Polugar No. 4 Honey and Allspice Vodka (75cl, 38.5%)

Polugar No. 4 is an infused vodka made from a home brew of rye and wheat, triple-distilled in copper pot stills reproduced from 18th-century drawings. Honey and allspice go straight into the pot before the third distillation, following a 19th-century aristocratic recipe. The spirit is clarified with egg whites and purified with white birchwood charcoal. It is bottled at 38.5% abv, the historic half-gar strength. Honey leads the nose, followed by allspice and an amaro-like fragrance. The palate starts with honey, turns tangy in the middle, and finishes long, bitter, spicy and herbal. It brings warmth and spice rather than sweetness.