Purchased at a little shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Smells exactly like regular Sobieski on the nose - spicy, warm, and thick, with obvious alcohol notes. It's got a delicious, almost sweet flavor up front, which quickly gives way to black-pepper heat and and an effervescent, fiery finish on top of a thick and velvety body. There is little actual flavor here, but the *effect* of it combined with the heavy body is both profound and lovely. Going down as a shot, it's smooth as all hell down below and a white-hot explosion of rye spice up top - followed by a strong yet gentle burning sensation. It has absolutely zero aftertaste whatsoever, perhaps just the tiniest lingering note of starch or powdered sugar. This is damn fine vodka, masterfully distilled; and while it might not be worth scouring the ends of the earth to find a bottle (it's very rare in the USA), it's head-and-shoulders more affordable than comparable top-shelf entries.
Reviewer: Sam W.