Vodka brands are known for different marketing and production stunts to differentiate themselves from each other. There’s the wild flavor spectrum from PB&J to tobacco, and then there’s the luxury options like caviar-infused vodka. Now the Dan Aykroyd-owned Crystal Head vodka is dialing up the absurdly luxurious with a vodka filtered over 10,000 Herkimer Diamonds.
The Canadian vodka company launched in the U.S. in 2008, and is easily recognized by its skull-shaped bottle. Its newest, Herkimer Diamond studded product is called Aurora. The vodka is filtered seven times, “three of which are through over 10,000 Herkimer Diamonds,” according to a press release from Crystal Head. You read that correctly.
While extravagant, it’s difficult to tell how distilling vodka through diamonds enhances the flavor. It also raises some questions. Why do they need to use 10,000? Where did they get that many Herkimer Diamonds? Would a regular diamond be better or worse? But hey, it’s an eye catcher. Crystal Head claims that Aurora has a drier, bolder, spicier character from the base wheat (and the Herkimer Diamonds?) than other Crystal head vodkas.
It’s not just the liquid inside that’s more than a little extra. according to the press release, the skull bottle is “placed into a sealed chamber and electrically charged.” Then, to add some color, “two metals in powder form are activated seven times and released in the pressurized chamber. The powder is drawn to the electrically charged bottle – completely coating it. Then heated at high temperature, the powder melts, creating a uniquely iridescent metallized (sic) finish in which no two bottles are alike.”
Despite the luxury, most of the top selling brands of vodka are just unadulterated vodka. Grey Goose is clean, smooth and consistent. Other best selling standards include Smirnoff, Absolut, and Skyy. I guess you’ll have to try Aurora yourself to see if it’s any different and shines bright like a diamond.
