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FeedFrom Colorado With Love
Five Rocky Mountain vodkas meet our tasting panel.
It's the hungover aftermath of the Great American Beer Festival, and we're bloated from hops, barley and one-too-many pints of stout. Looking for a spirit to refresh our palates and to prepare our souls for the coming winter months, we turn to the purest of beverages, vodka.
The history of vodka is hard to trace, but we know at least that the name comes from the Russian zhiznennaia voda meaning "water of life." Vodka can be distilled from a variety of sources "” anything from potatoes to sugar beets "” which is all well and good, but according to most vodka experts the most important ingredient in all premium vodka is water.
"It only makes sense that Colorado is becoming known for its vodka," says Matthew Baris of Boulder's Altitude Spirits, producers of Vodka 14. "In any 80-proof spirit, you are drinking about 60 percent water, so great water might be the single most important element of a fine vodka. Vodka in particular is a beverage that has traditionally been enjoyed in colder climates, and Colorado feels like a logical spot to continue the tradition. At least, that is certainly what my family has tried to do."
In keeping with tradition "” and to blow off some steam from a long week of magazine making "” we grabbed five of Colorado's premium vodkas and our resident expert (read: Russian) Dmitri for our first (and likely only) Denver Magazine vodka tasting.
Vodka 14
Info: Vodka 14 has been Altitude Spirits' flagship product since 2005. The company is run by Boulder father-and-son duo Mitch and Matthew Baris. In its dedication to sustainability, Altitude distills with the best available, USDA-certified organic grain, and every element of the packaging, from the bottle to the synthetic cork-stopper, can be recycled. Vodka 14 is distilled and bottled on the Western slope of the Grand Tetons, allowing Altitude access to a 200-foot-deep spring that feeds the Snake River aquifer.
Tasting Notes: At room temperature, Vodka 14 has an aroma free of any overtones with a subtly sweet taste. Served chilled, it has a delicate nose and the smooth texture of a good vodka. It's very drinkable.
Dmitri Says: "This one is fit to be offered to the ladies, on the rocks, chased with orange or mango juice."
$29 "¢ 750 ml "¢ vodka14.com
CapRock Organic Vodka
Info: Peak Spirits, a boutique distillery making some noise, is located in Hotchkiss, an hour and a half southeast of Grand Junction. Peak is considered to be one of the first distilleries to use local, organic fruit to make its line of vodkas, gins, grappas and aperitifs and uses unprocessed water found atop the Grand Mesa. The beauty of CapRock Vodka comes from Jack Rabbit Hill grapes that are fermented and then distilled, leaving a distinct wine-like flavor on the palate.
Tasting Notes: A very distinct fruity flavor (bordering on fragrant) at room temperature with a refined texture and quickly developing aftertaste. Chilled, the flavor is somewhat suppressed, the smooth texture and a peppery "zing" arrive with a touch of the botanic.
Dmitri Says: "My clear favorite. Sip it at room temperature from a brandy glass or drink it neat, but do not chill it too much, or you'll miss a bit of the complexity. Have your guests guess what it is made of, and don't be surprised if they think it's a grappa. If I had to pick one, I'd keep this one in my bar."
$28 "¢ 750 ml "¢ peakspirits.com
Goat Vodka
Info: Located in Palisade, Peach Street Distillers was founded by the same men who brought Colorado the Ska Brewing Company. This boutique distillery in the heart of the fruitful Grand Valley produces brandies, grappas, gin and bourbon, but the spirit that has received the most attention is the Goat line of premium vodkas (Palisade peach"“flavored is available). Triple-distilled and bottled in Colorado, Goat is made with sweet corn grain trucked in from nearby Olathe.
Tasting Notes: At room temperature, Goat has a clear nutty flavor and a crisp kick to the teeth "” which we oddly love. When ice-cold, the nose is earthy; the texture is more obvious than some of the smoother vodkas. Simple, yet robust.
Dmitri Says: "I would serve it neat and ice-cold to my buddies along with spicy zakuskas [Slavic for tapas] such as pickles, olives, smoked sardines or caviar."
$27 "¢ 750 ml "¢ peachstreetdistillers.com
Colorado Vodka
Info: The first brand of vodka to call Colorado home was founded in Manitou Springs in 2004 by Gail and Rob Stephens of Colorado Spirits. Focusing on Colorado's famed water supply, Colorado Vodka is made with water from a spring (location undisclosed) near the Front Range. The water is shipped to a distiller in San Jose, California, where it is paired with grain grown in the Midwest. As the brand grows in popularity, bottles have been appearing in Tennessee and Connecticut.
Tasting Notes: At room temperature, an expected clean hit of grain alcohol in the nose is followed with a very smooth, almost creamy texture and leaves a slightly citric, glowing-warm aftertaste (but by then it was our third, let's say, "sip"; perhaps we were just flush in the face). Tasted cold, it has a subtle flavor.
Dmitri Says: "Very drinkable "” I'd take it chilled and neat. Would be a great mixer for cocktails."
$19 "¢ 750 ml "¢ coloradovodka.com
Colorado Gold Vodka
Info: The secret to this Cedaredge small batch distillery comes in the form of its Arnold Holstein Batch Reflux Still, which, loosely translated, means the vodka is distilled in an impressive German copper still that aids in the removal of impurities from the final batch of booze. Spring water from the Grand Mesa and the assortment of locally grown corn and wheat make this new kid on the block (the first bottle hit shelves in March) one of the smoothest on the market. Look for Colorado Gold gin by December and a small batch of Colorado bourbon by 2010.
Tasting Notes: At room temperature, this is a very smooth vodka that brings a sharp sweetness on the mid-palate and ends with a nice floral finish. Chilled, it loses a bit of the bouquet that makes it such a wonderful vodka although the texture becomes much more refined and viscous.
Dmitri Says: "This is a premium vodka for a premium palate, perfect with one or two ice cubes on a cold afternoon. A great holiday gift for the vodka lover who has everything."
$31 "¢ 750 ml "¢ coloradogolddistillery.com
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