Pub Snippets..

VODKA FROM THE CASCADES

Wine & Spirits Magazine - June 2001

By Harriet Lembeck

A new "handcrafted" vodka from Bend, Oregon, joins a multitude of other vodkas on the shelf. This one comes in a cool-looking frosted bottle with an inviting picture of Crater Lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Best of all, it tastes good. What a pleasure to have an American vodka that follows the regulations for American vodka, which is to have no significant color, aroma or taste; and which also doesn't try to make a statement with a hokey package.

Crater Lake American Vodka is distilled from grain, using copper pot stills at the Bendistillery micro-distillery. It is filtered through charcoal and crushed lava (although the BATF has not required charcoal-filtration for the last 30 years). Nosed neat, the vodka is clean, with a slight vanilla note, and is not volatile. Cut 50 percent with water, the vanilla remains, and some slight fruitiness appears. It's smooth and slightly sweet, reminiscent of the floral style of premium Russian vodkas - all in all a job well done.