Borgarnes sits on a fjord halfway up the west coast of Iceland, lava fields on one side and the Atlantic on the other. The air is so clean it is hard to describe to anyone who has not stood in it. The distillery here runs on steam from the volcanoes underground and filters its vodka through the stone those same volcanoes spat out.
Expert description
Reyka Small Batch is an Icelandic Vodka from Reyka in Borgarnes, distilled from grain and spring water running through a 4,000 year old lava field, bottled at 40%.
The interesting part of Reyka is the still. The distillery works with a Carter-Head still, a type only a handful of which survive anywhere in the world, and it is packed with copper. The copper strips out sulphur and the heaviest alcohols on the way through, which is why Reyka can get away with a single distillation where others run the spirit through a column five or six times. Character is kept rather than polished off.
The water comes from a spring running through a lava field around 4,000 years old, containing almost no minerals. After distillation the spirit is filtered through lava rock, which is porous in a different way from activated charcoal and leaves the vodka crisp rather than softly rounded. Batches are small, and each distillation takes about five hours.
The result is not a neutral vodka. There is clear citrus on the nose, a spiced edge mid palate, and the alcohol shows up as a warmth that burns a little. Some would call that imperfect, others would call it character. Reyka belongs in the second camp, and that is why it holds its ground in drinks where a wholly characterless vodka simply vanishes.
Tasting notes
Nose
Plenty of citrus, mostly lemon peel with a trace of grapefruit. Beneath that sits a clean, cool minerality with no sweetness.
Palate
Classic grain vodka with a clear citrus streak and a spiced edge of white pepper. The alcohol burns a little and gives a drink something to stand on.
Finish
Spiced and dry, medium length. The citrus holds longest while the pepper slowly withdraws.
Specifications
Name: Reyka Small Batch
Distillery: Reyka
Region/Country: Borgarnes, Iceland
Type: Icelandic Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Single distillation in a Carter-Head still, filtered through lava rock
Serving suggestion: Ice cold and neat in a small glass, or in a Moscow Mule where the citrus meets the ginger.
Flavour profile
Citrus · Spiced · Mineral · Crisp
Did you know?
Reyka's master distiller is called Þórður Sigurðsson, and he also looks after the village fire engine and police car. In a coastal town of a couple of thousand people there is no room for only doing one thing.
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