Review: Sobieski Vodka   (89/100)
a review by Chip Dykstra (AKA Arctic Wolf)
March 04, 2018

Sobieski Vodka is (according to their website) the number 1 selling premium vodka in Poland. It is a true Polish Vodka distilled on a multi-column still from 100% Dankowski rye which was harvested in the low-lying Mazovia (Masowse) region of Poland. The spirit was named ‘Sobieski’ to pay homage to King Jan III Sobieski (1629 – 1696) who is generally regarded as the last great King of Poland and whose spirit of indomitable will, remains even today as an integral aspect of the Poland’s national character.

Rather than sampling this spirit in isolation, I tasted the vodka, side by side with two others, Crystal Skull Vodka and Crystal Skull Aurora. All three Vodkas were chilled on my back deck for several hours (it was a very cold minus 18 degrees Celsius outside), and when I brought them in my thermometer indicated they had chilled to just above the freezing point of water (1 degree Celsius).

The First Impression 8.5/10

Sobieski is sold in the tall, clear, short-necked bottle shown to the left. The front label features a colour picture of (who I believe) is King Jan III Sobieski. Underneath that picture are the words, “Pure Dankowski Rye” underscoring that this Polish vodka is made from 100 % rye grain. On the back of the bottle is an embossed crest representing the aforementioned Polish King.

The presentation is very acceptable for a Premium Vodka which sells for less than 30 dollars in Alberta (remember our taxes and Alberta Gaming and Liquor Control (AGLC) storage fees may account for up to 15 bucks a bottle). If this spirit was sealed with a better topper (better than that flimsy metallic screw cap) then I would have scored this portion of the review higher.

Taking a Sip 18/20

Prior to my tasting session, the hours of chilling on my front deck ensured the vodka had been chilled to about 1 degree Celsius. At that cold temperature the vodka was very creamy and sluggish in the glass. The aroma was clean to the point that I could find no aroma in my glass. As I sipped for the first time, the spirit brought forward a clean grain-like spiciness and wisps of a sweet lemony citrus in the glass.

I tasted the vodka twice more, once with its temperature at about 10 degrees Celsius, and once again at room temperature. I was impressed at how well the Vodka stood up to warmer temperatures. The Lemon citrus seemed to grow in the glass as the Vodka warmed as did the sweetness. As well some vague vegetal flavours began to show themselves; however I did not notice any sort of metallic aftertaste or undo burn after I swallowed. The Sobieski is a quality sipping Vodka which can be enjoyed even at room temperature.

Taking a Shot 17.5/20

When I threw back a shot of the Sobieski the first time, I was very pleased at how clean and smooth the spirit tasted. When served cold, the Vodka displays no burn at all, only a nice spicy glow which heated the palate lightly and slowly crept down the throat. At warmer serving temperatures, the vodka displays a stronger lemon flavour when swallowed; but the spiciness and the smoothness remained very similar to what I had experienced when the Vodka was cold. There is perhaps a light burn in the throat at room temperature, but I must say that I am impressed. Sobieski held up very well even when the glass reached room temperature when the character and smoothness of many Vodkas will crumble.

Out for Dinner  18/20

While I was tasting the vodka, I had a variety of breads and crackers available; also some different types of sausage and cheese; some sour spinach dip for the bread; and a nice plate of salt and pepper chicken wings. The Sobieski Vodka tasted very good with all of the pairings. I did not notice any strange aftertaste associated with any of the foods or with the Vodka. The clean spicy flavour of Sobieski tended to cleanse the palate between bites making each morsel very tasty indeed.

Cocktails 27/30

After tasting the vodka with a variety of foods, I made the a standard Vodka Gimlet. The Vodka Gimlet has become my reference cocktail when judging Vodka because it is not only very tasty, it also showcases both the vodka spirit and its mixability with fresh fruit. The cocktail made with Sobieski was noticeably sweeter than the cocktails made with Belvedere, and Khortytsa Platinum. I prefer my cocktails to be more tart; but I believe this is more a matter of style than of quality.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Final Score 89/100

(This is an Excellent Vodka )

If you are interested in comparing more scores, here is a link to my other published Vodka Reviews.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suggested Recipe

Yellowbird Of Sunshine

2 oz Vodka
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Maraschino Liqueur
1/2 oz Sugar syrup (1:1 Ratio)
Ice
splash of soda
Lemon slice for Garnish

Add the first four ingredients into a metal shaker with ice
Shake until the sides of the shaker frost
Double strain into a Martini Glass
Add a splash of Soda
Float a Lemon Slice on top
Enjoy Responsibly!

If  you are interested in more of my cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

You may (loosely) interpret my score as follows.

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing Vodka.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again for cocktails only.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this Vodka in shots, although cocktails are preferable.
85-89    Excellent!  Shots or cocktails!
90-94    You may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 80    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
81 – 89     Silver Medal (Recommended  for shots and mixing cocktails)
90 – 95     Gold Medal (Highly Recommended for Vodka Shots and Sublime Cocktails)
95.5+       Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)