Walter writes long-form features that explore the stories behind spirits — the people, places, and ingredients that give each bottle its character. A former travel journalist, he has visited over two hundred distilleries across thirty countries spanning gin, whiskey, vodka, and beyond. He contributes features and culture pieces across Gin.Directory, Whiskeyful.com, and TheVodka.Shop. His writing has appeared in Condé Nast Traveller, Monocle, and The World of Fine Wine.
Review
A fascinating piece of drinks history, this 1970s bottling of Pimm's No.6 Cup — the vodka-based variant — offers a glimp...
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March 10, 2026
Review
Orkisz revives the ancient grain spelt for this mild, nutty Polish vodka. The forgotten cereal brings a delicate sweetne...
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March 8, 2026
Review
Hepple's single-botanical flavoured vodka extracts extraordinary tropical fruit and pine character from Scottish border ...
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February 28, 2026
Review
Arbikie's Haar vodka — named after the sea mist that rolls across their coastal Highland farm — is made from wheat grown...
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February 25, 2026
Article
Two of the world's most prestigious vodkas go head to head — French wheat elegance meets Polish rye character.
Walter Graves
February 20, 2026
Review
A limited edition collaboration between Absolut and Belgium's Tomorrowland festival. The same smooth Swedish wheat vodka...
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February 19, 2026
Review
Inspired by the French Riviera, 06 Vodka Rosé infuses French wheat vodka with Provençal rosé wine extract. The result is...
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February 18, 2026
Review
Sipsmith's Sipping Vodka is exactly what the name promises — a vodka designed to be sipped and savoured rather than drow...
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February 10, 2026
Article
American craft upstart against 300 years of Dutch distilling tradition — which everyday premium vodka deserves your shel...
Walter Graves
February 10, 2026
Review
From Puglia's famous bread-making town, Altamura Vodka uses local Altamura wheat to create a smooth, creamy spirit with ...
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February 10, 2026
Review
Eristoff is a budget-friendly vodka that delivers on its promise of smoothness. Triple-distilled from 100% grain, it has...
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February 8, 2026
Review
From the shores of Lake Victoria comes this distinctive coffee vodka built on estate-grown sugar cane spirit. A genuinel...
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February 5, 2026
Review
Kavka marries plum and apple in a Polish rye vodka from the ancient town of Sandomierz. The orchard fruits complement th...
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January 30, 2026
Review
Arbikie's Tattie Bogle is a genuine field-to-bottle potato vodka from the Scottish Highlands. Made from Maris Piper, Kin...
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January 25, 2026
Article
Two Polish potato vodkas at vastly different price points — is the premium worth it, or does the budget option punch abo...
Walter Graves
January 25, 2026
Article
From Belvedere's single estate ryes to Reyka's Icelandic lava filtration — how place and provenance are redefining premi...
Walter Graves
January 18, 2026
Review
An extraordinary Australian vodka distilled with sustainably foraged marine botanicals. Manly Spirits have created somet...
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January 18, 2026
Review
Brennen & Brown's Cardamom & Plum vodka is a distinctive flavoured spirit from the Cotswolds, cold-distilled with local ...
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January 15, 2026
Review
Elit represents the absolute pinnacle of Stoli's distillation art. The patented freeze-filtration process — cooling the ...
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January 15, 2026
Review
Tito's has become one of America's most successful craft vodka stories, and the liquid justifies the hype. Six times dis...
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January 12, 2026
Review
A kosher caramel vodka liqueur that leans firmly into its sweet, toffee-driven character. Best enjoyed over ice or as a ...
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January 7, 2026
Review
Ciroc's Mango expression combines Ugni Blanc grape spirit with Carabao mango flavour for a creamy, tropical vodka. The g...
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January 5, 2026
Article
The myth of "flavourless" vodka is dead. How base ingredients, water source, and distillation method create vastly diffe...
Walter Graves
January 5, 2026
Review
Produced from Hokkaido sugar cane, triple-distilled and quadruple-filtered, Eiko is a light and elegant Japanese vodka w...
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January 5, 2026
Review
Finlandia Mango is a well-executed flavoured vodka that benefits from the brand's characteristically clean base spirit. ...
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December 30, 2025
Review
A small-batch Icelandic vodka filtered through ancient lava rock and made in one of only six Carter Head stills in the w...
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December 30, 2025
Article
Charcoal, silver, quartz, lava rock — how different filtration methods shape the character and smoothness of your vodka.
Walter Graves
December 28, 2025
Article
Creamy and full-bodied versus clean and crisp — we break down the fundamental differences between potato and grain-based...
Walter Graves
December 15, 2025
Article
Not all vodkas work in a Martini. We test 10 bottles to find which ones deliver the perfect balance of smoothness and ch...
Walter Graves
December 8, 2025
Review
A beautifully composed Southeast Asian-inspired flavoured vodka featuring pandan, lime zest, makrut leaves, and ginger. ...
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December 5, 2025
Review
A wonderful piece of vodka history. This 1950s bottling of Eristow — now known as Eristoff — was produced by Martini & R...
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December 2, 2025
Article
From Belvedere to Zubrowka, Poland's vodka tradition spans centuries. We explore why Polish vodka remains the gold stand...
Walter Graves
November 28, 2025
Review
Fresh and fruity with a dry finish and genuine flavour integrity. Stoli Razberi delivers authentic raspberry character t...
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November 26, 2025
Review
Stone Gaze presents black raspberry vodka in its striking Medusa-head bottle — a bold, bittersweet berry spirit that com...
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November 22, 2025
Review
A premium blend of Polish grain and potato vodka that combines the best of both worlds — grain sweetness with potato cre...
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November 19, 2025
Review
Infused with fresh lemon zest using the same five-step small-batch technique as the core expression. A brilliant lemon v...
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November 14, 2025
Article
From Absolut Citron to Belvedere Pink Grapefruit — the flavoured vodka market has exploded. We separate the craft from t...
Walter Graves
November 10, 2025
Review
A handmade Ukrainian vodka of exceptional refinement, Staritsky Levitsky Private Cellar is rested for sixty days before ...
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November 10, 2025
Review
Portobello Road infuses its British potato vodka with Calabrian bergamot zest, producing a delicately floral, citrus-for...
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November 5, 2025
Review
Distilled from Braeburn and Gala apples grown in the Kent countryside, Eve is a beautifully crafted English vodka with g...
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November 5, 2025
Review
Tried and True delivers soft French winter wheat at a generous 44% ABV, creating a full-bodied, creamy vodka with pronou...
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October 30, 2025
Review
Mikkeller's Citra Dry Hopped Vodka is one of the most genuinely innovative spirits on the market. The legendary Danish g...
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October 25, 2025
Review
Bimber's blackcurrant vodka uses half a kilogram of real blackcurrants per bottle, combined with their quadruple-distill...
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October 25, 2025
Article
Column still, pot still, continuous distillation — how the number of distillations and method shapes the vodka in your g...
Walter Graves
October 25, 2025
Review
A charmingly eccentric English vodka from Shandy Hall in North Yorkshire, distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Br...
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October 19, 2025
Review
Cossack Vodka is an old-school London-produced spirit from J&J Vickers, bottled at a robust 43%. It is rough around the ...
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October 15, 2025
Article
Ciroc pioneered grape-based vodka, but a new wave of producers are proving that wine grapes can create exceptional spiri...
Walter Graves
October 10, 2025
Review
Royal warrant holder since 2007, Utkins produces this organic barley vodka using pure British water. A clean, honest spi...
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October 10, 2025
Review
Firefly pioneered the sweet tea vodka category from their Wadmalaw Island distillery in South Carolina, and this remains...
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September 22, 2025
Review
Cîroc's coconut expression infuses French grape spirit with tropical character for a smooth, creamy flavoured vodka. A c...
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September 22, 2025
Review
An extraordinary survivor from Poland's Polmos distillery, this early-1990s bottling of honey vodka offers a window into...
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September 20, 2025