Review: NEFT Vodka
NEFT Vodka is one of the most hyped vodka’s we have ever reviewed. NEFT received a 98 rating from The Tasting Panel Magazine, as well as scoring two consecutive Double Gold Medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2018 and 2019. Vinepair.com also named NEFT one of their 20 Best Vodkas. NEFT has been on our radar for some time. Jeff Mahony acquired the brand the end of 2018, and he has significantly increased distribution. NEFT, Vodka was conceived of by Alexander Kuzmina a third generation petroleum engineer from Western Siberia. Neft is the Russian word for oil. This explains the oil barrel Neft is packaged in. The container itself is more than just a nod to the oil industry, or a marketing gimmick. Aluminum is unbreakable and lighter weight than glass, reducing freight costs. Aluminum is more recyclable, chills faster and keeps the vodka cold longer than glass for picnics and trips to the beach. NEFT is crafted at Destillerie Freihof, a 130 year old family run distillery in Lustenau Austria. It is made from 4 grains of ancient rye species, Rapidly, Amato, Pollino, and Askari. The 100% NON GMO rye is farmed locally in Lower Saxony. NEFT is distilled three times in a copper pot still. A proprietary carbon-layer filtration process follows. Oxygen rich Alpine spring water from beneath the Rhawtian Alps of Austria is blended to proof the spirit. It takes 50 years for this water to make its way traveling through slate and granite from its source to their secured aquifer. No additives or sweeteners are added. NEFT donates 50 cents from every barrel sold to one of six charities they support. Read more 
Review: Chopin Rye Vodka
Chopin Rye Vodka was launched March 2011. Rye joins the Original Chopin Potato, and Chopin Wheat Vodka. It is produced at a distillery located in the picturesque village of Krzesk Poland with a history dating back to the 1900th century. The Dorda family acquired the distillery in 2003, restoring its traditional operations to their former splendor as well as modernizing it’s bottling and packaging facilities. Chopin Rye Vodka is cultivated from farm to bottle with the finest naturally grown golden rye grown within 25 miles of the distillery. The vodka is distilled in the distillery’s original four column copper still. It is then filtered five times. Purified artesian well water is blended before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Koval Vodka
Koval Vodka is a true grain to bottle vodka made from 100% Non GMO Organic rye grown by contracted local farmers. The rye is milled onsite. The water is sourced from Lake Michigan using a natural charcoal purification method. Koval translates to blacksmith but also refers to new ventures, and to forge in new directions. The Koval Distillery was the first legal distillery in Chicago since Prohibition. It was established in 2008 by Robert and Sonat Birnecker. Koval Vodka is twice distilled in a custom built pot still handcrafted in Germany by Kothe Destillationstechnik. The final product is bottled on site. Read more
Review: Potocki Wodka
Potocki Wodka, pronounce Po-toht-ski Vood-ka, is created from the highest quality rye sourced from fields around their distillery in Central Poland. It is produced in small batches from a family recipe. Fresh from the harvest each August the grain is milled and cooked under pressure. Yeast is then added to start fermentation. The mash goes through two slow distillations in a column still. Pure distilled water is blended to reduce to 80 proof. The unfiltered vodka is left to rest for a few days before bottling. Potocki Wodka was first produced by Alfred Potocki who inherited the Lancut Castle Estate in 1816. The estate included Polands second oldest distillery. Production was stopped in 1944 due to World War 2 and then brought back in 2002 by the Potocki family. Today Jan-Roman Potocki tastes every batch of Potocki Wodka to ensure maximum quality. The Pilawa, a two and a half cross is the Potocki coat of arms, and is prominently featured on each bottle of Potocki Vodka. Read more
Review: Xellent Vodka
Xellent Vodka is crafted by Andreas Affentrager a third generation distiller whose Grandfather Hans Affentrager built the distillery in 1918. Xellent is made with Picasso and Matador Rye grown by only 18 farmers in small fields in Central Switzerland in the Alpine foreland at heights of 500-800 meters above sea level. It is triple distilled starting in a traditional small copper alembic still. A second distillation follows in a copper column still with 45 bubble cap trays. A third distillation completes the process. The vodka then rests for several months before pure Titlis glacier water from the Swiss Alps is blended with the vodka to reduce to 80 proof. Read more