Puffing Billy The Border Distillery England Steam Vodka 70 cl 40%

An old power station in Hawick is full of copper again. The town lived on tweed and wool until the mills closed, and in 2018 steam started coming out of the chimney once more. Puffing Billy is the name of the still that steam comes from.

Expert description

Puffing Billy Steam Vodka is a Scottish Vodka from The Borders Distillery in Hawick, distilled from 100% Scottish Borders malted barley and bottled at 40%.

Please note: the distillery sits in Hawick in the Scottish Borders, that is in Scotland close to the English border. Older Danish product listings have placed this vodka in England.

The barley is grown within 35 miles of the distillery, and the house does the whole job itself. First a spirit is pot-distilled from the malted barley, then the distillate takes another trip through a specially commissioned Carterhead still. That still is the one named Puffing Billy, and the bottle is named after it.

A Carterhead still is rare and normally used for gin, where botanicals hang in a basket up in the neck and meet the rising vapour. Here the basket is filled with charcoal instead. The spirit is steamed through the charcoal while still in vapour form, rather than filtered as a liquid afterwards. The house calls it steam smoothed and claims to be the only producer in the world working this way.

The point is that ordinary filtration would take the grain character with it. Because the vodka is never filtered as a liquid, the malt is still in the glass and the texture is distinctly creamy. This is a vodka with something to say, even on its own.

Tasting notes

Nose

Surprisingly fruity for a vodka. Tropical fruit and citrus peel sit on top, with a soft malted layer underneath.

Palate

Creamy and round. Foam banana and a light vanilla sweetness from the barley, followed by a point of white pepper.

Finish

Medium and soft. The grain sweetness slides away slowly and leaves a clean, almost milky impression behind.

Specifications

Name: Puffing Billy Steam Vodka
Distillery: The Borders Distillery
Region/Country: Hawick, Scottish Borders, Scotland
Type: Scottish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Pot distilled from malted barley and redistilled in a Carterhead still, steamed through charcoal, unfiltered
EAN no.: 5060395417246
Serving suggestion: Neat over ice, in an Espresso Martini where the creamy texture carries the coffee, or in a mule with apple juice and ginger beer.

Flavour profile

Creamy · Malted · Tropical fruit · Unfiltered

Did you know?

The Borders Distillery occupies the town's nineteenth-century electricity works and was the first malt whisky distillery in the Scottish Borders for almost two hundred years. The region had not had a single one since 1837.

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Frequently asked questions about Puffing Billy Steam Vodka

What does steam smoothed mean?

That the spirit is cleaned as vapour rather than as liquid. The vapour is sent through charcoal inside the still during distillation itself, where ordinary vodka is filtered afterwards. The method removes harshness without also removing grain character.

Is it filtered?

No, not as a liquid. That is the whole idea behind the bottle and the reason it is noticeably fuller than a standard vodka. Charcoal contact happens in vapour form, and the distillate then goes straight on without further filtration.

What is a Carterhead still?

A still with a botanical basket in the neck that the spirit vapour has to pass. It is normally used for gin, where the basket is filled with juniper and spices. Here it is filled with charcoal, which is an unusual use of an already rare type of still.

Why is it called Puffing Billy?

After the still it is made in. The distillery christened its Carterhead still Puffing Billy, and the bottle took the name with it. The name also points to the role steam plays in production.

How does it taste next to an ordinary vodka?

Fuller and fruitier. Where many vodkas are filtered down to almost nothing, this one keeps tropical fruit, malt and a creamy texture. You can drink it neat without hunting for something to mix it with.

Which drinks suit it?

The ones where texture gets a role. An Espresso Martini turns full and almost dessert-like, a Bloody Mary gains a softer base, and with apple juice, lime and ginger beer it becomes a mule with an edge. In a very dry Martini the malt can get in the way.

What else does The Borders Distillery make?

Blended Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky and gin. The house is behind Kerrs Gin and a run of experimental whisky bottlings, among them the Lower East Side and Clan Fraser names. To compare other houses, browse our Vodka brands.