Review: Hard Truth Cinnamon Vodka
Hard Truth Cinnamon Vodka is one of over 20 spirits crafted in Nashville Indiana in a state of the art 18,000 square foot distillery surrounded by 325 acres of native forest, they opened in 2017. Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka. It is sourced from the inner bark of several tree species. There are four main types of cinnamon. Hard Truth does not publish details as to which cinnamon type they use in crafting their cinnamon vodka. The vodka base is made from 100% wheat and is distilled on a Vendome Copper & Brass distilling system. It is infused with two natural sources of cinnamon and lightly sweetened with pure cane sugar. Caramel color is added before bottling at 60 proof. Read more 
Review: Elevate Vodka
Elevate Vodka is one of several spirits crafted at Mile High Spirits in the Denver Ballpark Neighborhood. It was originally distilled on a glass still, but it is currently distilled on a custom German built Arnold Holstein copper still. Following the same formula as Tito’s, Elevate is distilled 6 times from 100% corn. Mile High Spirits sources locally grown Colorado corn. Once distilled the vodka is proofed with pure filtered Rocky Mountain water. When the last drop is gone, bring the bottle to their downtown Denver tasting room for a drink on the house. Read more
Review: Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Irish Vodka
If the red bottle doesn’t get your attention sitting on the liquor store shelf next to the other brands clear vodka bottles, the name, Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Irish Vodka will. First of all the bottle is red. The vodka is colorless. The vodka is also unflavored. Irish vodka and gin have grown in popularity as more Irish Whiskey distilleries open and they need a source of income while their whiskey is barrel aged. The Shed Distillery was founded in 2014 by P.J. Rigney in Drumshanbo Co. Leitrim. In April 2015, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin was their first product released, but it was not their first product produced. The first was Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, but the whiskey needed to be barrel aged. They currently also craft Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin with Sardinian Citrus. From the curious mind of PJ Rigney Sausage Tree Vodka starts with Irish grain. The grain is distilled on a German built two column copper still handcrafted by Arnold Holstein. Sausage tree fruit, and Irish nettle are added before distilling again. Few production details are provided but it is bottled at 86 proof. Sausage Tree’s grow in Africa and are named such because of the sausage shaped fruit that grows on the tree. These fruit are poisonous to humans if consumed raw, but they are edible raw for some animals. Sausage fruit is a popular ingredient in African beer. Drumshanbo Sausage Tree Vodka was introduced March 2018 in Dusseldorf Germany. Where else would a vodka distilled in Ireland with African grown sausage tree fruit be launched. Read more
Review: Valentine White Blossom Vodka
Valentine White Blossom Vodka is not your typical flavored vodka. The Valentine Distillery starts with the well crafted Valentine Vodka base that is made from a blend of 25% barley 25% red Michigan wheat, and 50% corn. It is small batch distilled in a 225 gallon Christian Carl still with two 35 foot columns housing 42 trays. The spirit is slow filtered for 24 hours in a double false bottom 50 gallon drum through a proprietary activated carbon system made from coconut shells and reduced to proof with water filtered through reverse osmosis. Finally the spirit is aerated to oxidate the vodka. This is where the award winning Valentine vodka is hand bottled. Valentine White Blossom takes this vodka base and infuse elderflower, and grapefruit, and sweetens with natural beet sugar from Michigan grown sugar beets. Read more
Review: General John Stark Vodka
General John Stark Vodka is distilled from apples, primarily Macintosh grown on Apple Hill Farm in Concord New Hampshire. The fresh apple juice arrives in 2200 gallon quantities. The juice is fermented for 7-10 days using two separate strains of yeast. The spirit is triple distilled on a 15 tray custom Christian Carl column still over the coarse of 24 hours. It then rests for a few weeks before it is cut to proof and bottled. General John Stark Vodka is named for the Revolutionary War soldier who during a speech uttered the phrase “Live Free or Die.” This phrase is still the New Hampshire state motto. The distillery sits on a former dairy farm that was switched to a vineyard in 1987 with the planting of the first grapes. By 1990 they were bottling wine. In 2004 the Flag Hill Distillery opened. Today they also produce whiskey, gin, rum, liqueurs, and brandy. Read more
Review: Xplorer Potato Vodka
Xplorer Potato Vodka is made at the Kilimanjaro Distillery in Allentown Pennsylvania. Father and daughter Kishor and Niky Chokshi were both born in Tanzania. They came to the US and opened their distillery September 2016. Xplorer Potato Vodka was launched October 2016. They currently produce several spirits including Peanut Butter Whiskey, Peach Bourbon, Chocolate Bourbon, Honey Bourbon, Gin, Penna Dutch Apple Pie, and their first spirit, Xplorer Wheat Vodka. Xplorer Potato Vodka is made with Pennsylvania grown potato’s. It is distilled 12 times and processed with 24-karat gold. A percent of profits go to provide clean drinking water to communities in need through the Tanzania water project. Read more
Review: Sinpatch Vodka
Sinpatch Vodka is a true farm to glass spirit crafted in a former dairy barn in Wassaic New York. John Dyson owner of Williams Selyem Winery and his Son in Law Joel Levangia founded the Tenmile Distillery. Sinpatch is named for the road the distillery was build on. Legend has it 300 years ago a local minister once described the area as nothing but a patch of sin due to the gambling houses, brothels, and saloons that populated the area. Tenmile Distillery currently only sells Sinpatch Vodka, and Listening Rock Gin while their first batches of Little Rest American Single Malt Whisky, barrel age. All of the spirits are crafted by Master Distiller Shane Fraser who joined Tenmile after serving as Master Distiller for Wolfburn Distillery, the most northerly malt Whisky Distillery in Scotland. Tenmile is made from locally grown wheat. The spirit is distilled through a pot still and a Coffey still with a special reflux condenser at the top. It is then filtered through activated charcoal made from their own recycled oak whisky barrels. Read more
Review: Blaum Bros Vodka
Blaum Bros Vodka is made at Blaum Bros. Distillery in the historic town of Galena Illinois, once the home of our 18th President of the US, Ulysses S Grant. The distillery was founded by brothers Matt & Mike Blaum who found the only way they could get along together was to drink whiskey with each other. So they decided craft spirits together. They currently produce bourbon, rye, gin, absinthe, vodka, and Hellfyre Vodka, a vodka made with Jalapenos, Habaneros, and black pepper. All of the spirits are milled, mashed, fermented and distilled on site. Blaum Bros. Vodka has been on our radar for sometime due to their unique blend of local wheat and rye. While their website still talks up this unique blend they have moved on from that blend, and now make their vodka from locally grown corn. Read more
Review: R6 Blue Corn Vodka
R6 Blue Corn Vodka is made from a blend of 100% organic California Blue and Yellow corn mash. It is distilled 20 times in a German Kothe still and reduced to proof with reverse osmosis water and carbon filtered prior to bottling. The R6 Distillery was founded by their Head Distiller Rob Rubens. Rob fell in love with the art of distilling after an unplanned visit to a New Orleans Rum Distillery. He currently also crafts bourbon, whiskey, rye, and caramel flavored whiskey. Read more
Review: Persian Reed Vodka
Persian Reed Vodka is crafted by Stillwagon Distillery in Coos Bay Oregon with molasses and sugar from sugar cane grown in Louisiana and Texas. Stillwagon Distillery is best known for their craft rums which they make over a dozen varieties but they also craft distill gin, whiskey, falernum and vodka. Persian Reed takes its name from a historical reference to sugarcane from the Romans who found sugarcane cultivated by the ancient Persians around 300 BC. The Persians called sugarcane “the reed that produces honey without bees”. Persian Reed Vodka is small batch distilled three times and reduced to proof with pure spring water. Read more