Wodka Vodka The Original Polish Rye WÓDKA Vodka 40%

Rye is the grain of Poland. It grows where wheat gives up, it bakes into bread that keeps for a week, and in distilled form it is the backbone of the country's vodka tradition. WÓDKA sticks to a single rye variety and lets it decide everything.

Expert description

WÓDKA Vodka is a Polish Vodka distilled solely from the Dankowskie Golden rye variety, five times column distilled and bottled at 40%.

The rye comes from a single estate and is distilled just outside Kalisz in central Poland. Dankowskie is the variety Polish producers themselves point to when genuine rye vodka comes up, and it is grown for exactly this purpose. After five passes through the column, the spirit is filtered twice through charcoal burned from Polish birch.

Five distillations sound like a road towards the neutral, but the aim here is different: to clean without removing. The rye character still stands clearly in the glass, and that is precisely what the judges rewarded when the vodka took Double Gold and was named Overall Best Vodka at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2017.

Tasting notes

Nose

Vanilla and freshly baked rye bread, with a clear scatter of black pepper on top.

Palate

Full and broad. The rye carries all the way with a bready sweetness, while pepper cuts a dry line through the middle.

Finish

Long and fine. Almond and rye bread linger, and white pepper arrives on its own at the close.

Specifications

Name: WÓDKA Vodka
Producer: WÓDKA
Region/Country: Kalisz, Poland
Type: Polish Vodka
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Distillation method: Five times column distilled, filtered through birch charcoal
Serving suggestion: Ice cold in a small glass with herring or smoked fish, or in a Bloody Mary where the rye has something to say.

Flavour profile

Rye spiced · Bready · Peppery · Full

Did you know?

The word wódka is a diminutive of woda, the Polish word for water. Translated directly it means little water — a modest title for something that has been the subject of state monopolies and court cases over which country invented it.

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Frequently asked questions about WÓDKA Vodka

What does Double Gold mean at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition?

That every single judge awarded gold in a blind tasting. Ordinary gold takes a majority; Double Gold takes unanimity. That WÓDKA was also named Overall Best Vodka in 2017 means it stood at the top of the entire vodka field that year.

What kind of rye is Dankowskie?

A Polish rye variety grown specifically for distillation. Polish producers regard it as the best starting point for a genuine rye vodka, because it delivers both bready sweetness and the dry spice note rye is known for.

How does rye vodka differ from wheat vodka?

Rye is the more talkative of the two. Wheat brings softness and a mild sweetness, while rye lays in pepper, bread and a dry edge. If the vodka is to be drunk neat or noticed through a drink, rye is usually the more interesting choice.

How is it best drunk?

Ice cold in a small glass, preferably with food. The Polish habit is to drink it beside something salty and rich, and it works: herring, smoked fish, pickled cucumber or a plate of sausage and rye bread.

What does filtering through birch charcoal do?

It removes the heaviest and sharpest compounds without compromising the grain. Birch charcoal has been used in Polish and Russian vodka production for centuries, and two passes are enough to smooth the spirit without making it anonymous.

Can it be used in cocktails, or is it too characterful?

It can certainly be used, but choose with care. In a Bloody Mary or a Moscow Mule the rye plays well against spice and acidity. In a very delicate drink it may take up too much room. More ideas sit in our range of Vodka.

Where in Poland is it made?

At a distillery just outside Kalisz in central Poland. The town is one of the oldest in the country, and the surrounding area is farming land, which is the whole reason the rye can come from a single nearby estate.