Winter Palace Vodka

Winter Palace vodka is made from wheat grown in the north of France and is distilled six times then combined with fresh spring water from the Cognac region. The result is a spectacularly smooth, clean and refreshing vodka that has become one of my new favorites. It is best compared to the likes of Belvedere, both vodkas are smooth, lack the bite most vodkas have and have some flavor to them, despite the "flavorless" profile of vodka. If you are looking for a truly impressive vodka that stands out from the rest I strongly suggest seeking out a bottle of Winter Palace.

I have had the opportunity to taste all of the vodkas produced by Emperor Brands and, while each of the portfolio is spectacular in its own right, Winter Palace is at the top of my list. It's comparable to Belvedere and rivals Charbay on my list of favorites and thankfully is within the same $30/bottle price range.

There's no specific way that I can recommend drinking Winter Palace, I like them all. I would definitely not recommend masking it in a cocktail. Just as in Emperor's case (which I found Winter Palace to be much more refreshing), the simpler vodka cocktails do this vodka justice. The Vodka Martini, Ginger Martini and Cosmopolitan are examples of cocktails in which I've seen Winter Palace shine. In speaking with Zina Mashin, President of Emperor Brands, I learned that many women who enjoy wine have been sold on an easy mix of equal parts white cranberry juice and Winter Palace. They liken it to the taste of wine and it's a drink I intend to test when the next Winter Palace bottle arrives.

Tasting Notes:
Winter Palace has a sweet, grainy nose with a hint of citrus and herbs. The palate is extremely smooth and the refreshing spice and citrus are the perfect balance that stimulates the taste buds. The finish is short and clean, lacking the "vodka bite" which is a pleasant change of pace.