Kaffir Lime Vodka. This is an intensely flavored vodka deeply infused with the flavors from kaffir/makrut limes. Kaffir is a species of bumpy aromatic limes native to Southeast Asia, and the oil-rich leaves of the fruit are often used in local cooking. This is like no other lime flavored anything I’ve ever tasted and the aromatic citrus oil flavors in this are off the charts. It’s not tart or citrusy in the traditional sense, and tastes more like the oils you would get from expressing a lime peel.

Flavored vodkas can be hit or miss, depending on the producer and production process. Done well and you get a wonderfully flavorful rendition of an otherwise neutral spirit, and when done poorly, well, you get some sweetened artificially flavored hangover waiting to happen. When purchasing flavored vodkas, do your research and look into the process employed to create the spirit. If it’s no where to be found, not a good sign; most quality craft distilleries are more than happy to disclose their flavoring process. I recently came across Smirnoff’s new ‘Sourced’ line of flavored vodkas (which is marketed toward the ‘natural’-seeking consumer) and was amused to see it was ‘made with real fruit juices and other natural flavors’ and requires refrigeration…which pretty much says to me it’s a bottled mixed drink of vodka with some juice concentrates….that is definitely NOT the same as a real infused vodka, which should not need refrigeration.

About Hangar One….Not long ago, St. George was known for their flagship vodka line: Hangar One. The line was sold in 2010 to the corporate giants but continued to be produced at St. George until 2014. I can’t attest to the quality of their recent products (as I haven’t tried it) but luckily I acquired this before 2014. In 2015, St. George came out with their own new line of vodkas, which I have yet to try but need to return for a tasting.