Debowa Wódka Rozrywkowy G-7 Granat

Debowa Polska distils this vodka in the village of Siedlec in western Poland, from grain and clear local water. The base spirit is distilled several times and filtered through charcoal, which pulls fusel oils and impurities to leave a soft, clean grain character. As with the rest of the range, the trick is the strip of oak set inside the bottle: in contact with the spirit it slowly gives up tannins and a faint vanilla-edged woodiness, so this Rozrywkowy G-7 Granat carries a trace of the oak the brand takes its name from while staying a vodka at heart.

The nose is soft and cereal-led, the palate is mild and delicately tart and balanced with clear notes of wood, and the finish is long. Because the oak gives the spirit a brown-spirit lean, treat it accordingly: serve it neat over a single large ice cube with a strip of orange peel twisted over the top, a slow sipping pour where the slight chill and the citrus oil draw out the woody note without burying it under mixers.