By
George Brozowski
Are
you confused over infused vodka and flavored vodka?
That's probably because they can either be very similar or
completely different. Adding to the confusion is the fact
that the good old boys down at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax
and Trade Bureau don't define either one, and they don't even
hold distillers to any set of standards.
Infused usually means that the vodka has been steeped with
real fruit, spices, and nuts and left to absorb the flavors.
From a pure marketing point of view, Infused also sounds more
natural than flavored. Flavored vodka on the other hand can
mean the vodka was either steeped with some real ingredients
and/or flavored with extracts or other chemicals to mimic
targeted flavors.
Infuse
Vodka does it the old fashioned way and imports their oranges
and apples and cloves and cinnamon and other fruits and spices
from top growers and lets them steep in their corn based,
gluten free, Kansas vodka. The bottles are simply beautiful.
They are oval and tall and feature an artistic and modernistic
tree growing up the right side of the bottle. There is also
a signed strip of paper at the bottom front of the bottles
that guarantees that each bottle contains all natural small
batch vodka with real fruit. And the piece de resistance is,
of course, the fruit slices and peels floating freely inside
each bottle. It is simply a very nice and very appealing presentation.
So now, let's get into those bottles and see what they taste
like.
The
first one up is the Lemon Infusion with real
lemon peels floating in the vodka. The nose is very lemony
and citrusy and acutely sharp just like a real lemon would
smell. There's also a sweetness that reminds me of lemon pie,
yet there are no ethanol vapors getting in the way. The palate
is smooth and citrusy, tart and a bit sweet, and I can fully
appreciate the lemon zest flavor that comes through very distinctly.
It's almost like sucking on an actual lemon but without all
that puckering up. The vodka flavor takes a smooth back seat
to all those up front flavors yet makes its presence felt
without overpowering. The finish is, of course, smooth and
lemony and sweet, and this is where the vodka finally comes
center stage; it is very well made and goes down delightfully.
The finish is short and sweet leaving just the slightest of
tingles. This is really one delightful lemon infused vodka
that can be consumed straight up and also makes one hell of
a martini.
Next
up is the Infuse Vodka Orange Clove. I do
believe the nose leans a bit towards the clove but is firmly
backed up by the orange and the whole thing comes together
like a great Christmas ham, with no ethanol vapors getting
in the way. There is also a tart, citrusy sweetness. The palate
is warm and sugary, with the cloves and oranges playing nicely
together and nobody fighting to get up front. I wasn't sure
how I would feel about the cloves and oranges combination,
but I have to admit that it works very well. The finish is
again short but sweet and citrusy, with the vodka taste making
a strong finish but not too strong. It leaves behind a pleasant
taste with a slight tingle. This Orange Clove infusion is
certainly sweet but not as sweet as the previous lemon infusion.
They are both quite nice.
And
last, but I'm sure not least, is the Cinnamon Apple
infusion. Damn if this nose isn't just about the
best apple pie I have ever smelled. No kidding. The cinnamon
comes in first, quickly followed by baked apples and just
the right amount of sugar, with absolutely no ethanol vapors
getting in the way. On the palate, it acts almost like an
apple liqueur, with a strong apple and alcohol taste, followed
gently by the cinnamon. It is smooth, sweet and slightly tart,
and just a bit smoky.
The
finish is tart and smooth and leaves an apple pie crust taste
in the mouth that doesn't last too long. I swear you could
make a Christmas dinner from the orange clove infusion, followed
by a desert of cinnamon apple infusion and just skip the food
altogether.
Depending
on where you look, you can find Infuse Vodka in 750ML bottles
for anywhere from $22.99 up to the high $20's and they all
weigh in at 40% ABV. That, by the way, is a great price point
for a super-premium vodka.
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://www.infusevodkas.com/