Tasting Vestal's vintages side by side is one of the great pleasures of the vodka world, and the 2011 Kaszebe provides a fascinating counterpoint to the richer, more opulent 2010 release. Same region, same potato variety, different growing season — and the result is demonstrably different.
Where the 2010 was all richness and depth, the 2011 is more structured and restrained. The nose offers earth and warm potato with a savoury, almost umami quality, but there is an elegant mineral thread running through it that gives the spirit a leaner, more focused character. On the palate, the creaminess is still very much present, but it is balanced by a firmer structure and a slightly more pronounced minerality.
The roasted potato flavour is excellent — genuine and characterful, with a gentle nuttiness that adds complexity. The finish is long and earthy, with the mineral backbone providing a clean, dry close that is deeply satisfying.
At just over twenty-three pounds for a fifty-centilitre bottle of genuine vintage vodka, this represents extraordinary value. Vestal remain one of the most important voices in the vodka world, and their commitment to expressing terroir through this most maligned of spirits is both admirable and delicious.
