The Reid Vodka Review

I hate it when companies give their products names which depend on typography. I think iTunes and iPads and iPods were the thin end of the wedge. I’ll forgive the all-lower-case Canadian singer kd lang as she’s a genius.

This vodka from New Zealand seems to be called ‘the reid’, also all-lower-case and complete with the inverted commas at either end. Can I call it The reid or the reid or does it have to be ‘the reid’? I’m nervous about getting it wrong. Also, on the label it’s written out as the reid., with a full-stop after it. Is this part of the name?

However, once you’ve got past the name there’s a really interesting background story to this vodka. It’s made by the family-owned Cardrona Distillery which is located between Queenstown and Wanaka on New Zealand’s highest mountain pass. The distillery’s run by Desiree Whitaker, whose maiden name was Reid, and in 2011 she decided to pursue her dream of making a New Zealand single malt whisky that could hold its own on the international stage. I’m all for people who follow their dream.

The reid single malt vodka distillery from New Zealand — The Distillery that Desiree Built

Following a dream usually involves a lot of hard work, though, and also a lot of expense when that dream is distilling. Desiree travelled the world to learn about whisky-making, including to Scotland and to Kentucky, where she learned from the late great Dave Pickerell, who was Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark for 14 years.

In 2013 Desiree sold her farming business to help finance the distillery, which she chose to build in New Zealand’s Southern Alps, to provide her with a pristine source of water. Building started on 5th January 2015, and on 5th November 2015 the first cask was laid down for ageing.

While waiting three years for the whisky to mature, Desiree busied herself making other spirits, including several liqueurs and The Source, a gin which won a Gold Medal at the New York World Spirits and Wine Awards.

And, of course, they made this very unusual vodka. Having started with a single malt whisky, Desiree asked why not a single malt vodka? It’s a terrific idea, both from the making and the marketing point of view. William Borrell of Vestal Vodka has always maintained that vodka has terroir just as much as any other spirit or wine. In his case, he distills with potatoes, and says that different types and different years produce different vodkas. And from the marketing point of view, the reid stands out as there are only a handful of other single malt vodkas around.

The Reid Vodka Review

The reid also stands out hugely because of its bottle. I’ve seen lots of impressive vodka bottles but this is one of the best bottles I’ve seen in a very long time. It’s shaped a little like a pear, or a teardrop, and is very rounded, like it needs to lose a bit of weight. I think bulbous is the word. It’s very heavy so clearly made of good-quality glass. It’s beautiful, it feels really good to hold in your hands, and the minimalist typography works well on it. You could easily shine a light on it and make it the star of the back bar or home bar. Once the vodka’s gone, the bottle will definitely stay on my liquor shelves.

So let’s open it. The nose is amazing. If vodka is meant to be totally neutral, then this simply isn’t vodka. It smells massively of pear drops, and if you don’t know the smell of pear drops then it’s completely distinctive, as unique as cut grass or coffee, and is a kind-of blend of bananas and pears. There’s also a hint of coconut and vanilla in there, a bit of spiciness too, and a mix of sweetness and yeastiness.

The reid is 44% ABV and on the palate is surprisingly a little rough. Pear drops are still very evident, that banana/pear mix, but it also had a slightly bitter edge to it. I was slightly disappointed in the taste, as the bottle is beautiful and on the nose it’s distinctly different, and I’d thought I would be sipping this for a while. But no. It’s one for bartenders to try to create cocktails with. It does have a lush mouthfeel, it’s just that the taste isn’t what I’d expect from a premium vodka.

It’s only got water, yeast and a ‘distilling barley’ in it, so the combination of barley and yeast is what’s giving it that overwhelming pear drops aroma and taste. For me the taste was so overwhelming that I can’t see myself sipping this, a little like some salted vodkas I’ve reviewed. It’s not unpleasant, it’s interesting and unusual, but one shot is enough (and maybe that’s a good thing, sometimes).

I then tried it with some tonic and a dash of lemon juice, and that was yet another experience, and a good one. You’ve got the lemon/quinine taste of the tonic, and the banana/pear flavours of the vodka, making for a thoroughly enjoyable cocktail. I like vodka and tonic but hardly count it as a cocktail, but with this vodka even a simple V&T is extra tasty. So it’s enjoyable to nose and to mix, but for me not a sipping vodka. Mind you, if pear drops are your thing then you could be guzzling it down.

Single Malt Vodka Cocktails

Like I said, I think this vodka will work better in cocktails than drunk neat, and the Cardrona Distillery has some cocktail suggestions on its website…