ELG Danish Premium Vodka 40%

Most distilleries filter through charcoal, sand or ceramic. Here the alcohol vapour passes through gold. Not as decoration on the label, but as a physical part of the final distillation, up in North Zealand a stone's throw from Fredensborg.

Expert description

ELG Vodka is a Danish Vodka from Stone Grange near Fredensborg, distilled from wheat and bottled at 40%.

Behind the ELG name stands Henrik Elsner, a trained bio-organic chemist who built the Stone Grange distillery from 2009 onwards. The name sounds English, but neither the address nor the production is: everything happens on Fredensborgvej, and the house also makes gin, aquavit, absinthe, vermouth and liqueur.

The vodka is wheat based and run on a German hand-built copper column still. During the final distillation the alcohol vapour is led through two specially developed filters of 24 carat gold. The point is not luxury but chemistry: gold is close to chemically inert and gives up neither metallic flavour nor oxidation products to the spirit, the way less noble metals can.

The result is a vodka that does not try to be anonymous. The wheat is allowed to lay down a mild grain sweetness that holds all the way across the mouth, and none of the sharp edges are there that otherwise make people drown vodka in juice. It stands up to a small glass on its own.

Tasting notes

Nose

Pale and clean. A light sweetness from the wheat sits there with a hint of lemon peel, without any kind of harshness.

Palate

Round and smooth with an obvious softness from the outset. Grain sweetness fills the middle, and only right at the end does a small lift of white pepper arrive.

Finish

Short, dry and clean. The sweetness lets go quickly and leaves no bitterness behind.

Specifications

Name: ELG Vodka
Distillery: Stone Grange
Region/Country: Fredensborg, Denmark
Type: Danish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Copper column, filtered through two filters of 24 carat gold
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass, or as the base of a Bloody Mary where the grain sweetness can carry the spices.

Flavour profile

Soft · Clean · Lightly grain-sweet · Round

Did you know?

Stone Grange also makes brandy and marc from grapes off the distillery's own vineyards. Danish vineyards rarely turn up in the same sentence as distilled spirits, yet here they end up in the bottle.

See our full range of Vodka

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about ELG Vodka

Can you taste the gold?

No, and that is exactly the intention. Gold is chemically sluggish and does not dissolve in alcohol, so no metallic flavour or particles travel with it. The filter contributes by declining to contribute — it is a surface that leaves no print of its own on the spirit.

What does the wheat bring to the flavour?

A mild, bready sweetness and a soft mouthfeel. Wheat is the gentlest of the classic vodka grains, where rye gives pepper and barley gives more weight. That is why wheat vodka is so often described as round rather than sharp.

How is it best served?

Properly cold but not frozen. Half an hour in the freezer tightens it without shutting the aroma down, and a small tulip-shaped glass holds the scent. If it goes into a drink, pick one where the vodka can still be felt.

Which cocktails work?

The clean, simple ones. A Vodka Martini, a Vesper or a Moscow Mule let the softness through, while heavy, creamy drinks bury it. The sweetness also handles a dry tonic surprisingly well.

Why is a Danish distillery called Stone Grange?

It is a farm name rather than a foreign connection. The distillery sits on Fredensborgvej in North Zealand, and everything from fermentation to bottling happens in Denmark. The name confuses people now and then, but the production is Danish throughout.

How long does an opened bottle keep?

Several years if the stopper seals tightly. Vodka is far too strong to spoil, but the aroma gradually fades once a lot of air sits in the bottle. Kept dark and cool, that happens slowly.

What do small batches do for the flavour?

Mostly they give control. When a few hundred bottles are run at a time, the distiller can cut the heart narrower and discard more of the heads and tails. It costs yield but delivers a cleaner spirit. To compare other houses, browse our Vodka brands.