Zlatogor Banknoten Vodka

Zlatogor has been made at the Zolotonosha distillery in Ukraine since 2000, and the brand built its reputation on unusual ceramic bottles, here shaped as a 100 euro banknote. The vodka is filtered through charcoal, which adsorbs fusel oils and other rough congeners to leave a cleaner spirit, then given a 24-hour resting phase so the distillate settles and softens before bottling. Set at 38%, slightly below the usual 40%, it leans toward a milder, easier style. The grain character is light and the focus is on smoothness rather than assertiveness.

The nose is mild with notes of grain, and the palate is clean and soft with the same gentle cereal, leading to a long finish. With its modest strength and soft, grain-led profile, this is a vodka to keep in the freezer and pour neat over a single large ice cube, served slowly so the cold and the chill highlight its smoothness while the novelty bottle holds court on the table.