WEEKENDER: SKYY Vodka's Vanilla Bean Infusion

During my recent travels I’ve come across a lot of people who want more flavour in their life, those that know me will tell you I love my vodka but not in the form of a strong, heavy taste. It should be well chilled, have the perfect mixer – even better if it takes the form of a cocktail.

And the thing about most (vodka) distillers that say that they’re products and flavours are different is that they’re not.

Not this one, and as soon as you have the actual product in your hands it’s pretty obvious why.

Skyy was my varsity vodka and has managed to creep up into my adult life of late. It was cheap enough to afford, and beat Smirnoff without a doubt. One thing that has always caught my attention was Skyy’s wonderful ability to chill.

Compared to other vodkas, it seems to get even closer to freezing. If you leave a bottle of Skyy in the freezer for a day and leave it out for a few minutes, the bottle will start to frost up on the outside. The same thing happens with a shot poured in a glass. Skyy gets thicker when chilled than other vodkas, too. This probably attributes to the frost effect. Whatever the case, I attribute these to the quality, whether it means the water content is higher or some unknown factor. And as soon as it reaches that perfect chill, the vanilla infusion hits you hard. A rather subtle yet flavourful hit that is.

POUR THE SHOTS

SKYY in all tastes very smooth. There’s also that bursting hint of vanilla flavour, tempting scent and virtually no bitterness. SKYY seems to freeze well, making the liquid thick. It swallows well with a slight burn on the way down. The aftertaste is a very soft bitterness, but it is somehow pleasant with its vanilla bean tone. At full chill, this is a quite a good shooting vodka.

MIX THE DRINKS

I mixed mine with Red Bull, as one would, but the guarana and vanilla flavours didn’t seem to compliment each other that well. Back to the drawing board. Ultimately, SKYY’s vanilla bean went well with Fitch & Leedes’ Indian tonic – none of the fancy stuff. It must be said that SKYY is a great mixing vodka as It blends well with the mixer and doesn’t seem to reveal itself very much, exception made for the luring vanilla flavour.

In closing; my overall impressions with SKYY infusions vanilla bean is that – its phenomenal. The regular version of skyy is OK – but this vanilla infusion is a great vodka choice for cosmopolitans or even a cranberry/raspberry juice mixed drink. The flavor is natural and real tasting-not fake or artificial in any way. Like my other favorite vodkas: Absolut & Smirnoff 1818 – this does not leave you with a nasty hangover in the morning.

SKYY Infusions Vanilla Bean is available from leading liquor retailers at R189 per 750ml bottle.

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.

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