Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/91577
KEEPING IT TRADITIONAL (BELVEDERE)RED Talk about drinking responsibly! In 2011, Polish-made Belvedere, one of the most ubiquitous premium vodkas in American nightlife, joined the (RED) movement and released a beautiful (RED) special-edition bottle. Like last year's debut, the 2012 edition features the same exquisite recipe, quadruple- distilled from Dankowskie Gold rye, and like last year, 50 percent of the profi ts from global sales of (BELVEDERE)RED goes to aid in the fi ght against HIV/AIDS in Africa. And social awareness never tasted so good. (BELVEDERE)RED is a perfect combination of creamy and clean. It starts with a sweetness that swirls on the tip of the tongue, giving way to faint fl avors of almond and vanilla. The bite dissipates quickly as the fi nish crawls to the back of the throat. Belvedere has won numerous international awards— just a few of the reasons this vodka not only started on top but remains there. Moët-Hennessy USA PURITY VODKA Purity Vodka is defi nitely one of my top ten picks of the year. From beginning to end this vodka has a phenomenal lightness. The fi nish lightly grazes the top of the palate and then fi nishes almost effervescently, letting its little legs tickle the tongue. With a name like Purity—and a bottle that looks like it was discovered by Indiana Jones in a diamond mine—you would expect nothing more than a pure, crisp, refreshing vodka from this excep- tional brand. Your expectations will be exceeded. Purity Vodka is all those things and more. Swedish vodkas on the whole tend to be a bag full of wild cards—you never quite know what you're going to get. But Purity Vodka distinguishes itself, fi rst by its unique taste, and second on its unique process, distilled 34 times in a proprietary copper and gold vodka still at Sweden's 13th-century Ellinge Castle. Made exclusively from natural ingredients, including winter wheat and barley, it is crafted with a combination of de-ionized and mineral-rich water for uniqueness. Purity Vodka's inventive distillation techniques make fi ltering completely unnecessary. Purity Vodka november 2012 / the tasting panel / 119