‘Blacklion Vodka’ – UK’s rarest vodka made from sheep’s milk.

Vodka is a worldwide famous alcoholic beverage. Although it is known for its neutral flavour profile, different types of vodka possess flavours unique to the base ingredients used in production. The word ‘Neutral’ associated with vodka reflects the tendency of harmonizing with other alcoholic beverages or ingredients without overpowering the flavour profile. Potato, corn, rye, wheat etc. are some bases that are used to produce this distilled liquor. But do you know vodka can also be prepared with milk as a base? I was just as shocked as you are right now when I read about it. The milk in the equation here is obtained from a specific breed of the ship raised and bred by the people who created the ‘Black lion Vodka’. This article contains information that you probably didn’t know before. So, get ready to venture into a completely different category of the vodka industry.

‘With the family farm deep-rooted in our hearts, we’re passionate about sustainability and producing exceptional vodka.’
– Tim & Tanya Spittle.

The family That is driven by passion :

This rare sheep’s milk vodka is produced at Cotswold Farms, United Kingdom. Tim & Tanya Spittle curated this amazing vodka by rejuvenating the pre-existing farm into a successful business. 50 years ago, Tim’s mother and late father purchased this gorgeous farm (Sheaf Farms) which included a cluster of estates farmed by his parents, which included a dairy, extensive flocks of sheep and a large arable operation.

This family-owned business set foot in the industry 3 years ago with the vision to enter the spirits industry with their niche alcoholic beverage made from a rare breed of sheep, Black Lion. Their passion for adventure and vodka led them to convert a byproduct of the cheese-making process into the UK’s first sheep’s milk vodka. This vodka is based on the terms of sustainability.

The BlackLion Vodka

‘Whey’ is considered as a waste product but Tim & Tanya Spittle have transformed it into a fine luxurious product. The process is long but worth the results. The journey starts from the birth of a lamb. One of the many unique things about this vodka is the breed of sheep used in the process.

Black Lion Sheep – The Valais Blacknose Sheep form part of the flock, originate from areas of the Matterhorn, Switzerland. With selective breeding – the cross of rare Valais Blacknose Sheep and Cotswold born milk sheep they created Cotswold Black Lion sheep, which then form part of the milking flock. In total they have 6 different breeds of sheep; Valais Blacknose, Cotswold Lion, Black Lion, Dorsets, Ryelands and British Friesland. Each breed comes with huge benefits to their business with an addition of great joy.

2 years are invested to nurture and grow the flock before they are fully fledged and ready for milking. After the milk is extracted, local cheesemakers separate curd and whey, keeping the curd and the whey is then filtered in the Cotswold distillery. The process is extremely technical and uses triple distillation and filtration to create this rare luxurious vodka.

According to BlackLion vodka, vodka is a full-bodied and flavourful vodka produced sustainably to create a crisp, clean and silky smooth finish. Like meltwater from the Matterhorn, our vodka is distilled using Cotswold Spring Water, designed to be experienced over ice at temperature (-1°C). This rare & unique vodka explores warming tasting notes and subtlety of the mountain flower, Edelweiss. The combination of techniques used to produce vodka from sheep’s milk and the traditional method of making clean and smooth vodka gave birth to this innovative vodka.

Launched in 2021, The ABV of Black lion vodka is 40% and priced at £60.00 for 700 ml. To buy this beauty, visit – https://blacklionvodka.co.uk/product/black-lion-vodka-70-cl/

The name BlackLion vodka has been formed by taking ‘Black’ to represent the Valais Blacknose sheep and then ‘Lion’ is a nod to the ancestors who reintroduced Cotswold Lion sheep back in the 1950s.

The luxury logo & design :

The symbol displayed as the logo is unique yet symbolic for the founders. The rams head is used as a logo and it reflects the brand’s story and gives a nod to the provenance behind the sheep producing the all-important waste product. The rams head features across all aspects of the Black Lion Vodka packaging, this is to help raise awareness for the rare Valais Blacknose sheep and educate consumers about where their vodka comes from.

The centre of the bottle has a label that displays the brand name, product name and other necessities like region, ABV etc. The eye-catching thing about this label is the beautiful estate drawing and the colour combination used in the bottle designing. The cap of the bottle is synthetic cork and has a small label with ‘triple distilled’ written on it. The bottle is made from thick durable glass to ensure the contents is well protected. The bottle’s design features a raised base which is one of the reasons for choosing this style of bottle. The raised base creates the illusion of the Matterhorn Mountain rising from the inside of the bottle.

Edelweiss flower: the essence of the Swiss-inspired vodka

Apart from the rare sheep’s milk factor, this vodka is accentuated through warming tasting notes and the subtlety of the mountain flower, Edelweiss. This flower grows only in high altitudes like the Alps. This small flower with fluffy white leaves is the national flower of Switzerland. The subtle flavour of this flower represents the eternal love of the founders along with sustainability, provenance and adventure.