It doesn't really get better than that. A panel of experienced tasters with discriminating palates put Tasteless Vodka at the top of the podium. 100% GLUTEN FREE if that's important to you.
From Scott and his sommelier friends...
On the nose: What nose? Not much aroma at all. Use your imagination and you might be able to smell a little ethanol but that's it.
On the palate: Is this really 100 proof? It's really smooth for 100 proof. Clean, too.
From the Barleycorn Awards...
Nice, thoughtful, and tasty. DOUBLE GOLD.
Scott Calame, founder of Leanderthal Distilling has gained a reputation for transparency and honesty in labeling in an industry where that's often in short supply. There are so-called "distillery owners" who wouldn't know how to turn on a still. There are wholesalers masquerading as distilleries who don't even own a still. Scott founded Leanderthal by distilling a product of his own creation. That experience along with lots of on-the-job training helped hone a nose and palate that leads him to what he believes are the best paths to other creations. So let's have him explain the Tasteless Vodka make in his own words...
"Federal law defines vodka as a spirit with no distinctive flavor, character, or aroma of its own. So the art of making vodka that tastes the best is making one that tastes the least. That's where the concept of Tasteless Vodka was born.
By law, all vodka is born pretty much the same way. It's how you raise it that makes the difference. For a product to be labeled vodka, regardless of what the source sugar is, it has to be distilled to a minimum of 190 proof or higher. That's 95% ethanol or higher. When you distill something that high, it loses most all connection it ever had to the source sugar whether that's corn, potato, cane, etc. An ethanol molecule from corn looks exactly like an ethanol molecule from potato.
So when someone tells me that they prefer a potato or wheat vodka, that's my first clue that they might not know as much about vodka as they think they do. They may indeed have a favorite vodka that is potato based but it's probably not the potato that makes the difference. In my view, THREE THINGS play a major role in the difference between a quality vodka and a lesser one.
1. Proof at distillation: Higher is better. The legal minimum is 190 proof. We start with a base spirt that has been distilled from corn to about 192, yielding a more complete ethanol solution. It's 100% corn so 100% GLUTEN FREE. I outsource the distillation of this base to an American industrial distiller with equipment that can get it up to the proof we need. Outsourcing also helps us put the product on the shelf for an affordable price.
2. Filtration: The more activated carbon the better. Carbon full of tiny little fissures absorb compounds that give vodka off-notes but lets the ethanol flow through. We spare no expense on the carbon filtration of Tasteless and it makes a huge difference.
3. Water: Most vodka is 60% water. (Tasteless is 50% water so you can enjoy it and make the bottle last longer by using less!) So the quality of water matters a lot. Some makers might use distilled or de-ionized water to proof but that has kind of a flat, dead mouth feel to me. We use 100% reverse osmosis purified water to proof the base spirit to is final ABV of 50%. RO water has just enough minerality left to deliver a more lively and crisp finish.
Enjoy it in a martini or your favorite mixed drink but remember it's 100 proof so you can use a little less."
For a thorough exploration of the vodka industry, download the podcast Scott created from the Leanderthal Home page.
Ask your liquor store for it, buy it at the distillery, or ORDER ONLINE from a retail partner now.
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