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Liquor Review: Hangar One

Published on October 31st, 2008 in Liquors of the Month, Vodka by Paco

Hanger One Vodka After suffering through BoozeBasher’s second worst vodka review to date, I was a bit tentative to try top shelf vodkas. After some encouraging advice from Hunter, I went ahead and picked up a bottle of Hangar One vodka. Until the purchase I had never heard of the stuff, but since Hunter seems to know his vodkas, I became a little excited to try it. Being excited about an expensive vodka is actually a big deal at the moment after being scarred for life by Roth. On the plus side, I tasted what was pretty close to rock bottom, so there was only one way to go with this one. There was one thing that haunted me though. This stuff is American-made. We Americans are not known for our vodka, but we BoozeBashers are game to take on anything. Let’s see how it scores.

First let us get to know our new friend. Hangar One vodka is distilled at the Hangar One distillery and bottled by St. George Spirits in Alameda, California. Only the absolute best ingredients are used to produce small batches at a time. Small hand-operated stills are used to turn fresh fruit to produce the “really serious vodka” that’s distilled to a strength of 80-proof. Let’s find out just how serious this stuff really is.

As usual, we like to start with a nice pour on the rocks to get the full flavor with a chill. Before the first sip, we were immediately pleased that we can throw the broken record in the trash. No nail polish remover smell! The aroma was a very pleasant fruit flavor. After everyone took his first sample, there were grins from ear to ear on the faces of all the BoozeBashers present for this wonderful tasting. That’s truly a phenomenon that doesn’t happen very often. Hangar One vodka yielded a very smooth taste with hints of fruit, just as the scent suggested. Some of us went as far as to say this stuff is the best vodka sampled by BoozeBasher to date. Personally, I was too stunned to believe my first reaction, so I had to take a few more sips. Sure enough, I must agree with the rest of the staff. This stuff is great!

Could it get even better? At the time, we weren’t sure it was possible, but we did the usual and topped the vodka off with a splash of Sprite©. Just when we though things couldn’t possibly get better, the mix produced the best vodka Sprite© any of us had ever experienced! Out of nowhere, Hangar One had become the undisputed champion of vodka for the BoozeBasher website! Hangar One is absolutely amazing stuff! I was already looking forward to the drunkability test.

When I finally found the time to sacrifice an evening to the liquor gods, I was quite excited to spend it with Hangar One vodka. The first two drinks were on the rocks and were every bit as good as the first sampling weeks before. This stuff is absolutely dangerous! It’s so smooth that it goes down even better than water. Unfortunately, work was on the horizon eight hours away, so I made one last drink and topped it with Sprite©. Overall, I consumed at least four shots worth of HAngar One in my three drinks. I was feeling quite good. There’s something about a high quality vodka buzz. It definitely compares to one of a good Scotch. The buzz is so clean and energetic that you feel like you can do anything. After excercising the typical precautions, the next morning was free of any hangover. I definitely felt like I had consumed a few drinks the night before, but everything was fine. There’s no doubt Hangar One can put a whooping on you if it’s abused. After all, it’s vodka! They are known for making the next day a living hell, so proceed with caution.

It’s going to take one hell of a vodka to dethrone this undisputed champ, but just like all champions, the time will come. I have a feeling this one will reign for awhile though. Hangar One vodka scored very high in all categories except bang for the buck. Let’s face it, we all work hard, and it’s not always easy to blow $40 on a single bottle of liquor. Although I must say, if you like vodka, you MUST take the plunge and get a bottle of this stuff. Unlike many, Hangar One vodka is worth every cent you will spend. So when the money is right, treat yourself! You deserve it!

Sipability – 8.5

October 2008 Mixability – 9.5