Nauti Vodka

Nose: Earthy, sweet fungal notes, white pepper, savory vegetal aromas, clay, squash, sautéed onion and green pepper, vanilla, with a mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste: Vanilla, sweet and salty earthy, fungal notes, white and chili pepper, cooked vegetables, ginger, powdered sugar, lemon pith, a mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with savory, oily cooked vegetable, sweet vanilla, and salty pepper flavors. This vodka is made from sweet potatoes grown on the distillery's farm in Cape May, New Jersey. It is definitely the most full-flavored vodka I've encountered and likely will again. If someone told me this was a diluted tequila, I'd probably believe them. The nose is extremely vegetal and savory, similar to the stale aroma from a dirty pan used to cook vegetables the previous night. However, it's not as unpleasant as it sounds. The palate is similar, with more vanilla sweetness. There's also a citrus quality not detected on the nose. The combination of sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, and savory is quite appealing. Overall, this is a very solid sipping vodka, provided you enjoy the flavor profile. I suspect tequila aficionados (and I count myself among them) might appreciate it. The significant drawback, however, is that it's so far from neutral that it doesn't mix well in standard vodka cocktails. I'm sure certain concoctions would be delicious, but I can't recommend this as an everyday vodka. Nonetheless, I'm rating it neat, and it deserves a high score. Given that I enjoy the profile, I'd often prefer drinking this over a common bourbon.