Heritage & Distillery
Portobello Road Distillery continues to demonstrate its knack for inventive flavour combinations with this bergamot expression, which draws on one of Italy's most prized and geographically specific citrus fruits. Calabrian bergamot — the bitter orange variety grown almost exclusively in the toe of Italy's boot and best known as the aromatic heart of Earl Grey tea — provides a flavour profile of extraordinary complexity: simultaneously citric, floral, and faintly bitter, it is a botanical that demands careful handling and rewards it handsomely.
Production
The bergamot zest is sourced from Calabria and infused into Portobello Road's potato vodka base, a process that extracts the fruit's essential oils while preserving its characteristic bitterness. The potato base spirit, richer and more textured than a wheat equivalent, provides the structural weight necessary to support the bergamot's delicate aromatics without overwhelming them. The balance achieved here is genuinely impressive — the bergamot is allowed to sing without becoming shrill.
Tasting Notes
The nose is intensely aromatic — bergamot zest dominates with a quality that immediately evokes the finest Earl Grey tea, accompanied by lemon blossom and a subtle floral undertone that prevents the citrus from becoming one-dimensional. On the palate, the vodka is bright and elegantly perfumed, with bergamot oil, soft citrus marmalade, and delicate lavender notes balanced by the creamy potato base that provides welcome substance. The finish is medium-long, with bergamot peel bitterness and a hint of orange blossom closing with clean sophistication.
The Serve
Serve in a Martini with a twist of lemon peel for a cocktail of remarkable elegance, or simply over ice with a premium Mediterranean tonic. This vodka also makes an exceptional base for a Bee's Knees variation, where the bergamot harmonises beautifully with honey and lemon.
Verdict
Another triumph from Portobello Road — the bergamot infusion is handled with genuine skill, and the potato base provides the textural foundation that allows the citrus to shine. A flavoured vodka of genuine sophistication at a very fair price.
