Ultimat Premium Polish Vodka 70 cl 40%

Some bottles are worth keeping after the last glass. Ultimat arrives in a cobalt blue crystal decanter with thick walls and a single small air bubble suspended in the middle of the glass. The bubble is not a flaw. It is placed there deliberately, and every decanter is inspected before it is filled.

Expert description

Ultimat is a Polish Vodka distilled from wheat, rye and potato alike, bottled at 40%.

The combination is the unusual part. Polish vodka is almost always made either from grain or from potato, because the two raw materials behave differently through fermentation and distillation and each needs its own handling. Ultimat does both and blends afterwards, with every ingredient playing a role: wheat for softness, rye for spice and clarity, potato for body and weight.

It shows up most clearly in the mouthfeel. Pure grain vodkas are often light and direct, while potato vodka is thicker and fuller, almost oily. This one sits between the two, a fat, dense texture with a dry, peppery edge from the rye laid over the top. It fills the mouth more than the alcohol percentage alone would suggest.

The decanter is meant to match the contents. The thick cobalt blue crystal is heavy to lift, the stopper sits firmly, and the shape looks closer to a perfume flacon than a spirits bottle. If you are giving vodka to someone who would never buy it themselves, this one is hard to argue with.

Tasting notes

Nose

Discreet and clean with a trace of wheat bread. Behind it sits an earthy tone from the potato, clearest when the vodka is not fully chilled.

Palate

Fat and dense in the mouth with a soft sweetness on the attack. The rye arrives halfway with dryness and white pepper, and the potato supplies the weight underneath it all.

Finish

Long for a vodka, dry and lightly peppered. No sharpness at the end, just a receding warmth.

Specifications

Name: Ultimat
Producer: Ultimat Vodka
Region/Country: Poland
Type: Polish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Distilled from wheat, rye and potato
Serving suggestion: Cool and neat in a small glass, or in a Vodka Martini where the texture gets room to spread.

Flavour profile

Full bodied · Peppery · Soft · Dry

Did you know?

The term Polska Wodka is protected in the EU in much the same way as Champagne. To use it, both the grain and the potato must be grown in Poland and the entire production has to take place in the country. It is one of the few corners of the vodka world where origin is actually written into law.

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Frequently asked questions about Ultimat

Why mix grain and potato in the same vodka?

Because the two raw materials each deliver something the other cannot. Wheat contributes softness, rye brings spice and edge, potato adds body and weight. It is rarely done, because both have to be fermented and distilled separately first.

Can you actually taste the potato?

Not as potato, but as texture. Potato vodka has a denser, almost creamy mouthfeel, and it is obvious here, particularly if you do not serve it straight from the freezer. Ice cold, you mostly register the texture rather than the light earthy tone.

What is the bubble in the decanter?

A deliberate detail in the crystal, not a production fault. The small air bubble sits in the thick base and is checked as part of quality control. In ordinary bottle production a bubble would be grounds for rejection.

How is it best drunk?

Cool rather than ice cold, in a small glass with a tapered rim. Around ten degrees you get both the texture and the pepper from the rye, while freezer temperature shuts the aromas down and leaves pure texture. In a Martini it performs superbly, precisely because of the body.

Is it too heavy for a citrus cocktail?

No, but it changes the character. The body from the potato carries citrus juice better than a light grain vodka, and a Vodka Sour or a Cosmopolitan turns rounder. For a plain Vodka Tonic it is arguably too much.

Can the decanter be reused?

Yes, and that is rather the point. The thick crystal and heavy stopper make it well suited to water or wine on the table once the vodka is gone. Rinse it with lukewarm water and no detergent and it keeps its shine.

What does Ultra Premium mean on a vodka?

Nothing legally defined. It is a marketing term producers use for their most exclusive tier, and no common definition exists. Look at raw material, distillation method and bottling strength instead. To compare houses, browse our Vodka brands.