Legendario 9550 Vodka

Legendario is a long-established Cuban distillery with a strong reputation for rum, and that distilling experience carries over into its 9550 Vodka. The spirit is distilled from carefully selected ingredients and then put through several filtration stages, a process that removes residual congeners and is what gives the vodka its clarity and smooth feel. The aim is purity rather than loud character, a clean and stable base bottled at 40%. Coming from a Caribbean rum house, it is an unusual entry point into vodka.

The nose is fresh and pure with a faint grain note and a light citrus lift. The palate is gentle and smooth with a subtle sweetness and a clean grain depth, and the finish is long and almost neutral. Since it brings little of its own and stays out of the way, it is a natural for a Moscow Mule: pour it long over ice with fiery ginger beer and a good squeeze of fresh lime in a chilled copper mug, letting the ginger lead.