Steeltown Welsh Vodka
Travel Distilled reviews Steeltown Welsh Vodka, one of several spirit releases from a new Welsh distillery, Spirit of Wales, in Newport.
When Penderyn was launched in 2004 it was the first Welsh distillery in over a century, but since then several others have opened for business and the latest is Spirit of Wales, in Newport. Their Steeltown Welsh Vodka is just one of several interesting-sounding spirits from this new Welsh distillery.
Steeltown Welsh Vodka
Their vodka is one of two spirits launched under their Steeltown brand name, the other being a Welsh Gin which has already won a Silver Medal in the 2021 International Wine and Spirits Competition. The name Steeltown is a nod to the steelworks that have been an important part of the local economy, but also to the larger rural and industrial heritage of Wales – coal mining, farming, and fishing, as well as steel production. For a long time Newport was the biggest coal exporting port in Wales, until the expansion of Cardiff.
Vodka and Chocolate Pairing
Spirit of Wales also sells several types of chocolate, for pairing with its spirits. For their Welsh Vodka they suggest their Caramel Sea Salt chocolate. Unfortunately I didn’t have any so can’t comment, but it sounds delicious.
Filtered Through Anthracite
The vodka is filtered through anthracite from the former coal mining town of Ammanford in Carmarthenshire. Anthracite is also known as hard coal and is especially high in carbon, a more traditional filtering method for vodka. This anthracite, though, is especially made for filtration and is used to filter water as well as this vodka. The distillery, which opened in June 2021, is clearly proud of its local heritage and those industrial roots.
Making Steeltown Welsh Vodka
The vodka is a blend of wheat, barley and rye-based spirits, each grain bringing a different element to the flavour profile. Wheat usually brings a vanilla sweetness, barley adds some toasty grainy notes, while rye contributes some peppery spice. It’s diluted using Welsh water, naturally, and bottled at a conventional 40%.
Tasting Steeltown Welsh Vodka
The bottle stands out for several reasons. It has a vivid label with a red graphic appropriate for the Steeltown name. It has a red wax seal, like Maker’s Mark uses for its bourbon bottles, and it’s also available only in 5cl and 50cl sizes, not the usual 70cl.
On the nose it’s definitely not a neutral vodka. There’s a vanilla creaminess about it, a little spice, and a hint of lemon. Those are also there when you taste it, especially the vanilla and lemon, and there’s a dash of liquorice in there too. It’s a good balance between the sweetness, the citrus, and some peppery spicy notes. It’s a really smooth sip, and is definitely a better-than-average vodka. It certainly makes me keen to try the other spirits from what I think is going to be a distillery to watch.
Buying Steeltown Welsh Vodka
You can buy Steeltown Welsh Vodka from the Spirit of Wales online store and from Master of Malt.
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