Shakers American Rye Vodka

Shakers shares some talent with the folks who brought Pete’s Wicked Ale to prominence. The recipe, fermentation and filtration processes are their own, but unlike most other small producers struggling to pay off their first still, the actual distillation is done at a sizable ethanol plant.

Nose: Starts with a warm, almost hot nose, scent of wet rye grain, with some slight mineral notes, as well.

Taste: This is noticeably lighter in body than the Shakers American Wheat Vodka, much hotter and far less sweet. The taste is nutty, grainy, with some bitter/mineral taste I can’t quite pinpoint. This is so grainy it’s reminiscent of a white dog. It feels chewy on the palate, and a little yeasty.

Finish: On the finish there’s a lingering slight bitterness, with a little heat, but no burn. Mineral salt flavors linger.

Notes: Fairly well off the norm vodka, and quite far from a neutral spirit, regardless of the continuous distillation method. Seriously, I’d keep this far away from any would-be sweet or delicate vodka drink, and be content to bury it under other spirits. Better still, go off a bit into left field, and try it in a cocktail that could otherwise use a white dog. That might give the best results.

Shakers American Rye Vodka, (Infinite Spirits, Minneapolis, MN), 80 Proof, $20.95 (750ml) at Oregon Liquor Stores

(Sample provided by Infinite Spirits.)