Polugar No. 2 Garlic & Pepper is a traditional Russian-style bread wine, distilled from rye and wheat and infused with the natural essential oils of garlic and hot pepper, bottled at 77 proof (38.5% ABV).
Polugar is known as the legendary Russian bread wine, the noble father of vodka: before single column stills, Russia's grain spirit was closer to whisky, with an aroma reminiscent of freshly baked bread. Distilled in copper pot stills, the style was banned by the Tsar in 1895. Boris Rodionov, a noted Russian vodka historian and scientist, rediscovered the original recipes and reproduced them at the authentic strength of 38.5%; with legislation still forbidding the style in Russia, the Rodionov family restored an old distillery in a forest in Poland. The rye and wheat distillate is clarified with birch charcoal and egg whites, an 18th-century technique, then infused with garlic and hot pepper following a 19th-century recipe.
Crystal clear, it opens with pungent garlic, freshly ground black pepper and faint curry leaves. The palate is powerful with baked garlic and cracked pepper yet elegant, with a soft mouthfeel and rounding brown bread flavors, and the finish is prolonged with garlic and spice over delicate grain.
It makes a memorable gift for adventurous drinkers and Bloody Mary fans.
Tasting Notes
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Nose: Pungent garlic, black pepper, curry leaf.
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Palate: Baked garlic, hot pepper, rye and wheat bread.
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Finish: Long garlic and spice.
Specifications
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Producer: Rodionov & Sons
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Style: Bread wine (polugar), infused
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Grains: Rye and wheat
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Flavorings: Natural essential oils of garlic and hot pepper
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Proof / ABV: 77 proof (38.5% ABV)
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Region: Poland
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Size: 750ml
How to Enjoy It
Use it as the base for an outstanding Bloody Mary, or sip it chilled with zakuski. It pairs with dressed herring, meat pastries, pickles or borscht.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is polugar?
A historic Russian bread wine, the forerunner of vodka.
What is it flavored with?
Natural essential oils of garlic and hot pepper.
How should I use it?
As a Bloody Mary base or chilled with savory snacks.
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