Karlsson's Gold Vodka

• Peter Ekelund was behind the creation of a potato vodka in the Cape Bjäre  region of southern Sweden. He had been instrumental in the launch of Absolut a quarter-century earlier, but making a potato vodka revived a style that had been prevalent in Sweden until the late 1970s when all distillers converted to grain bases. Ekelund enlisted retired Absolut master blender Börje Karlsson to help work out the new recipe. This is the result.

The distillers at Karlsson's say their vodka is "crafted from virgin Swedish potatoes." That's comforting, because I'd be thrown off if I had to sample a potato with no morals. (Actually, a "virgin" potato is one on which the skin has yet to form.)

Potato vodkas are, in my view, the best of the breed even though there are many competitors since vodka can be made from any organic matter containing starch or sugar. This particular entry, made at the  Gripsholms Distillery near Stockholm, uses seven different potato varieties in a sour mash method similar to the one used to make bourbon.

Karlsson's is a single distillation and unfiltered, differentiating it from those vodkas that have been purified to a fare-the-well, losing a lot of character in the process. It rests for just 24 hours after distillation, then is sent right to the bottling facility.

I tried it in the obligatory martini, to good results, but found that sipping it straight from the freezer was the best way to enjoy its bold characteristics -- a pleasant amount of heat, a creamy texture and full, round flavor on the tongue.

Suggested retail price: $39.99 for the 750ml bottle.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey

• In a surge of innovation that hasn't been seen around Lynchburg, TN, in a long time, the Jack Daniel Distillery has put out its second new product in a month, this one following its line of ready-to-drink versions of infused Jack whiskey.

What do you call an alcoholic beverage that is cold, warm and hot stuff all at the same time? You got it.

This new product from the Jack Daniel Distillery that just this week is being rolled out in various U.S. markets should become a quick hit, especially with women and the younger male-female demographic that has shown by their purchasing choices in recent years that they like a robust drink with a sweet component.

There is no coyness about what is in this bottle. It's the standard JD Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey with a touch of a proprietary honey liqueur. It comes in at 35% alcohol by volume, which means 70 proof compared to the usual JD 80 proof.

The makers suggest drinking it straight and cold. I can see why. Following that suggestion, I tried it while expecting the usual too-sweet product that seems to happen so often when whiskey and fruit or honey are combined. This, however, was a very pleasant surprise.

Notes of caramel, charcoal and honeysuckle immediately came through on the nose, followed by a warm rush of the smoothest Jack I've had, thanks to the honey liqueur. The honey, vanilla and oak coated the tongue, and finished warmly and fragrantly.

Jack has a winner here.

Suggested retail price: $22 for the 750ml bottle. It also comes in 50 ml, 375 ml and one-liter sizes.

Go to Dowd's Spirits Notebook.