The Vodka Masters 2025 results
Producers the world over have honed their craft to create crisp, smooth and refined vodka expressions, as our judges discover.
Despite a slight dip in volume sales and stagnant value sales, vodka was the biggest-selling spirit in the US in 2024. Last year the category’s volume sales dipped by 1.1% to 74.1 million nine-litre cases, with flat sales (0.0%) worth US$7.2 billion. While the percentage changes aren’t overly impressive, the category’s ability to retain such huge sales levels should be.
It’s indicative of vodka’s longevity. But where should people be spending their money when it comes to vodka? The Vodka Masters 2025 set out to find the most noteworthy expressions on the market, and determine those with quality and creativity at their core.
A trio of judging panels gathered at The Singer Tavern in London to put this year’s entrants through their paces. The first group comprised Matt Chambers, co-founder of Whisky For Everyone, Ruchira Neotia, drinks consultant and founder of Ruchira’s Table, and Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions. The second team was led by David T Smith, drinks writer, consultant and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo. He judged alongside Anne Jones, founder of drinks sustainability consultancy Limestone & Jones, and Clinton Cawood, spirits writer. Sitting on the third and final team was Bryan Rodriguez-Curtis, spirits buyer at Bottle Apostle who chaired his group. He was accompanied by Marie Cheong-Thong, WSET educator, and wine and spirits judge, and Antony Moss, independent sustainability consultant.
The tasting began by exploring vodkas priced in the Premium bracket (£11-£20, or US$15-US$27). The opening flight yielded two Golds and a trio of Silver medals. Three Sixty Vodka secured one of the Gold medals, enjoyed for its “clean, crisp note with fennel and anise”, and “viscous, weighty palate that would hold up well with a variety of mixers”.
Picking up the second Gold was Smirnoff No. 21, with its “creamy aromas, smooth palate, well-integrated alcohol, gentle finish; enough character, yet also clean and pretty”.
Moving up a price bracket to Super-Premium (£21-£30) and a Master medal was presented to Kakira Vodka. The judges enjoyed the “nice texture” of the vodka, and its “balanced and approachable” profile. Tasting notes for the expression included “gentle sweetness, light brioche, and a citrussy element towards the finish – an elegant vodka”. The addition of two Gold medallists and a Silver made for an impressive flight.
The quality standard grew in the most expensive vodkas in the Ultra-Premium heat (£31+). Six Master medallists were celebrated in this flight. Król I Luxury Organic Vodka was one of the Master winners, praised for its “clean and engaging” aroma, which developed into a “succulent, creamy, velvety texture, with notes of herbs and citrus”.
Master-winning Kiyokawa Vodka was liked for its “bold palate, great flavour, silky texture, hints of cereal, light citrus and sweet vanilla.” Chopin Family Reserve Vodka also won a Master medal. Chambers found this to be “very creamy on the palate, lovely mouthfeel with elegant sweetness and earthy undertones”. Drylaw Organic Garnacha Vodka impressed with its “Mediterranean vibe with olive tapenade and citrus” aromas. Neotia added: “The palate is humming with herbs and is very grappa-like. Very well-balanced flavours; a great job in bringing the elements together.”
Shroton Fair Vodka – 13 Botanicals continued the Master streak, thanks to its “seriously interesting” aroma, akin to new make spirit. Flavours detected by the judges included a “fruity palate, dates, raisins, and a jammy quality on the finish”. Jo Vodka – The Purist, created by perfumer Jo Malone CBE, completed the Master medal line-up in this round. The vodka was “smooth and creamy, classic and pristine while still being textured and interesting”.
Sixteen Gold medals were also unearthed in this flight, including awards for: “fruity, sweet, jammy” Edwards 1902 English Potato Vodka; “classic, clean, bright” Eight Lands Organic Speyside Vodka; and “fresh and lightly citrussy” Royal Mash Vodka. Six Silver medals closed the flight.
Pushing boundaries
The judges reflected on a standout heat. “People are obviously pushing boundaries,” said Chambers. “It was great to see diversity and innovation.”
Neotia added: “Vodka is bringing its personality back without losing sight of its core of elegance that’s expected from the category. I genuinely enjoyed the surprise and delight from this category, which might divide opinions at times, but I think for ultra-premium, this should be welcomed.”
From there, the tasting turned to a flight of vodkas made from corn. “Gently peppery, well-balanced, light and clean” Barkeep Vodka took home a Gold medal. A Silver was awarded to Kalinka Vodka.
Moving to Vodka Base – Wheat, and Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka received a respectable Silver medal. In the following rye-based flight, High Ground Vodka also won a Silver medal.
In the rice-based round, Sawasdee Jasmine Rice Vodka took home a Master medal. It was liked for its “caramel popcorn” aroma and slight “chocolatey, toasted rice” notes. Meanwhile, stablemate Khaohom Jasmine Rice Vodka received a Gold medal for its “great balance and flavour”.
Poetry Vodka added to the Gold medals in the Vodka Base – Grain Blend heat, impressing with “a little stony texture and pleasant pepper and lemon rind”.
A Silver medal was awarded to Urban Spirit Signature Vodka in the Microdistillery flight.
Up next came the Organic Vodka flight, in which four Golds and one Silver were awarded. Among the Gold winners were Cashmir Vodka, which presented a “touch of smoke and white peach” on the nose. Rodriguez-Curtis described this as a “strong vodka for quality cocktail-bar use”. Mikolasch The Farmer Organic also took home a Gold medal for being “a solid vodka” with “gentle cereal hints, some peppery spice and a touch of icing sugar and vanilla”.
‘Lush, buttery smoothness’
In the Smooth flight, one Master, one Gold and one Silver medal were awarded, with the top accolade bestowed upon Newport Vodka. “The palate is weighty and textured with a lush buttery smoothness,” said Jones about the Master winner.
Next, the judges assessed the vodkas by region, starting with vodkas from Europe. Three Silver medals were enjoyed, alongside a Gold award for Ostoya Vodka. Cheong-Thong praised the Gold medallist’s “good balance, with spice and length”.
In Eastern Europe, MV Group Production collected two awards, a Master for Lithuanian Vodka Gold, and a Silver for Lithuanian Vodka Gold Lemon. The Master was given for the vodka’s “clean nose, fresh with very good minerality, with a crisp focused finish – everything in the right place”, said Moss.
The Rest of the World segment delivered a solid set of medals: one Master and two Golds. Joining the Master rank was Vodka Innit. Cawood described this vodka as having “just enough rounded sweetness while remaining in balance. A lovely citrus element, and a pithy finish.” Meanwhile, the “complex and fascinating” Mother of Pearl Vodka of the Sea, and “soft, sweet and round” Eiko Japanese Vodka were the Gold recipients.
A pair of Silver medals were awarded in the Oak-Aged flight to Eight Lands Whisky Cask-Aged Vodka, and Eight Lands Muscat Barrel-Aged Vodka.
The judges then progressed onto a large flight of Flavoured/Infused Vodka. Three Master medallists got the flight off to a strong start – all collected by The Absolut Company. The three Absolut winners were: Absolut Hunni, Absolut Nights Orange Peel, and Absolut Nights Smoky Piña.
Cawood described Absolut Hunni as “vibrant, big and fun” with “a bit hit of quality honey, and a wonderfully long finish”. Absolut Nights Orange Peel, meanwhile, was found to “sing with fresh, slightly tart orange fruit – incredibly surprising”, according to Neotia. And Absolut Nights Smoky Piña was enjoyed for being “very luscious and sweet” on the palate, Chambers noted, also finding “expressive confected tropical fruit, cracked black pepper and a hint of vegetal bitterness”.
Nine Gold medals were also awarded in the flight, including another two for Absolut expressions, plus two for Siren Vodka, one for its “authentic” Black Tea flavour and a second for “sweet, fruity” Lychee. Four Silver medals were also given out in this flight.
Chambers said about the flavoured heat: “It seems the cream has risen to the top, and there was some really good quality stuff there.”
As the end of the tasting neared, a Silver medal was given to Edwards 1902 x Bottlegreen Elderflower Liqueur.
In the final flight, Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind secured a Gold medal after impressing with its “acidic, savoury, very intense and deep” flavour profile.
After a quick reset of the palates the Master medallists were again poured for the judges, who had to whittle down their favourites for the deciding vote. After careful consideration, the coveted Vodka Taste Master title was bestowed upon Król I Luxury Organic Vodka.
“Ultra-premium vodkas in particular are reclaiming their territory,” noted Neotia, as she reflected on the day’s tasting. “We’ve had gin growing for about a decade and vodka is now coming back into the limelight and quite strongly. And deservingly so.”
Chambers was also impressed with the development of the vodka entrants. He said: “From previous years, it seems a lot of people were playing safe, whereas here, there’s been a lot of diversity in what people use as a base ingredient, and I think people are pushing the boundaries a bit. There are people doing classics superbly, and others embracing more natural flavours that are doing very well. Those making the most of this scored the highest, and are leading the category forwards.”
| Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Schwarze und Schlichte | Three Sixty Vodka | Gold |
| Diageo | Smirnoff No. 21 | Gold |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Original | Silver |
| Destillerie Farthofer | Organic Premium Vodka | Silver |
| Granite Rock Distillery | 9 Mile Vodka | Silver |
| Super-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Kakira Sugar | Kakira Vodka | Master |
| The Absolut Company | Elyx Vodka | Gold |
| Hard Cut Vodka | Hard Cut 90 Proof Vodka | Gold |
| DJ Limbrey Distilling Company | D1 Potato Vodka | Silver |
| Ultra-Premium | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| GB Brandz | Król I Luxury Organic Vodka | Master & Taste Master |
| Kiyokawa Co | Kiyokawa Vodka | Master |
| Podlaska Wytwornia Wodek Polmos | Chopin Family Reserve Vodka | Master |
| Organic and Fair Trade Ventures | Drylaw Organic Garnacha Vodka | Master |
| Shroton Fair Gin | Shroton Fair Vodka – 13 Botanicals | Master |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Jo Vodka – The Purist | Master |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Jo Vodka – The Bohemian | Gold |
| Borg of Sweden | Borg Vodka | Gold |
| Vodka 57 | Vodka 57 Pure Glacier Vodka | Gold |
| Loyal Vodka | Loyal Vodka | Gold |
| Cripps & Co | Cripps Vodka | Gold |
| Edwards 1902 | Edwards 1902 English Potato Vodka | Gold |
| Aspri Spirits | U’luvka Vodka | Gold |
| Bruderkuss Berlin | Bruderkuss Berlin Luxury Vodka | Gold |
| Uncommon Distillery | Small Batch Vodka | Gold |
| Glenrinnes Distillery | Eight Lands Organic Speyside Vodka | Gold |
| Uokka | Tanzanite Vodka | Gold |
| Royal Mash Vodka | Royal Mash Vodka | Gold |
| Podlaska Wytwornia Wodek Polmos | Chopin Potato Vodka | Gold |
| Kirker Greer Spirits | Ukiyo Japanese Rice Vodka | Gold |
| Hawkridge Distillers | Country House Weddings Vodka | Gold |
| Hawkridge Distillers | Golden Egg Vodka | Gold |
| Hawkridge Distillers | Sopwell House Vodka | Silver |
| Quintessential Brands Group | Jo Vodka – The Artisan | Silver |
| Wasing Estate | Wasing Vodka | Silver |
| Basalt Distillery | Basalt Volcanic Rock Vodka | Silver |
| The Store, Oxford | The Store Vodka | Silver |
| Wolfsbane | Premium Vodka | Silver |
| Vodka Base – Corn | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Prime Aged Spirits | Barkeep Vodka | Gold |
| Zwack Unicum | Kalinka Vodka | Silver |
| Vodka Base – Wheat | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Ramsbury Brewery and Distillery | Ramsbury Single Estate Vodka | Silver |
| Vodka Base – Rye | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Foley Family Wines & Spirits | High Ground Vodka | Silver |
| Vodka Base – Rice | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Carabao Drinks | Sawasdee Jasmine Rice Vodka | Master |
| Carabao Drinks | Khaohom Jasmine Rice Vodka | Gold |
| Vodka Base – Grain Blend | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Poetry | Poetry Vodka | Gold |
| Microdistillery | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Urban Spirit Vodka | Urban Spirit Signature Vodka | Silver |
| Organic | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| High Basin Brands | Ghost Hill Organic Vodka | Gold |
| High Basin Brands | Ghost Hill Organic Meyer Lemon | Gold |
| Piccadily Agro Industries | Cashmir Vodka | Gold |
| Fabrika Mikolasch International | Mikolasch The Farmer Organic | Gold |
| Glenrinnes Distillery | Eight Lands Organic Speyside Vodka | Silver |
| Smooth | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Orang Tua | Newport Vodka | Master |
| Borg of Sweden | Borg Vodka | Gold |
| Goral Vodka | Goral Vodka | Silver |
| Europe | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Wyborowa | Ostoya Vodka | Gold |
| Les Producteurs Réunis | Parneff Vodka | Silver |
| Vodka 57 | Vodka 57 Pure Glacier Vodka | Silver |
| F.lli Gancia & c | Russian Standard Vodka | Silver |
| Eastern Europe | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| MV Group Production | Lithuanian Vodka Gold | Master |
| MV Group Production | Lithuanian Vodka Gold Lemon | Silver |
| Rest of the World | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Milledge’s Distillation | Vodka Innit | Master |
| Mother of Pearl Vodka | Mother of Pearl Vodka of the Sea | Gold |
| BBC Spirits | Eiko Japanese Vodka | Gold |
| Oak Aged | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Glenrinnes Distillery | Eight Lands Whisky Cask-Aged Vodka | Silver |
| Glenrinnes Distillery | Eight Lands Muscat Barrel-Aged Vodka | Silver |
| Flavoured/Infused Vodka | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Hunni | Master |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Nights Orange Peel | Master |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Nights Smoky Piña | Master |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Nights Nordic Spice | Gold |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Vanilia | Gold |
| Orang Tua | Siren Vodka – Black Tea | Gold |
| Orang Tua | Siren Vodka – Lychee | Gold |
| Vine Beverages | Zimasa Vodka | Gold |
| Kakira Sugar | Kakira Coffee Flavoured Vodka | Gold |
| Barfuturo | Vodka Sera | Gold |
| Goral Vodka | Goral Cranberry Vodka | Gold |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Citron | Gold |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Raspberri | Silver |
| The Absolut Company | Absolut Wild Berri | Silver |
| Uncommon Distillery | Local Honey Vodka | Silver |
| Loyal Vodka | Loyal Raspberry & Pineapple Vodka | Silver |
| Vodka Liqueur | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Edwards 1902 | Edwards 1902 X Bottlegreen Elderflower Liqueur | Silver |
| Flavoured Vodka Spirit Drink | ||
| Company | Product | Medal |
| Diageo | Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind | Gold |
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