Sobieski at Tales of the Cocktail

We went to enjoy the lunchtime circus in the room taken over by Sobieski and Imperial Brands. Definitely not craft distilling, given their huge presence in Europe, but when at Tales of the Cocktail…

Anyway, a very fun atmosphere with music, samples of vodka drinks made with muddled kiwi, and some tasty pirogies. While I didn’t take part in the make your own cocktail bar I did take it upon myself to get a sip of the Sobieski vodka straight. It’s a smooth, slightly sweet vodka that I can see working well in many cocktails. It has a very clean feel and finish, so it won’t impart much personality of its own, but especially at the price point, it’s an excellent choice for most bars, and likely soon to go head to head for my house vodka.

Ah, but more interesting items were tucked over in the corner. They brought an excellent bison grass vodka named Wisent with a nose reminiscent of a grassy olive oil. The grassy and herbal/vegital characteristics came though on the taste, with some spice to the finish. I can see using this in some nice savory cocktails. This is not yet available in the states, so you other Tales folks should try to get a taste now, or lobby for its import.

Also not yet in the states is their Sweet Bitter. It had notes of citrus, anise, and cinnamon, and reminded me of Becherovka, but noticeably more smooth and mellow. Another digistif I’d like on my shelf, once they start importing it.

The Krupnik honey vodka was also very enjoyable, and tasted just like honey, with less of the floral notes, and obviously, with some octane to it. While labeled a vodka, this would fit more in my liquer cabinet, than in my liquor cabinet.