Debowa Wódka Military Rocket 70 Premium

Debowa Polska sits in the village of Siedlec in western Poland and has built its identity around oak, the meaning of debowa. The vodka is distilled several times from Polish grain and crystal-clear water, then filtered through charcoal, a step that pulls out fusel oils and leaves the spirit cleaner and rounder. What marks Debowa out is the strip of oak placed inside each bottle: over time the wood gives the grain spirit a subtle tannic edge and a whisper of barrel character you do not usually meet in vodka. The Military Rocket 70 dresses this up in a carved wooden rocket casing.

The nose is soft and cereal-led, the palate mild and gently tart with a clear note of wood running underneath, and the finish lingers. Because the oak gives it more to say than a plain neutral spirit, treat it almost like a light grain whisky: pour it over a single large rock and let it sit a minute, which opens the woody note and softens the spirit without drowning the grain. A twist of orange peel suits the faint tannin.