Neft Vodka White Barrel Pfand

Neft is produced in Austria from traditional non-GMO rye of an ancient strain, cut with artesian water drawn from the Alps. Rye is the grain that gives a vodka backbone: it carries a peppery, faintly spicy character that wheat and corn lack, and Neft leaves enough of that in place to feel like a spirit with an opinion. The high viscosity is the tell, a slightly oily, coating texture that comes from the base material and the cut. It is bottled at 40% in the brand's lightweight metal barrel, which is shatterproof and recyclable and keeps the contents cold for hours, a genuinely useful trick rather than just packaging.

The nose is subtle, with clean cereal and a fine freshness. The palate opens with a light peppery prickle on the tip of the tongue, then moves through caramel, vanilla and a thread of lemongrass before turning velvety, and the finish is elegant, clean and long. A spirit this textured deserves to be tasted, so keep the barrel in the freezer and pour it neat into a chilled glass: the cold tightens the body and lets the rye pepper and that lemongrass note read clearly with nothing in the way.