Esmé Vodka Black Shield Reserve

The usual floral aroma from Esmé is absent. Curious, as I anticipated the standard version to be the less distinctive and more common one (not necessarily a negative). The taste is sweet, mirroring the standard Esmé, but it possesses a richness with an odd, somewhat industrial bitterness. I can't claim it's unpleasant, but it's far from exceptional. It carries a hint of sulfur. It's also quite abrasive, despite a pleasant peppery warmth accompanying the roughness. Considering the sulfur and harshness, I struggle to rate it highly. Unfortunately, this isn't particularly enjoyable. There is, in fact, a subtle floral note. What's peculiar is that the standard Esmé suggests a cleaner, superior vodka base with added floral notes, while this seems like a lesser vodka incidentally possessing floral qualities. It exhibits a small degree of complexity. However, I can only rate this a 10 at its peak. I appreciate the sweetness and floral (almost fruity) nature, along with the depth imparted by the sulfur. The sulfur itself is a drawback, however, which is a significant issue. I'm leaning towards an 8 to 10 range, settling on a 9.

After researching since my last tasting, I've realized this situation is similar to Winchester Extra Smooth, where the more elaborate name belongs to the inferior product, explaining why this isn't as good as the standard Esmé. It's considerably less enjoyable. I'm immediately met with sulfur and sweetness. It's somewhat like the vodka equivalent of Clan MacGregor; there are intriguing and potentially pleasant flavors present, but the sulfur is so overpowering that it makes the spirit difficult to consume. I believe my previous assessment was overly lenient, unfortunately. Yes, the sweetness and floral notes are nice, but this exhibits significant sulfur and harshness. I would even be hesitant to use it in mixed drinks.

The alcohol content is excessive.