Product: Blue Ice Organic Wheat Vodka Producer: Distilled Resources, Inc. Approximate Retail Value: $30 for 750 ml Category: Vodka Country of Origin: Idaho, USA Reviewer: D. Kearney Sparano The F Words: Flavor – A little spicy. Feel – Can be slightly harsh. Finish – A little rough.

Rating:

I have never heard of Blue Ice Vodka until recently, though it does make sense that Idaho has a distillery specializing in vodka. For this review, I had to get acquainted with Blue Ice Vodka and I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.

Created in 2001, Blue Ice Vodka is a venture by Distilled Resources, Inc. The idea was to showcase the beauty and purity of Idaho’s natural resources. Like many small distillers, quality and product are the paramount. Part of their distillation process involves a four-column apparatus that allows the distillers to have more control over the distillation process, and thus the flavor. After that, their vodka is put through five stages of filtration including  fine charcoal, filter press, garnet or crystal, travertine, and submicron.

Now all of this is done for their potato vodka. I am only assuming that it is a similar process for their organic wheat vodka. I have gone into detail of what it means to produce organic vodka in my review of Sunshine Vodka. Simply put, though, it is vodka made from grain, or any produce, that was grown and cultivated without pesticides or chemicals.

To make their new wheat vodka, Blue Ice is used a type of wheat called “winter wheat.” It is well known in the vodka community. Winter wheat is a type of wheat that is planted between September and December and not cultivated until the following fall. It is used most notably in Absolut vodka. I am slightly confused by Blue Ice’s decision to make this vodka though, since on their website they tout the virtues of potato vodka. “Grains, including wheat, corn, rye, barley and oats, produce vodka with a recognizable harsh bite and coarse finish. According to the Master Distiller, potatoes bring a subtle flavor and mellowness to vodka, which cannot be matched by those that are grain based.” For me, it all comes down to taste; I’ll drink vodka distilled from soylent green, if it tastes good.

So, what does this vodka taste like? To start, I poured some right out of the very attractive bottle, with an interesting icicle relief on the back, straight into my glass. There was no particular aroma to it, but then again does vodka ever really have one? My first sip was stunning as I was hit with a double shot of an ethanol bite coupled with a peppery spice note. Not exactly smooth. As it rolled back over the tongue at times it could be harsh and at others effervescent. It was an odd experience and not what I was expecting at all. However, when a couple of ice cubes are added, the vodka changes dramatically. All the smoothness that was promised is delivered. My opinion quickly changed as it became excellent drinking vodka, with just a hint of spice and no ethanol kick.

Blue Ice vodka is good, but what it requires for it to be excellent is right in the name: ice. With ice, it becomes a fantastic sipping vodka, as a mixer though I am uncertain about it. The spicy notes might make it hard to just put it into any drink. Luckily on their site they have a recipe page, so if you become a devotee of this brand they have suggestions for other cocktails and ways to enjoy it.