Sobieski Estate Vodka Single Rye Polish Vodka 70 cl 37,5%

A rye field in northern Poland looks like very little in August. The ears are long, thin and slightly unruly, and the yield falls short of wheat. Dankowskie gets planted anyway, and there is a reason somebody keeps holding on to it.

Expert description

Sobieski Estate Vodka Single Rye is a Polish Vodka distilled exclusively from Dankowskie rye and bottled at 40%.

Dankowskie is an old Polish rye variety picked for flavour rather than for yield. It gives less per hectare than modern strains, but it carries a spiced, almost bready character across into the spirit, and that is the entire point of a single rye. There is no other grain in the bottle, no wheat to round the corners off.

The distillery sits in Starogard Gdański and counts among the oldest working spirit plants in Poland, with roots back to 1846. The rye runs through the house column, which at close to forty metres is the tallest in the country, and it passes through only once. One long run cleans the spirit without tearing the grain character out of it.

You notice it straight away. Sobieski Estate has not been polished down to flavourless neutrality; it lands somewhere between the clean bar vodka and the rustic old-school Polish bottlings. In the 70 cl format it is easy to keep in the freezer and pour from whenever a glass needs something spiced.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dry rye and a touch of dill. Behind it sits something mineral, close to wet flint.

Palate

Clean and angular. The grain arrives as flour and crust before a clear white pepper settles across the tongue.

Finish

Medium and dry. The pepper holds, and a faint nutty note turns up right at the very end.

Specifications

Name: Sobieski Estate Vodka Single Rye
Distillery: Destylarnia Sobieski
Region/Country: Starogard Gdański, Poland
Type: Polish Vodka
ABV: 37,5%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Single distilled in the tallest column in Poland
EAN no.: 5900226005634
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass with smoked fish, or in a Polish Mule with ginger beer and lime.

Flavour profile

Dry · Spiced · Bready · Mineral

Did you know?

There is a hall in the Vatican Museums called the Sala Sobieski. It is named after King Jan III Sobieski and dominated by Jan Matejko's enormous painting of the relief of Vienna in 1683 — the king this bottle carries the name of.

See our full range of Vodka

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about Sobieski Estate Vodka Single Rye

What does Single Rye mean?

That only one grain has been used, namely Dankowskie rye. Most vodkas are blended from several cereals or from molasses and grain, which evens the flavour out. Here everything comes from the same variety, so the character reads as more singular and more spiced.

Why is it distilled only once?

Because every extra pass takes flavour away. The rye was chosen precisely for its character, and each distillation cleans the spirit while pulling out some of what makes it interesting. The house column is tall enough to purify in one long run, so further rounds are not needed.

What is Dankowskie rye?

A Polish rye variety known for flavour rather than for a heavy harvest. It gives less per hectare than modern strains, which makes it costlier to work with, but it brings a bready, peppery quality into the spirit that disappears with more efficient cereals.

How does it taste neat?

Dry and angular with obvious grain. There is neither sweetness nor a creamy texture, but instead a floury, crusty middle and a clear white pepper at the close. Served ice cold it tightens up; at room temperature the grain comes further forward.

Which drinks work with it?

The ones where the base has to register. A Vodka Gimlet, a Moscow Mule and a simple build with tomato juice all let the rye through. In very sweet drinks it mostly turns into alcohol. See other suggestions among our Vodka brands.

What does it take to call a vodka a Polish Vodka?

The grain has to be grown in Poland, and both distillation and bottling must happen there. The designation Polska Wodka is protected in the EU and permits only rye, wheat, barley, oats, triticale or potatoes of Polish origin. Sobieski Estate meets it with pure rye.

Who was Sobieski?

Jan III Sobieski was king of Poland from 1674 and is best remembered for leading the army that broke the siege of Vienna in 1683. The Ottomans called him the Lion of Lechistan, and the lion still runs through the brand graphics today.