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It has been quite a while since I’ve reviewed vodka. There are several well-known distilleries throughout Texas that produce popular brands of vodka such as Tito’s and NUE (click on the menu at right for reviews). Western Son, another Texas-based distillery recently caught my attention and I thought their vodka was worthy of a “shout out”.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Western Son Distillery is located in Pilot Point, Texas, which is about 53 miles north of Dallas. The distillery was created in 2011 by a small group of men who formed the JEM Beverage CO. They decided that they’d had enough of the corporate world and so pursued a dream that was realized with the birth of Western Son Vodka. The distillery is situated in a 30,000 square foot building that was formerly the Russell-Newman Clothing Company and is affectionately referred to by the locals as “The Old Panty Factory.” In addition to Western Son Vodka, JEM also produces Brazos gin, Red River whiskey, South House moonshine and Southern Son vodka. Western Son Vodka is made from 100% Texas and Midwest yellow corn. For those of you who are interested in the distillation process, this is a nicely illustrated diagram, courtesy of Western Son.  The first distillation takes place in a copper pot still and then continues on in a 20 ft. vodka column still for a 10X-distilled vodka.  Photo courtesy of Western Son As always, I sample and enjoy drinking vodka neat and I tend to rank vodka into three groups. One: Only drink this vodka neat. Two: Only drink this vodka in a cocktail. Three: Vodka can be enjoyed neat or in a cocktail. Western Son Original Vodka falls into the third category. It is flavorful enough to stand alone, but I would most likely use it in a cocktail. Its appearance is clear and clean with aromas of sweet corn, pepper and vanilla. The palate offers an earthy quality infused with a sweetness that carries through to the end with a dash of pepper, heat and a mild alcohol burn. 80 proof Alcohol: 40% SRP: $19.99  Photo credit: Penny Weiss In addition to their original vodka, Western Son also makes eight flavored vodkas that I have yet to try. The cucumber vodka sounds quite refreshing and it might be worth exploring!  Photo courtesy of Western Son Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com About six months ago I discovered NUE vodka while browsing in a spirits shop. I was so impressed with this vodka after tasting it, I wrote a story about it. There are not that many types of vodka on the market under $14 that deserve my attention. But when I find them, I like to sing their praises!  Photo credit: Penny Weiss So, I’m back to sing again about NUE flavored vodka that I received as a “thank you” for my first story. But before I begin, here is a repeat performance about the company in case you missed the first one. From my last story about NUE: “Southwest Spirits is a full-service distillery located in Dallas, Texas and it is also the third-largest distillery in Texas. They have an impressive portfolio of over 25 brands that they produce, including their best selling brand and award-winning NUE Vodka. All spirit production is done on-site in their over 103,000 square foot facility that is fully equipped with pot stills and a 14’ column still for producing premium spirits. The distillery also has grain milling capabilities, tank farms and four high-speed bottling lines with multiple filling capabilities. NUE Vodka is crafted in small batches to control and ensure the highest quality that ultimately provides clean, smooth vodka. Ingredients are locally sourced high-quality corn and water that has gone through a process of Reverse Osmosis, which extracts mineral content and any impurities in the water. The vodka is 6x distilled through an advanced column process that also removes natural impurities.” As you might know by now, I’m a “purist” when it comes to drinking vodka. I tend to like it cold, neat and unflavored. However, I was pleasantly surprised by NUE Grapefruit and Peach vodka. They weren’t cloyingly sweet or medicinal as some flavored vodkas tend to be. Also, both vodkas are naturally flavored.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss NUE Grapefruit Vodka The color is clear with a fresh and pleasing aroma of freshly squeezed grapefruits. Ruby red grapefruit comes to mind when tasting this vodka. A gentle drop or two of grapefruit flavor allows for a touch of vanilla and citrus zest to come through on the finish with a dash of heat. This is a refreshing vodka that drinks well neat. Alcohol: 35%, 70 proof. SRP: $11.99  Photo credit: Penny Weiss NUE Peach Vodka The color is clear and clean with floral and stone fruit aromas. I found this to be a touch sweet, but it has nice flavors of fresh peach and hints of vanilla. It is smooth with much less heat on the finish than NUE’s other vodkas. Although I would not drink this one neat, it would make a fabulous ingredient in a cocktail. Alcohol: 35%, 70 proof SRP: $11.99  Photo credit: Penny Weiss The value to price ratio of NUE vodka is certainly going to give many imported vodkas a run for their money! And, I am happy to add NUE vodka to my growing collection.
Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com As a vodka lover, it’s always fun for me to scope out lesser-known vodkas on the market. I've stumbled across some amazing vodkas that tend to be dismissed by buyers who reach for the popular and well-known brands. So, once again, I was delighted to find yet another vodka that I had never heard of, reasonably priced and worthy of a review. I’ve written about many vodkas ranging from super expensive to under $10. Needless to say, my freezer has been taken over by a variety of vodkas from France, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Poland, Idaho, New York and Texas. And, NUE Vodka is my newest addition to the freezer!  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Southwest Spirits is a full-service distillery located in Dallas, Texas and it is also the third-largest distillery in Texas. They have an impressive portfolio of over 25 brands that they produce, including their best selling brand and award-winning NUE Vodka. All spirit production is done on-site in their over 103,000 square foot facility fully equipped with pot stills and a 14’ column still for producing premium spirits. The distillery also has grain milling capabilities, tank farms and four high-speed bottling lines with multiple filling capabilities. Above photos courtesy of Southwest Spirits NUE Vodka is crafted in small batches to control and ensure the highest quality that ultimately provides clean, smooth vodka. Ingredients are locally sourced high-quality corn and water that has gone through a process of Reverse Osmosis, which extracts mineral content and any impurities in the water. The vodka is 6x distilled through an advanced column process that also removes natural impurities.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss NUE Vodka has a clean, floral and slightly flinty bouquet. It is silky smooth on the palate with subtle hints of sweet cream, vanilla and a touch of heat on the finish. Drink well chilled and neat or add to your favorite cocktail recipe.
Alcohol: 40%, 80 proof SRP: $10.99 NUE Vodka is also available in all-natural grapefruit and peach flavors. All three vodkas are presently distributed in 35 states. This is definitely a vodka that can stand up to the higher-priced vodkas on the market and at this price I’m impressed! Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com  When I got the invitation to attend a seminar and walk around tasting of Texas wines, the first things that came to mind were cowboys, boots, the Alamo and rodeos. Wine was definitely not on my radar. However, after participating in an educational seminar and tasting some delicious wines, I’ve got a whole new outlook on Texas!  Texas is the second largest U.S. state. To give you an idea of just how large it is, take a look at this map of Texas superimposed over an area of Europe. Texas is huge! However, only a small portion of the state is devoted to making wine. In fact, only about 1% of Texas land is suitable for growing grapes, but that area is larger than the total planted area of France!  Texas wine production dates back to the 1650s when Franciscan priests planted vines for making sacramental wines. After prohibition ended, Texas didn’t see a resurgence in the wine industry until the 1970s. It is only in the last decade that Texas wine growers are truly seeing the “fruits of their labor” with improvements in quality and also winning numerous national and international medals and awards. The numbers of visitors on the main Texas wine trail rank second as the most popular wine route in the U.S. The two major growing regions in Texas are Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country.  Texas High Plains AVA (American Viticultural Area) is the second largest AVA in Texas and is located in the northwest region of the state where 75% of the state’s grapes are grown. There are approximately 5000 to 6000 acres currently under vine. Over forty varieties of grape are planted at 2,500 to 4000 ft. above sea level in soils of sandy loess over caliche (limestone). The climate is continental with low humidity. Texas Hill Country AVA is located mid-state and is the largest AVA in the state with over sixty producing wineries and is considered the center for Texas wine industry. Of the nine million acres in this area, approximately 800 acres are planted vineyards. The climate is humid and more subtropical during the growing season so fewer vineyards exist here. The soil is mostly limestone but there is lots of rocky soil as well. The Texas Wine Trail is here and tourism is growing in leaps and bounds. Grape varieties abound such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Riesling, Picpoul, Viognier and Souzão. I tasted single-varietal and blended wines from fourteen wineries that were represented at the event. Speaking in generalities, the red wines from the High Plains have concentrated flavors with soft to medium tannins. The whites are quite aromatic with delicate flavors and low acidity. Reds from the Hill Country tend to be a bit more tannic, but I find they also have more depth. The whites are aromatic with nice minerality. The wines of Texas are impressive. All the owners and winemakers that I met transferred their enthusiasm to me when describing their wine. As I was told at the seminar, “making wine started as a ‘lifestyle’ for many, but now it is their ‘life’s passion”. And it truly shows! I look forward to visiting Texas Wine Country soon. Here are links to the 14 wineries. I encourage you to explore, read their stories and hopefully order a bottle or two or three of wine. At a later date, I’ll go into more depth on some of the wineries and review their wines as well. www.barzwines.com www.bendingbranchwinery.com www.edenhill.com www.fcv.com www.hilmywine.com www.lewiswines.com www.llanowine.com www.losdrawcellars.com www.messinahof.com www.pedernalescellars.com www.spicewoodvineyards.com www.weddingoakwinery.com www.westcavecellars.com www.williamchriswines.com So, the next time someone mentions Texas to me, I can assure you that ‘wine’ will be the first thing that comes to my mind!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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