Twenty 2 vodka is unassuming. The bottle, while sleek, doesn’t ask for attention. The vodka, however, demands attention.

The Northern Main Distilling Company uses an array of 50 gallon pot stills, a process they call True Micro Distillation. This innovative solution allows Twenty 2 to be produced at high volume while maintaining quality.

The high-proof distillate is then converted to 80 proof vodka by blending with water that’s been purified by reverse osmosis and freeze filtered until the perfect taste is achieved. Three taste testers compare the vodka. If the majority aren’t happy, the batch goes back into the filter.

If their process doesn’t impress upon you that this vodka is high quality, the 14 awards Twenty 2 has won surely should. With Double Gold at the SF World Spirits Competition and back-to-back top honor Platinum medals from the S.I.P. Awards, there are other experts in the field that clearly think there is something to this vodka.

And that’s just the vodka you’re meant to drink straight.

Straight

Twenty 2 as a straight vodka is marvelous. This corn vodka is clear from the front all the way to the finish and ends with a slightly sweet note. I’ve had the pleasure of trying many great vodkas, and Twenty 2 is among the best. It’s so great to sip on, it’s a shame to mix it with anything. Alas, I must.

Mixed

I mixed Twenty 2 in an ice pick, which is a liberal amount of vodka mixed with sweet tea. Twenty 2 had no negative effect on the tea. The vodka slightly exposes the darker notes of the tea. The cocktail is very easy to drink, but the alcohol notes are still present, so you’re not in danger of drinking the cocktail too fast or in great number without realizing it. The vodka was magnificent in this cocktail.

Mixing with natural fruit juices has always been a difficult line for me. If you put too much vodka in, the cocktail becomes bitter; not enough, you may end up giving yourself a hangover from drinking too much sugar. Twenty 2 is, of course, no different. I mixed it with one of my favorite fruit juice cocktail, pomegranate juice and orange juice. At the Goldilocks point (that is, not too much and not too little), which was around one part vodka to two parts juice, the cocktail was quite enjoyable while still being an effective cocktail.

Final Thoughts

The Northern Main Distilling Company has an excellent vodka in Twenty 2. The almost flavorless vodka is excellent for sipping or mixing, and really is one of the best vodkas I’ve tasted. As I implied, The Northern Main Distilling Company has a few more tricks up their sleeve in the form of infused vodkas. I’ll have more to say about those over the coming weeks.

Rated 5 out of 5.