Firestarter Vodka Premium Moldova Vodka 40%

Moldova is best known for its vineyards and for the cellars that run for kilometres into the limestone. But the country also carries a distilling tradition that survived two hundred years of Russian rule. Firestarter is built on a recipe from the 1800s.

Expert description

Firestarter Vodka is a Moldovan Vodka made from winter wheat, triple distilled and filtered five times through platinum, bottled at 40%.

Winter wheat is sown in autumn, stands through the frost and is not harvested until the following summer. The long growing season packs more starch into the grain, and that gives a spirit with more body and a clearer sweetness than summer wheat delivers. The raw material carries this whole vodka.

Two moves set it apart. During the final distillation the spirit is run through honey, without that showing up as sweetness — it registers instead as a richness in the mouthfeel. The vodka is then filtered five times through platinum, which strips the last sharp edges away without scrubbing out the grain.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and close to neutral. A pale grain note, a suggestion of meadow flower and something wet and stony in the background.

Palate

Smooth with a fine wheat weight. Pepper arrives halfway through, and a light acidity keeps the whole thing in balance.

Finish

Short and clean. The pepper hangs on for a moment before everything closes down quietly.

Specifications

Name: Firestarter Vodka
Producer: Firestarter
Region/Country: Moldova
Type: Moldovan Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Triple distilled, five times platinum filtered
Serving suggestion: Ice cold as a shot with spiced food, or in a Vodka Tonic with a slice of lemon.

Flavour profile

Smooth · Wheat bodied · Lightly peppery · Fresh

Did you know?

Firestarter has previously been sold in a container shaped like a fire extinguisher. The name is not merely an attitude, then — it has been taken entirely literally on the shelf.

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Frequently asked questions about Firestarter Vodka

Does it taste of honey?

No. The honey goes in during the last distillation, and the sugar does not travel over in the vapour. What remains is a rounder, slightly richer mouthfeel rather than sweetness. You will not be able to point at honey in the glass.

What does platinum filtration do?

It polishes. Filtering through platinum removes the last sharp compounds that give bite and burn, and five passes is a lot by ordinary standards. The result is smooth, yet the grain character has not been scrubbed away entirely.

Why do they use winter wheat?

Because it gives more to work with. Winter wheat overwinters in the soil and ripens more slowly than summer wheat, gathering more starch in the grain. More starch means more sugar for the fermentation and a fuller spirit.

How is it best drunk?

Ice cold in a small glass, preferably with spiced food. It is built to take the temperature, and the cold sharpens the acidity that can otherwise get lost. As a room temperature tasting exercise it is less interesting.

Which cocktails suit it?

Essentially all the classics. The mild profile means it does not fight the other ingredients, whether that is a Vodka Tonic, a Cosmopolitan or a Moscow Mule. See more options among our Vodka brands.

What characterises Moldovan spirits?

Agriculture, first and last. Moldova is one of the most farming-driven countries in Europe, and both wine and spirits are built on local crops rather than imported alcohol. It is a tradition that has run without a break for centuries.

Is it too strong to drink neat?

No, 40% is the standard strength for vodka and entirely drinkable neat. Firestarter is also among the milder examples thanks to the filtration, so it burns less than many others at the same strength.