PR Vanilla Vodka Essence 20 ml

PR Vanilla Vodka Essence 20 ml

Vanilla is the best-loved spice in the world, and yet it is surprisingly hard to get right in a glass. Too sweet and you are in liqueur territory; too artificial and it tastes like a sweet factory. A really good vanilla vodka does something else: it lets the vanilla rest like a warm, rounded veil over a clean, dry grain vodka – still very much a vodka, just a friendlier one.

PR Vanilla Vodka is built on exactly that principle. The essence gives a flavour that recalls splitting a vanilla pod lengthways and scraping out the seeds, with no sticky sweetness and no colour. The result is one of the most useful bottles you can keep at home, because vanilla gets along with almost everything: coffee, cola, ginger, apple, chocolate and berries.

Colour & Appearance

Once mixed, the vodka is completely clear and colourless, bright as spring water. It looks like any pure vodka – only when your nose reaches the rim does it give itself away.

Nose

The nose is generous and inviting. First comes freshly scraped vanilla pod, then a softer note of vanilla custard and warm milk, rather like the smell of a pâtisserie first thing in the morning. In the background there is a clean grain note and a hint of white pepper that keeps the sweet impression neatly in check.

Palate

On the palate it surprises you by being dry. The sweetness the nose promised is there only as a suggestion, and what you get instead is a smooth, rounded vodka where the vanilla spreads right across the tongue. The flavour is true to nature – more vanilla seed and the faintly woody, floral side of the pod than vanilla sugar. In the middle there is a creamy softness that makes the spirit seem gentler than it is, and towards the end the vodka’s clean, lightly bready character returns and tightens everything up.

Finish

The finish is medium-long, warm and clean. The vanilla fades slowly, alongside a light peppery warmth and a dry, tidy close that tempts you to another sip.

How to Use

The essence is mixed with vodka or neutral spirit and the drink can be served straight away – no sugar is needed. 20 ml makes 750 ml of finished vanilla vodka. Instructions are on the label.

Serving Suggestions

• Espresso Martini: vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur and freshly brewed espresso, shaken hard.
• With cola, plenty of ice and a wedge of lime – it tastes like vanilla cola for grown-ups.
• With ginger ale and a slice of fresh ginger.
• A splash in your after-dinner coffee, ideally topped with lightly whipped cream.
• With cloudy apple juice and a cinnamon stick – apple pie in a glass.

About the Essence

The vanilla vodka belongs to the Prestige series (PR), where the aim is flavours that sit as close as possible to the finished drink that inspired them. The essence is highly concentrated, colourless and easy to measure, and because no sugar has to be added the bottle is ready to serve in about a minute. The result is the same every single time.

If you like the flavour, it comes in several formats: 32 ml in the LW series, which makes two bottles, 100 ml for five litres, 280 ml and 1000 ml for parties and bars, and 25 litres for anyone producing on a larger scale. All of them give the same dry, vanilla-scented vodka.