Most vodkas work at taking everything out. This one puts something back in. Three days of milk thistle and elderflower sitting in the spirit, and suddenly the bottle smells more of a June hedgerow than of a spirits shelf. It is made and bottled in Glasgow.
Expert description
Pincer Botanical Small Batch Vodka is a Scottish Vodka made from wheat, macerated with milk thistle and elderflower and bottled at 38%.
The foundation is a clean wheat vodka and soft Scottish water. The botanicals then go in and stay there for three days before being taken out again. This is not a gin method with the herbs redistilled, but a plain maceration where time and temperature do the work. The result is a vodka that is still clear in the glass but has picked up a creamy texture and a distinct floral tone.
Milk thistle is the more interesting of the two. Its seeds have been used in folk medicine for the liver for centuries, and that is the entire reason this plant was chosen. The brand therefore carries a reputation as the vodka that does not give you a hangover. Do not believe it and do not plan an evening around it — but the herb does deliver a dry bitter edge that keeps the elderflower sweetness in check.
The 38% is a deliberate decision. At a slightly lower strength the volatile floral notes step forward while the alcohol warmth stays in the background. That makes it easier to drink neat than the figure suggests, and it works in a Martini without needing to hide behind vermouth.
Tasting notes
Nose
Floral and sweetish. Elderflower first, clear and almost like cordial, then a green herbal note and a stroke of wheat grain.
Palate
Creamy and round in the mouth. Elderflower fills the front, and the dry bitterness of the thistle arrives behind it as a counterweight.
Finish
Medium length and dry. The flower drops away quickly and a lightly bitter, herbal impression is left behind.
Specifications
Name: Pincer Botanical Small Batch Vodka
Producer: Pincer Vodka
Region/Country: Glasgow, Scotland
Type: Scottish Vodka
ABV: 38%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Wheat vodka macerated for three days with milk thistle and elderflower
EAN no.: 5060084950245
Serving suggestion: In a Vodka Martini, or with mediterranean tonic and a leaf of mint.
Flavour profile
Floral · Creamy · Herbal · Lightly bitter
Did you know?
The plant gets its English name from an old legend. The white veins in its leaves were said to be milk from the Virgin Mary, spilled while she was nursing. The Latin name Silybum marianum still carries her name, and the plant is called Mary's thistle in several languages.
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