Most vodkas borrow their name from a river, a family or a saint. This one carries neither a place nor a lineage, only a statement: I am. That is an unusual way to introduce a Polish vodka, and the bottle is every bit as bare as the name.
Expert description
I AM Premium Vodka is a Polish Vodka made from winter wheat and soft water, bottled at 40%.
Winter wheat is a detail that matters. It is sown in autumn, stands through the Polish winter and is harvested the following summer, and that long growing season gives a grain with a higher starch content and more structure than spring wheat. It is the same grain several of the well known Polish premium vodkas are built on, and it makes for a rounder, fuller vodka than its reputation suggests.
The water is soft, meaning low in calcium and magnesium, and it matters as much as the grain. Hard water leaves a mineral, almost metallic edge that cannot be filtered out afterwards. There is neither added sugar nor colouring here, and that carries weight: vodka is in fact allowed to be sweetened slightly without the label having to say so.
The result is a very clean vodka that stays at the neutral end of the scale. It is not built to be analysed in a tulip glass, but to be ice cold, bright and reliable — either as a shot or as a base, where it is asked to do nothing except carry the drink.
Tasting notes
Nose
Very clean and almost without aroma on the first pass. Give it a moment in the glass and a pale grain note and a hint of fresh greenery appear.
Palate
Soft and cool with a lightly creamy texture. The wheat gives a discreet sweetness in the middle and there is no sharp bite anywhere.
Finish
Short and dry. The sweetness disappears quickly and a clean, almost cool impression is left behind.
Specifications
Name: I AM Premium Vodka
Producer: I AM
Region/Country: Poland
Type: Polish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Distilled from winter wheat and brought down with soft water
EAN no.: 5900274007475
Serving suggestion: Ice cold from the freezer as a shot, or in a Bloody Mary where the cleanliness lets tomato and spice lead.
Flavour profile
Very clean · Soft · Neutral · Dry
Did you know?
EU rules do in fact permit vodka to be sweetened with up to 8 grams of sugar per litre without the label having to say so. It is used to round off the alcohol and give a smoother mouthfeel. That is precisely why it is worth knowing when a house, as here, states outright that no sugar has been added.
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