Lignell & piispanen Gustav Dill Vodka Finland 70 cl 40%

Dill belongs to a Finnish summer the way a swimming jetty and boiled new potatoes do. It goes in the crayfish pot, it goes over the grilled salmon, and at Lignell & Piispanen in Kuopio it has gone into the still.

Expert description

Gustav Dill Vodka is a Finnish Vodka from Lignell & Piispanen in Kuopio, aroma distilled from Finnish dill and bottled at 40%.

The house goes back to 1852, when Gustav Ranin founded the business in Kuopio, and the Gustav range carries his first name. The company is still officially called Oy Gust. Ranin and sits to this day in the same town beside Lake Kallavesi in Northern Savonia.

The dill is not added as an essence afterwards. It is aroma distilled in small batches, so the herbal character is drawn out through distillation itself rather than through blending. It is a handmade way of working, and it gives a noticeably cleaner dill character than a flavoured vodka usually carries.

The result is dry rather than sweet. The dill lies as a green, faintly aniseed tone across a smooth vodka base, with a mild spiced warmth through the middle. It stands up to being drunk neat from a cold glass, but it truly shows itself with tonic, where the quinine and the dill pull in the same direction.

Tasting notes

Nose

Freshly cut dill, clear and clean. A touch of fennel seed and green apple sits behind it.

Palate

Dry and smooth. The dill fills the middle with a light aniseed sweetness, and a mild peppery spice comes through towards the end.

Finish

Medium and herbal. The green note hangs on while the alcohol leaves almost without heat.

Specifications

Name: Gustav Dill Vodka
Distillery: Lignell & Piispanen
Region/Country: Kuopio, Finland
Type: Finnish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Aroma distilled from Finnish dill, handmade in small batches
EAN no.: 6435302618617
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a Vodka Tonic with a sprig of dill, or neat in a small glass alongside cured salmon.

Flavour profile

Dill · Dry · Herbal · Smooth

Did you know?

The distillery runs both a factory outlet and an Arctic Bar in Kuopio, where you can taste your way through the range on site. The Gustav name covers more than vodka too: there is a gin and a lingonberry and cloudberry liqueur under the same first name.

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Frequently asked questions about Gustav Dill Vodka

Does it taste strongly of dill?

Yes, but not like a marinade. The dill is clear on the nose and through the middle of the palate, and it reads dry rather than sweet. Think of a freshly cut sprig rather than dill sauce and you are close.

What does aroma distilled mean?

That the dill is distilled together with the spirit rather than blended in afterwards. The aroma therefore arrives through the vapour instead of as an added essence, which gives a cleaner and less perfumed expression.

How is it best drunk?

With tonic. The bitterness of the quinine lifts the green side of the dill, and a sprig of fresh dill in the glass closes the circle. Neat and ice cold in a small glass works too, especially alongside food.

Which food suits it?

Anything from the Nordic kitchen that already gets dill. Cured and smoked salmon, boiled crayfish, new potatoes with butter, herring plates and fish soup. It also works surprisingly well with a plain cucumber salad.

Can it be used in cocktails?

Yes, anywhere a herbal edge is an advantage. A Bloody Mary becomes more coherent, a Gimlet with lime gains something green to rest on, and a Dirty Martini turns broader. Avoid sweet fruit juices, which knock the dill out.

Is it a flavoured vodka?

Technically yes, but it does not behave like one. There is no added sweetness and no artificial fruit perfume, only one raw material given room to speak. That makes it feel closer to a schnapps tradition than to a flavoured vodka.

Who is Gustav?

Gustav Ranin, who founded the business in Kuopio in 1852. The company still carries his name officially, and the whole range of vodka, gin and liqueurs is named after him.

What else does Lignell & Piispanen make?

Liqueurs, gin and vodka built on Nordic raw materials. The house works a great deal with berries such as cloudberry and lingonberry and also makes Tom of Finland Vodka. To compare other houses, browse our Vodka brands.