Polugar Single Malt Rye Vodka
Polugar Single Malt Rye Vodka (750mL, 38.5% ABV) takes the historic Russian bread-wine method and aims it at a single grain: a blend of single malt rye distillates, triple-distilled in copper pot stills meticulously reproduced from 18th-century drawings, following authentic recipes of the Russian aristocracy of the 1700s. Like the rest of the range, it is clarified with egg whites — the aristocracy's own technique — purified with white birchwood charcoal, and bottled at the traditional half-gar strength of 38.5%. F. Paul Pacult called it "a landmark for rye based vodka." Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 38.5% (traditional half-gar strength)
- Size: 750mL
- Grain: Blend of single malt rye distillates
- Process: Triple-distilled in 18th-century-style copper pot stills; egg white fining; white birchwood charcoal filtration; natural water, not chemically purified
- Heritage: Revived by vodka historian Boris Rodionov from 1700s Russian aristocratic recipes; distilled in Poland
- Awards: 5 Stars — Highest Recommendation, Spirit Journal; "A landmark for rye based vodka" — Paul Pacult
Malted Like Whisky, Bottled Like History
The word "malt" usually belongs to Scotch, but here it belongs to vodka's ancestor. Malting the rye — letting the grain germinate before distilling — unlocks a creaminess and depth that unmalted grain can't reach, and the copper pot stills preserve it the way a column still never would. The result sits in a category of its own: too flavorful to be called neutral vodka, too clear and unaged to be called whisky. That is exactly the point — bread wine was always the missing link between the two. See the full Polugar range or browse our vodka collection — and for contrast, taste it next to a modern craft vodka.
Tasting Notes
The aroma is juicy, almost citrusy, with savory herbs and pickle brine; a slightly smoked nose carries a peppery, mineral-like note. The entry is creamy, rich in malted milk balls and nougat. A nicely baked mid-palate turns toasty, gaining a sweet, meaty, grainy, malt-like note, before a long, lush finish of slightly roasted spice and plump malted rye.
How to Enjoy
Slightly chilled and neat — the brand's serving recommendation, and the only way to catch the full arc from citrusy nose to roasted-spice finish. Rye-whisky drinkers will find familiar territory here; try it side by side with your favorite rye to taste what pot distillation does to the same grain without oak. It also brings real character to a Vodka Martini for drinkers who find standard vodka too quiet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Polugar Single Malt Rye a vodka or a whisky?Technically it is sold as vodka, but it is made like neither modern vodka nor whisky: it is Russian bread wine, triple pot-distilled from malted rye the way 1700s aristocracy made it — unaged like vodka, grain-forward like whisky. The brand calls it the father of vodka and the brother of whisky.
What does "single malt" mean in a vodka?It means the spirit is distilled from 100% malted rye — a blend of single malt rye distillates, with no other grains. Malting develops the creamy, toasty, nougat-like flavors that define this bottle.
Why is it 38.5% ABV instead of 40%?38.5% is the historic Polugar strength: before alcohol meters, spirit was tested by burning off half the volume ("polugar" = half-burned), and 38.5% is what remained. The whole range is bottled at that strength as a matter of authenticity.
Where is it made?The recipes are 18th-century Russian and the stills were rebuilt from Russian drawings, but distillation happens at the Rodionov & Sons Distillery in Poland, since copper pot stills have been banned in Russia since 1895.
For rye lovers who think they've tried everything: buy Polugar Single Malt Rye Vodka online at Del Mesa Liquor and taste the grain like it's 1745.