Touko Laaksonen drew under the name Tom of Finland for decades in which his subject matter was illegal across most of Europe. Today his work hangs in museums, and it stands on a vodka bottle from his home country.
Expert description
Tom of Finland Vodka is a Finnish Vodka from Lignell & Piispanen in Kuopio, distilled five times from organic wheat and rye and bottled at 40%.
The grain is organic wheat and rye, a combination less common than it sounds. Wheat brings softness, rye brings spice, and together they land somewhere between the Polish rye style and the milder Scandinavian one. The water is arctic, and nothing at all is added, neither colour nor sugar.
Five distillations and a subsequent sheet filtration are what make it smooth enough that there is practically no burn. That is a technical point with a practical consequence: it can be drunk neat at room temperature without needing to hide behind cold.
The label is not decoration. Laaksonen drew his figures from the 1940s onwards, and they became iconic at a time when homosexuality was criminalised in Finland. A share of the profit from every bottle goes to the Tom of Finland Foundation, which works to preserve erotic art.
Tasting notes
Nose
Completely clean. A fine trace of rye bread crust and a hint of aniseed, with no sharp alcohol on the nose.
Palate
Silky with no burn. Vanilla and cream soda first, then a spiced rise with cracked black pepper and a touch of star anise.
Finish
Medium and mild. The spice fades slowly and leaves a soft, clean impression behind.
Specifications
Name: Tom of Finland Vodka
Distillery: Lignell & Piispanen
Region/Country: Kuopio, Finland
Type: Finnish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 50 CL
Natural colour: Yes
Distillation method: Five times distilled from organic wheat and rye, sheet filtered, reduced with arctic water
EAN no.: 6430043095000
Serving suggestion: Neat and cool in a small glass, or in a Vodka Martini where the rye spice gets room.
Flavour profile
Organic · Silky · Rye-spiced · Black pepper
Did you know?
Drawings by Tom of Finland were printed on Finnish postage stamps in 2014, and the release became one of the most requested stamp designs the Finnish post has ever issued. The same artist now stands on the label.
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