Chopin is a premium producer of vodka from Poland. They make three distinct vodkas:
- Chopin Potato Vodka
- Chopin Rye Vodka
- Chopin Wheat Vodka
Given the overwhelmingly positive response from r/vodka to Chopin, I felt it should be one of my next selections to explore. For filling a hole in our line up, it made sense – having never covered a potato vodka.
Chopin Potato Vodka
Sight: Clear.
Smell: There’s something particularly earthy about the nose, and it leaves an almost freshly dug planters or mushroom like smell. There’s a bit of heat as well, and it fringes into burning rubber.
Sip: There’s a more lanolin texture at the start that gradually loosens up into a more half and half like texture. The flavor is again heavy into the earthy, raw potato side of the spectrum. The ethanol creeps up slightly, and there’s a subtle bitterness and growing heat.
Savor: The ending is slightly toward bitter, again, pulling a large amount of earthy notes.
Chopin Potato Vodka is extraordinarily earthy, fringing into some rather unpleasant flavors. Those who are used to drinking corn and wheat based vodkas, will find the bitterness and raw alcohol notes somewhat off putting. That said, it is distinctive, but perhaps not in a way that will appeal to casual drinkers.
In Cocktails
In a Kangaroo Chopin Potato Vodka maintains it’s earthy poise with a thick rich body. The lead off is on the starchy side of the spectrum with some potato and mineral flavors. Things transition into the herbal and it lingers throughout, and a subtle amount of sweetness and wine character comes through. The flavors are clean and the texture is lanolin. The net result is a nice sip that goes well with an olive.
In Review – Chopin Potato Vodka
My fiancée and I have polar opposite opinions when it comes to Chopin Potato Vodka. She finds it smooth, minimally flavored, and slightly vanillan, while I find it heavily earthy. Where we have alignment is in the texture. Chopin is undeniably smooth, and in cocktails, provide more texture than flavor. From a cocktail perspective, it is enjoyable, if not something that’s a must have.
At $24 dollars a bottle it’s inline with Grey Goose and other premium brands, while not quite reaching Absolut Elyx costs. That said, the texture makes it worth a try to see if it has a place on your home’s shelf.