Debowa Wódka Fass

Debowa Polska was founded in 1982 by the Markiewicz brothers in the village of Siedlec in western Poland, and the brand is built around oak, which is what Debowa means. The vodka starts as a grain spirit distilled several times and filtered through charcoal to clean it up, the charcoal taking out heavier impurities so the base stays mild. What sets it apart is the literal piece of oak wood placed inside each bottle, which slowly lends a soft, woody edge that you almost never find in a clear vodka, and this large three-litre Fass format presents it in a gift box.

The nose is soft and cereal-led. The palate is mild and delicately tart, balanced, with clear notes of wood coming through, and the finish runs long. Since that oak character is the whole idea, treat it more like an aged spirit than a freezer pour: serve it neat at room temperature in a small tumbler, no ice, so the wood and the gentle tannin have room to show rather than being shut down by the cold.