Heritage & Distillery
Portobello Road's British Potato Vodka is produced using a dual distillation process — both a continuous column still and a traditional pot still — a technique that combines the purity achievable in column distillation with the character and complexity that pot distillation contributes. Each bottle requires almost three kilograms of British potatoes, a quantity that underscores the fundamental difference between potato and grain vodka production: potatoes contain far less fermentable sugar per kilogram than grain, demanding vastly more raw material for each litre of spirit produced.
Tasting Notes
The nose is creamy and sweet — vanilla, earth, fresh cream, and a subtle green herbal note that hints at the potato's vegetable origins. On the palate, the vodka is distinctly creamy and full-bodied with rich potato character, vanilla, white chocolate, and a gentle minerality that provides structure. The dual distillation process creates a spirit of genuine complexity — the column still's clean purity and the pot still's textural richness working in complementary fashion. The finish is medium-long with lingering cream, earth, and a clean, satisfying mineral fade.
Verdict
At eight out of ten, Portobello Road British Potato Vodka is an excellent English potato vodka that demonstrates the potential of dual distillation to create spirits of genuine complexity. At under thirty pounds, it represents exceptional value for a potato vodka of this quality, and the almost three kilograms of British potatoes in every bottle is a commitment to raw material quality that commands respect. Strongly recommended.
