Reyka Vodka (40%)

Reyka is an Icelandic vodka made in Borgarnes, on the west coast, and launched in 2005. It is bottled at 40% and made from a grain spirit of wheat and barley. The vodka is redistilled once in a Carter-Head still, a copper-rich design more often used for gin, in small batches that take about five hours. It is reduced with glacial spring water that runs through a lava field about 4,000 years old, then filtered through volcanic lava rock. The result keeps a little of the grain rather than aiming for pure neutrality, with a soft texture, slight sweetness and discreet cereal notes.