Wine Enthusiast published an article this month about a shift happening in vodka production. Until 2020, federal regulations defined vodka as a spirit made without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color. That year, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau changed the standard, and distillers were no longer required to strip the character out of their raw ingredients. The World Vodka Awards have since created a category for it, varietal vodka, based on the character of the grain or fruit used to make the spirit.
Golden Eagle was included in the article as one of the producers making vodka this way. We use Dark Northern red wheat grown in Montana. Golden Eagle founder, Dakota Rader, told Wine Enthusiast that the climate is the main driver of the vodka's flavor. The wheat grows through hot days, cold nights, dry air, and direct morning sun, and that environment produces a deeper root system and more flavor in the grain. We ferment longer than most vodkas and distill once instead of multiple times, so more of that flavor stays in the final product.
Read the full article: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/spirits/varietal-vodka/
