Five
years ago, when I first tasted Van Gogh Cool Peach
and Dark Chocolate, the good folks at the Royal Dirkzwager
Distilleries just had a handful of flavored vodkas. Today,
they have over twenty, and there just seems to be no end to
where they are headed next. In my wildest dreams, I never
imagined the need for PB&J flavored vodka or Mojito Mint,
but apparently, they did. So what's next, salami flavored
vodka?
Being
of Polish descent, I am supposed to be prejudiced towards
Polish vodkas, and don't get me wrong, there are some mighty
fine Polish and even Russian vodkas out there; after all,
they are the ones who started it all. Well, depending on whom
you're arguing with and how many shots of vodka you've had,
Russians will claim they distilled vodka first, while the
Polish also claim to be the first. Who really did it first
is obscured by the ages, but in the long run, it really doesn't
matter because today you can get great vodka from virtually
every corner of the globe. Van Gogh vodka comes from Holland;
France makes some darn fine vodkas as well, and you can even
get great vodka from Austin, Texas and Dayton, Ohio - go figure.
The
one thing every distiller seems to do that I really don't
understand is lowering the proof of their vodkas when they
flavor them. Unflavored Van Gogh Vodka is 80 proof while all
their flavored vodkas come in at 70 proof. At any rate, they've
all been pretty tasty, and the different proof levels are
hardly noticeable. I really liked the Peach and Dark Chocolate
and loved the unflavored vodka, so I have high hopes for their
Pomegranate and Dutch Chocolate; let's get to it.
Let's
start with the Pomegranate vodka. This vodka
is the red color of a pomegranate that only FD&C red #40
can provide as stated right on the bottle. It actually has
a milky red coloring that really looks like pomegranate juice.
The nose certainly is reminiscent of pomegranates, as well
as strawberries and oranges and even has a hint of caramel,
although not a trace of alcohol. On the palate, the pomegranate
flavor takes center stage, followed closely by the orange.
Interestingly enough, it is also quite tart with just enough
sweetness to balance out that taste quite nicely. At first,
I get the tartness and then right behind that comes the sweetness,
almost in lock step. It is also very smooth with just the
slightest bit of spiciness. The finish is short but fruity
and sweet and sour, with a trace of a tingle in the throat.
I like this pomegranate vodka and can imagine using it in
quite a few mixed drinks where I believe it would play nice
with the other ingredients without getting lost and not overpowering
the other players. By the way, it makes for an interesting
martini as well.
Hey,
Master Distiller Tim Vos, if you're looking for your next
Van Gogh flavor I would like to recommend sour apple, as that
is one of my all time favorite vodka martinis.
Next
up is the Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate, which
is uncommonly transparent in the bottle much like their unflavored
vodka. I was rather expecting something of a brownish color
at the very least, but let's soldier on! In the snifter, the
color becomes a pale yellow, but all that color nonsense quickly
disappears as I get my first smell of this vodka.
My
nose is filled with the wonderful aromas of cocoa, vanilla,
coffee, and caramel, and dare I say, chocolate covered pretzels
of all things. I get absolutely no alcohol vapors, and more
than being ready to sip this vodka, I am ready to bite into
it. It is beautifully thick and oily on the palate, and the
chocolate is very discernible followed subtly by the caramel
and coffee. It is very smooth with no bite, no bitterness,
no sting much like a good piece of chocolate should be. The
finish is just as enjoyable and it truly feels like I had
just bitten into a piece of fine chocolate. The finish only
lasts a short while, but that's good enough reason to take
another sip and start the whole process all over again. I
swear, I could honestly have a Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate martini
instead of a piece of chocolate cake for dessert after a fine
dinner and not miss the cake one single bit.
These
vodkas are both 70 proof and available in 750ML bottles for
between $24.99 and $27.99
Other
Related Links:
Cool
Peach Vodka and Rich dark Chocolate Vodka
PB&J
Vodka
By George Brozowski
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