Stolichnaya elit Vodka

*****/Highest Recommendation, F. Paul Pacult (Spirit Journal): "The sparkling clean appearance is perfectly flawless. The first aromatic bursts are dry, clean, and grainy, with delicate background notes of parchment and litchi; the second and third nosing passes offer semisweet, mildly smoky/ashy scents of charcoal and smoldering embers. The palate entry is firm, moderately oily, bittersweet, and intensely reminiscent of Wheat Thin crackers; the midpalate stage is where this vodka displays the full array of its powers and virtues as near-succulent, concentrated, and spicy grain flavors mingle adroitly with the smoky, sap- and resin-sweet, birch-charcoal filtering influence. Concludes sweetly and almost candy-like. World-class elit is Stolichnaya's way of throwing down the gauntlet to its main competitors (Absolut, in particular) in the ever-escalating price realm of luxury vodka."

Named to the Spirit Journal's '140 Best Five Star Spirits in the World for 2012 (#134)': "Big-hearted, deeply flavorful in a grainy manner, and oily in texture. I love this unflavored vodka quite a lot because it's a non-nonsense type of high-class libation that often goes overlooked because of the price tag. (Jun 2012)"

Producer notes: "Stolichnaya elit is filtered at sub-zero temperatures which helps release impurities and make it smoother than standard vodkas. This expensive, tedious and time consuming procedure filters the spirit at sub-zero temeratures reaching -18 C, so that the liquid's density increases causing all impurities to freeze aagainst the walls of the filtration tanks. These unwanted impurities are finally removed to achieve the purist type of vodka available.The result is a vodka with no peers. A rare spirit that ranks among the finest and smoothest in the world."