Pash-ion For Vodka #9 - Babicka Wormwood Vodka

I picked up my sample of Babička at a recent London Barshow—having tasted it at the stand I knew it was something I wanted to write about. Hartley and I tried a Wormwood distillate at the Sacred Distillery and were taken with how much of the flavour of absinthe the distillate had. So naturally a wormwood vodka is of similar interest.

Babička is from Czech Republica and takes its name from a 16th-century word from the country: these were old wise women or "grandmothers" known for their healing herbal remedies and use of witchcraft.

The vodka uses 100% Moravian corn as its base spirit

Own:
Nose: Herbal nose, with hints of fennel, star anise and wormwood. Some other woody elements and a little menthol
Taste: Very smooth, and then the flavour comes, herbally complex with a sweetness akin to a cough draught and a little aftertaste of rosehip sweets or Barratt's Fruit Salad chews. Very tasty.

Frozen:
Slightly syrupy and pleasantly viscous, nose subdued a little sage and a tiny berry note. The taste is subdued but the woody menthol notes are still there, with a green herb and red berry finish. A bit different but a definite quality to the flavour and to the product in general. My preference would be at room temperature.

Martini:
Rather nice, quite bitter and pleasantly crisp. Touch of Cinnamon Very smooth and completely unique. Superb.