Koskenkorva Organic Vodka Finland 70 cl 37,50%

Koskenkorva is not something a marketing agency invented. It is the name of a village in flat, windswept Ostrobothnia, where the barley fields run right up to the distillery gate and the grain often travels less than twenty kilometres to reach its final destination.

Expert description

Koskenkorva Organic is an Organic Finnish Vodka distilled from barley grown on the distillery's own and neighbouring fields, bottled at 37.5%.

The Koskenkorva distillery has been running since 1953 and is today one of the largest grain processing plants in the Nordics. The barley arrives as whole grain, is cooked, fermented and sent through a tall column, where the distillate passes more than 250 distillation stages on the way up. That kind of plant produces a very clean, nearly characterless spirit, and everything after that depends on what you do with it.

Here it is diluted with Finnish spring water and left alone. The organic barley is grown without artificial fertiliser or pesticides, and because it is not hidden behind added flavourings you can actually taste it: a dry, grainy tone under the clean surface. At 37.5% the mouthfeel is a shade lighter than a 40% vodka, which makes it easy to mix with.

Finns treat Koskenkorva as an everyday spirit in the best sense of the phrase. It is as common in the kitchen as behind the bar, and it gets drunk ice cold from small glasses at summer cabins right through July. The brand belongs to Anora, which also runs the bioenergy plant sitting next door to the distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry and cool with a clear grain character. No sweetness, no perfume, just clean barley and a hint of wet flour.

Palate

Light and mild rather than forceful. The barley shows up as a coarse, almost bready tone halfway through, and the alcohol stays in the background.

Finish

Short to medium and thoroughly dry. A small rasp of grain husk hangs on, and then it is gone.

Specifications

Name: Koskenkorva Organic Vodka
Distillery: Koskenkorva
Region/Country: Koskenkorva, Finland
Type: Organic Finnish Vodka
ABV: 37.5%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Continuous column distillation from organic barley
EAN no.: 6412700558813
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass alongside food, or as the base of a Moscow Mule or Bloody Mary.

Flavour profile

Dry · Grainy · Light · Clean

Did you know?

The barley husks from production are not thrown away. They are burned in the distillery's own bioenergy plant and cover a large share of its heating needs, while starch and protein from the grain go on to food products and animal feed. Very little of a barley kernel goes unused at Koskenkorva.

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Frequently asked questions about Koskenkorva Organic Vodka

What does organic actually mean here?

That the barley is grown without artificial fertiliser or chemical pesticides and is certified under EU organic farming rules. For a vodka that matters most to the raw material and the fields, since distillation strips out nearly everything anyway. What it also means is that no sugar or flavouring is added afterwards.

Can you taste the difference between 37.5% and 40%?

Yes, mostly in the mouthfeel. Those two and a half percentage points make the vodka lighter and less hot in the throat, and the grain gets relatively more room. For shots some prefer the stronger version, but in a drink with citrus and ice the lower strength is often an advantage.

Why is it distilled so many times?

Because a tall column effectively repeats the distillation at every stage inside the tower. Each stage removes a little more of the heavier alcohols and fusel oils, and the result is a very clean spirit. It is a different approach from pot still distillation, where character is deliberately kept.

Is it any good for cooking?

Yes, precisely because it is so neutral. It works for flambeing, for drawing flavour out of tomato in a pasta sauce, and for making homemade berry liqueurs. The dry barley tone disappears completely once it meets heat, leaving only the cleanliness.

What do Finns drink it with?

Ice cold and neat alongside food, or mixed with grapefruit or cranberry juice. The Finnish classic is a plain long drink with grapefruit soda, and with this dry grain character it is hard to argue against.

How long does an opened bottle last?

Practically indefinitely. At 37.5% there is no risk of it spoiling, but the aromas evaporate slowly once there is a lot of air in the bottle. If a quarter is left after a year it will taste slightly flatter than it did.

Who owns Koskenkorva?

The Nordic drinks company Anora, formed by the merger of Finland's Altia and Norway's Arcus. The distillery still stands in the village of Koskenkorva in Ostrobothnia. To see other Nordic houses, browse our Vodka brands.