Ketel One Vodka 70 cl 40%

Schiedam sits wedged in just west of Rotterdam and has been burning grain since the seventeenth century. At the town's peak, several hundred distilleries and malt mills stood side by side. A handful are left today, and one of them has had the same family in charge since 1691.

Expert description

Ketel One Vodka is a Dutch Vodka from the Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, distilled from 100% wheat and bottled at 40%.

The Nolet family has run the distillery for eleven generations, but the vodka is young by house standards. Carolus Nolet put it into production in 1983, and the name comes from Distilleerketel #1, a coal-fired copper pot still from 1864 that still stands on the floor in Schiedam. Part of the spirit comes off that still, the rest from modern columns, and the two are blended at the end.

After distillation the spirit runs over loose charcoal and then rests in tile-lined tanks until bottling. Every single batch is tasted by a member of the family before it is approved. It sounds like marketing, but it is how the house has worked from the start.

The combination of pot still and column is the whole difference. The column cleans, the copper pot still adds weight, and the result is a vodka that is neither empty nor heavy. That middle position is why it has ended up among the most called-for vodkas behind the bar in the world's best bars, as measured by trade titles such as Drinks International.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and clean with a clear stroke of lemon peel. Underneath sits a pale wheat note and a suggestion of honey.

Palate

Crisp and light in the mouth. The wheat gives a fine sweetness, citrus lifts the middle, and a short dry warmth arrives towards the end.

Finish

Long by vodka standards and distinctly dry. The citrus note lingers without any sharp edges appearing.

Specifications

Name: Ketel One Vodka
Distillery: Nolet Distillery
Region/Country: Schiedam, the Netherlands
Type: Dutch Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Distilled from 100% wheat in copper pot still and column, filtered over charcoal
EAN no.: 8711566013701
Serving suggestion: Cool and neat in a small glass, or in a Dirty Martini where the citrus note carries the olive.

Flavour profile

Crisp · Citrus · Honey · Dry

Did you know?

The Nolet family has raised a windmill beside the distillery in Schiedam. It is called De Nolet, ranks among the tallest windmills in the world and supplies power to the production. Sails turning above a distillery are an unusual sight in a town otherwise known for its chimneys.

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Frequently asked questions about Ketel One Vodka

What does the name Ketel One mean?

It refers to Distilleerketel #1, the distillery's coal-fired copper pot still from 1864. The still is still used for part of the spirit, and the name was chosen to point straight at it. Ketel is simply the Dutch word for kettle.

Is it distilled in a pot still or a column?

Both. Part of the spirit comes off the copper pot still, the rest from modern columns, and the two streams are blended afterwards. The column handles the cleanliness, the pot still the weight in the mouth. The family has used that combination since 1983.

What is it made from?

Wheat and water, nothing else. No potato, no corn and no mixed grain bill. The wheat is the reason for the pale, lightly honeyed tone sitting under the citrus note.

How is it best drunk?

Cool rather than ice cold. At freezer temperature both the lemon peel and the wheat sweetness disappear, while around ten degrees lets both come forward. A small glass with a tapered rim does more for it than a shot glass.

Which drinks suit it?

The clear, dry ones. A Dirty Martini, a Vodka Soda with lemon, or an Espresso Martini where the citrus cuts through the coffee. In very sweet drinks the detail is lost. See more options in our range of Vodka.

What is the difference between Ketel One Vodka and Ketel One Botanical?

Botanical is not a vodka but a spirit distilled with fruit and botanicals and bottled at a lower strength. This bottle is the house's straight vodka at 40%, with no flavouring and no added sweetness. If you want the base spirit, this is the one.

Who owns Ketel One?

The Nolet family and Diageo run the brand together in a joint venture signed in 2008. The distillery in Schiedam remains the family's own, and a family member still signs off every batch before it may be bottled.