Some bottles are built for the other side of the bar. Merchant's Choice was put together for bartenders who need an English vodka that does its job and otherwise keeps out of the way of everything else in the shaker.
Expert description
Merchant's Choice Classic Vodka is an English Vodka distilled from British grain and bottled at 40%.
The brand comes from Symposium, an independent British spirits merchant that assembled a range of craft spirits with bar use in mind. Alongside the vodka there is a London Dry Gin in the same range, and the two are meant to stand side by side behind a bar rather than on a collector's shelf.
The vodka itself is distilled from grain in Great Britain and aims at a clean, crisp mouthfeel. There is neither botanical nor added flavouring in it; the whole ambition is that it should carry a cocktail without drawing attention to itself.
It is not empty for all that. A clear citrus note sits at the front, and beneath it a soft vanilla that means it can also be drunk neat if it is cold enough. Pepper arrives only right at the very end and reads more as a sensation than an actual flavour.
Tasting notes
Nose
Pale and clean with obvious citrus peel. A hint of vanilla sits underneath it.
Palate
Crisp and smooth with sharp citrus notes up front. The vanilla comes in halfway and rounds the edges off.
Finish
Short and dry with a discreet press of pepper. No bitterness is left behind.
Specifications
Name: Merchant's Choice Classic Vodka
Producer: Merchant's Choice
Region/Country: England, Great Britain
Type: English Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Distilled from British grain
EAN no.: 5021692001149
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass, or as the base of a Vodka Collins or a Cosmopolitan.
Flavour profile
Clean · Crisp · Citrus-led · Soft vanilla
Did you know?
Vodka is one of the most tightly defined spirit types in law: the distillate has to be purified to at least 96% alcohol before it is diluted back down. That is why the difference between two vodkas so often lies in the water and the filtration rather than in the raw material.
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