coffey and is regarded as the oldest distillery engineering business in the world. That is the same Coffey who gave his name to the Coffey still — the basic shape of virtually all continuous distillation since.

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Frequently asked questions about Element 29 Vodka Copper Edition

What is different about the Copper Edition?

The bottle, not the liquid. Copper Edition carries a copper spiral inside the glass as a visual nod to the still, while the vodka is the same as in the house's other releases.

Why is it not filtered?

Because there is nothing to filter out. Filtration is normally used to strip sulphur and fusel notes after distillation, and once the copper has taken them on the way through, an extra filtration only costs character without correcting anything.

What does distilling in a pot still mean?

That it is distilled in batches rather than continuously. A pot still works more slowly and lets more of the raw material through than a tall column does, which is why the wheat can still be tasted.

How does English wheat vodka taste?

Mildly sweet and lightly bready with a dry close. Wheat gives softer spirits than rye, while the peppery note here comes from the distillation method rather than from the grain.

How is it best served?

Cold, but not out of the freezer. An hour in the fridge is enough, and too much cold shuts down both the anise note and the sweetness. Use a small glass with a slight belly so the aroma is gathered up.

Which cocktails work?

The dry, clear ones. A Vodka Martini, a Vesper or a Gimlet let the pepper and the herbal notes through, while creamy or very sweet drinks bury them entirely. A plain Vodka Soda with lemon works too.

Does the bottle make a good gift?

Yes, it manages without wrapping. The copper spiral catches the light and gets noticed on a table, and the story of a still from 1903 comes with it. To see other bottles with that kind of history, browse our Vodka brands.