Podole Wielkie Ziemniak 4YO Ex-Bourbon Cask is a vintage potato spirit from Pomerania, matured for four years in casks previously used for American bourbon. This particular edition was made from Brooke variety potatoes harvested in 2019 and produced at the Podole Wielkie distillery in Pomerania. The bottle was filled at a strength of 44%.
The distillery is located in the village of Podole Wielkie in the Słupsk district. It boasts a tradition of more than 150 years and is housed in a 15th-century farmstead, 20 kilometres from the Baltic Sea. It is the only producer in Poland and one of the few in the world to make its spirits from raw materials grown by its own hands; the harvested crops are fermented and then distilled slowly in a bulbous copper column. The entire production follows the "from field to bottle" principle, with the distillery controlling every stage, from cultivation through mashing and fermentation to distillation.
What is characteristic of this range is the way the distillate is handled. Podole Wielkie spirits contain no additives, are not filtered, and the finished distillate is bottled and labelled by hand. After distillation, the spirit goes into ex-bourbon casks, where it spends four years. All products are created in limited editions, and each one is a single year captured in a bottle.
The profile brings together two sources of flavour: the potato base of the distillate and the influence of American oak. Maturation in ex-bourbon casks contributes notes of vanilla, caramel and gentle baking spices, which overlay the vegetal, earthy core of the potato spirit. The finish is warm, with hints of wood and pepper. This spirit is intended for slow tasting, neat, at room temperature.