Bellmon Vodka Black Edition

Bellmon is a long-standing family distillery, and the Black Edition is its organic wheat bottling. The grain comes from certified organic cultivation in the Black Forest, with the soft, creamy character that wheat lends a vodka, and the water is drawn from the region's springs. The house runs the spirit through a very high number of distillation passes, each one shedding more of the heavier congeners and rough alcohols, then keeps the filtration deliberately light so the spirit holds a little of its own grain and mineral character rather than being scrubbed to nothing. It is set at 42%, slightly above the usual mark, which gives it a touch more presence.

The nose is subtle, cereal with a mineral note and a light herbal edge. The palate is soft and velvety with a mild sweetness and a hint of citrus and herbs, and the finish is long, clean and faintly spicy. With that extra strength and the herbal-mineral depth, it rewards being drunk neat from the freezer in a small chilled glass, where the cold tightens the texture and the herbal note shows clearly against the wheat softness.