Cabin Fever Dept: Hallucinations from the Frozen North

[Capn Jimbo]

It's about being fair...


It seems a certain self-described Canadian reviewer has reached a new nadir in his mad quest for quasi-authority. In this case, the chubster was reviewing a vodka made by an artisan distiller called Odd Society Spirits (who hereby earns a rare CJ commercial plug for putting up with unwarranted abuse)...

http://www.oddsocietyspirits.com/distillery/


So what's the rub and all the hub-bub?

Like all smaller distillers, Odd Society has the issue of having to sell lots of spirits - now - to pay for spirits that have to sit and age for future sale. Thus in addition to whisky for aging, they are almost forced to produce vodka and gin for immediate sales.

Odd Society has taken another necessary tack to distinguish their products and that is to take advantage of their artisan ability to create unique products.


A unique vodka: East Van Vodka

Quoting Odd Society:

"This spirit is for the odd ones. It’s for the proud and the quirky, the charming and misunderstood.

Made from 100% malted barley grown in Prince George and malted in Armstrong, East Van Vodka is twice distilled in our small batch, European-made, copper pot still before it’s lightly filtered and proudly blended with purified Vancouver tap water.

Unlike most vodkas, East Van Vodka is not a completely neutral spirit. It is lightly fragrant, sweet smelling and incredibly smooth. Sip it straight if you want to. Consider it a single malt vodka."

The uniqueness is obvious. First, that it is NOT intended to be a neutral vodka. And second - unlike almost all unflavored vodkas - it is made with two passes through their lovely, 30 year old, 350 liter copper pot stills (Arnold Holstein, top quality). Last - and like single malts - it's made from fermented malted barley.

Very impressive. Artisans like Odd Society deserve full support when earned. But not to the Chilly Chubster...


Ego run amuckluck...

Now I won't dwell on this reviewer's cracked scoring scheme, wherein every spirit is scored in fragments and where the fackin' bottle itself can get 10 points. Nope, it gets worse.

Chubby goes so far to recognize the uniqueness of the concept, and even likes the congeners that account for it - BUT - then persists in giving it a low score!? And why? Let's listen to his own drivelish reason (paraphrased)...

"Scoring is hard as the distiller did not intend a typical neutral vodka, but... it IS labeled 'Vodka'"

WTF?! Are you kidding me? The distiller worked hard to create a unique vodka, using quality malted barley, and a rare, pot stilled distillation to guarantee flavor - which he likes - but then he turns them around and jams it up their backside because it isn't neutral? Really?

Apparently the cold weather must freeze good and fair judgement as well, enough so to allow unfettered and condescending ego to prevail. The real truth?

A reviewer worth his salt has the absolute obligation to review not only fairly and honestly, but more importantly based on the distiller's and spirit's stated intentions. To the contrary, this "reviewer" somehow believes that his own expectations and personal tastes must take precedence.

Beliefs like this are pure ego from a real snow flake...

[Hassouni]

On a slightly related note, I wonder if these guys make genever or have plans to - it's basically malted gin (and was the ancestor to gin), and is getting quite popular without too many of them making it to North America

[Capn Jimbo]

According to Odd Society re their gin...


"Odd Society is experimenting with a variety of botanicals from the West Coast and around the world to create Wallflower, including its namesake, the Coastal Wallflower.

Some botanicals will be steeped and distilled directly, while other more delicate botanicals (like flowers) will be placed in a gin basket so the vapors rising from below will extract their flavourful oils. The result of these two great gin-making traditions will be a unique character that will be rich and aromatic, yet light and refreshing. We can’t wait to meet her."

Please note that the use of a gin head (usually on a pot still) is the classic way of making high quality gins. Personally and following the lead of F. Paul Pacult I'm a huge gin fan, love the history and the "007" and "Travis McGee" movies and novels didn't hurt either...

[Capn Jimbo]

On a slightly related note, I wonder if these guys make genever or have plans to - it's basically malted gin (and was the ancestor to gin), and is getting quite popular without too many of them making it to North America

Yet another great question, this time from Hass, thanks. Based on it, I contacted Odd Spirit and here's their answer:

"Hi Capn Jimbo,

We appreciate you mentioning us on your website. Thank you for passing on your reader’s question.

We are classified as a craft distillery in British Columbia. This means that what we use to make alcohol needs to come from British Columbia and it needs to be fermented and distilled on site. So in order to comply with these regulations we can not use any neutral grain spirits.

We use our single malt barley vodka as our gin base."

Hass, now I have a question. Would you agree that Odd Spirits use of their "not neutral" malt barley vodka, pot stills and gin heads then qualifies as a classic genever? What are the Holland malted barley gins to which you refer that do make it here?

Great stuff...

[Hassouni]

As to whether Odd Spirits's gin could be called a genever, to me it would depend on the maltiness coming through in the final product, as well as a light hand on the botanicals. The overall product should be like a very light malt whisky crossed with a very light, lower proof gin.

The genevers that make it here are few and far between - probably the most prevalent are Bols, Boomsma, and Bokma, with Bols being the best.

[Capn Jimbo]

As luck would have it...


I actually do have a 41.8% Holland gin made by Bols and called "Damrak". The entire name is "Damrack Amsterdam Original Gin", 1575. When I first brought it home and exclaimed "Look what I've got... Damrak", Sue Sea replied "Are you talkin' bout me or that bottle?", lol.

"You decide" I replied. Seriously though, the site claims the original name and formula was established in the early 1700's and contains 17 botanicals, and is based in small part on malted barley wines. And from our own "Gin" section:

"Jonge style uses a maximum of 15% malt wine, while Oude style uses a minimum of 15% malt wine. Korinwijn, a rich and rare style of Dutch gin, uses more than 50% malt wine."

Unfortunately the Bol's website is very close with information and does not discuss the distillation process, or how the botanicals are introduced. It seems to me that the Odd Spirit's process is exceptionally classic, what with the base spirit being made entirely from malted barley and using only their lovely copper pot stills.

Have you tried Damrak? The gin, the gin...

[Hassouni]

I haven't tried Damrak. It was for a while one of the very very few Dutch genevers available in the states, but then Bols released a new line (identifiable by its clear bottle), which was very well received. I have a bottle of that, as well as a bottle of Bols ZO (zeer oude) genever that my friend picked up for me at Schiphol airport, in the classic stone bottle and all.

As I said, it depends how malty Odd Spirt's stuff is (what proof do they distill to?), but it sounds like it'd be closer to a Corenwijn. Unless, as I said, they distill high enough that most of the flavor is rectified out.

[da'rum]

2 passes on a Holstein without a thumper? I'd say 80% at most and more than likely mid 70's.

It depends on how fast they run it. Even then they'd only probably get 80 to low 80's out of the wash. The flavour in that last 15% to neutral is significant. I'd say noticeably malty. A quadruple distilled rum to 85% is very rummy.

[NCyankee]

The genevers that make it here are few and far between - probably the most prevalent are Bols, Boomsma, and Bokma, with Bols being the best.

Anchor makes a Genever style gin that is supposed to be very good. I have yet to try it, but it is on my list.

[Hassouni]

The genevers that make it here are few and far between - probably the most prevalent are Bols, Boomsma, and Bokma, with Bols being the best.

Anchor makes a Genever style gin that is supposed to be very good. I have yet to try it, but it is on my list.

This is the Genevieve, right? Or is that St George?

[NCyankee]

n

Anchor makes a Genever style gin that is supposed to be very good. I have yet to try it, but it is on my list.

This is the Genevieve, right? Or is that St George?

yes, Anchor Genevieve.

[Capn Jimbo]

FWIW - re Damrak Holland Gin...


Sue Sea especially likes the Holland style as she finds the classic London Dry style, for her, is like drinking a Christmas tree. As for moi, I like a good and classic Beefeaters London Dry, though I will tell you that Plymouth Gin is special but just as nice. A nice very dry martini in the evening can be nice.


As for Damrak and Bols...

An impressive company. Out of curiosity I was driven to drop an email to the distiller. When writing rum distillers the chances of getting anything other than a commercial blurb is minimal, but Bols took the time to write me three times, with each email adding detail.

In brief:

1. Damrak is the product of 5 different spirits, each made in its own pot still, and then blended to marry. They infuse 17 botanicals including juniper root, orange and lemon peel, coriander, aniseed, ginger and angelica root, and lavender. These are very reminiscent of old time the old time after shaves you'd buy in an equally old fashioned barber shop. Get a shave with hot lather, a straight razor, perhaps a razor cut but more like a whole lotta snip, snip and ending with a shoulder rub and a good dusting of powder on your neck.

Did I forget the shoe shine? To me gin brings back those wonderful days of old. It's no wonder that F. Paul Pacult calls gin the most sophisticate white spirit.

And with that I'm off to a dry martini, shaken not stirred...