I reckon that if I were sitting in Atchison Kansas looking out over 328 million bushels of wheat harvested from an average 8.5 million acres by 60,000 hard working farmers, it just might make me think of coming up with ways to use some of that wheat other than baking bread. Vodka would certainly come to my mind and apparently I’m not the only one who had that very same thought. The good folks over at MGP Ingredients in Atchison Kansas are putting that high grade Kansas wheat to good use by crafting Till American wheat vodka.
Currently it is available in a rather small footprint that includes; Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota. But I’m willing to bet you that it won’t stop there. This vodka is distilled using a 75 year old proprietary process. In conjunction with its expansion, the Till’s vodka bottle got a makeover from clear glass to frosted glass that showcases the bold lines of the idyllic farmland. For just being black on white, it is a bold design.
OK, so let’s see what all the fuss is all about. The nose is thick and smells a bit like the wheat it comes from, kind of earthy, however it is also clear without much of any other aromas with the exception of just the barest hint of alcohol. This comes very close to the definition of perfect vodka as being completely odorless. The palate is also quite clean but with good body, a touch of vanilla and of course that earthiness. The finish is slightly spicy but also clean, earthy and lasts a short time.
This is very tasty, very high end vodka without that super-premium price. Straight up it is thick, warm and inviting. A little bit of ice dilutes it nicely and opens up the flavor profile a bit, so I get more vanilla and even a little mint; otherwise, it holds up nicely on the rocks. With the addition of ice, the finish loses that bit of spiciness and it comes even closer to that definition of perfect vodka as being colorless, odorless and tasteless, although the slightest nuance of flavors in this vodka makes it that much more interesting and palatable.
If this Till wheat vodka isn’t available in your neck of the woods yet, I can bet you buckwheat to bullets it will be sooner rather than later.
Till vodka is 40% ABV and available in 750ML bottles for $24.99
By George Brozowski