Jewel Of Russia Ultra Black Label Vodka

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

The Jewel of Russia Ultra Black Label Vodka has an authentic Russian character, and an ABV of 40%. It’s a true work of art, made with ancient recipes, and a blend of quality Russian hard winter wheat and rye, and pure water from deep artesian wells. This vodka is distilled five times, then filtered five times. It uses the Russian method of distillation and filtration: paper, then sand, then specially modified charcoal made of peach and apricot stones.

It gives delicate aromas with notes of tobacco and white pepper. It has a silky-smooth texture on the palate, and is slightly spicy at the onset, smoothing out to a delicate bittersweetness, and notes of stone.

PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS

Vodka is usually drunk neat and freezer chilled in the “vodka belt,” ie., Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. But it’s also popularly used in cocktails like Moscow mules, vodka tonics, Cosmopolitans, greyhounds, or Bloody Marys.

The best vodka pairing is caviar, definitely. But it also works brilliantly with sushi and sashimi—both vodka and raw fish have delicious mildness and freshness that they don’t overpower each other.

RUSSIAN WATER

The word “vodka” comes from the Slavic word, “voda,” meaning water. It’s not unanimously agreed where vodka truly originated—whether it’s Russia or Poland, but it is universally agreed that it is so popular in many Nordic and Baltic countries that it’s been dubbed the “vodka belt.”

Vodka is usually stored in the freezer. Because it has a lot of heat to it, the cold will tame that heat, and it results in a beautiful smoothness and richness.

Storage Instructions

Store your bottle upright in a cool, dark place, ideally between 12 and 15°C. Unopened bottles can last for an indefinite amount of time, but the closer you get to the bottom third of the bottle, please consume quickly to prevent oxidation and taste alteration.