As promised yesterday, today we’re plowing through the five vodkas (one straight, four flavored) from Portland’s Indio Spirits. All five are 80-proof and distilled from rye, then filtered through charcoal-activated coconut husks. (All the vodkas are uncolored, too, and feature very approachable prices.)

Indio Silver Edition Vodka – This is the straight, unflavored vodka, and I never would have guessed rye as the base. It’s an extremely smooth, lightly medicinal spirit without a lot of challenging secondary flavors (maybe some light, sugary sweetness. It’s considerably better ice cold. When it warms up, the hefty alcohol notes get hot, making it rough around the edges. A good mixer. Uncomplicated. B+

Indio Oregon Marionberry Vodka – You can’t walk 20 feet in Oregon without running across something with marionberries in it, but this is the first time I’ve seen a marionberry spirit. While the marionberry is a lot like a blackberry, this infused vodka has more of a cranberry bent. Quite tart and mouth-puckeringly sour, it’s another fruity-cocktail mixer that grows on you. B+

Indio Lemongrass-Lime Vodka – Yep, lemongrass, not lemon. And yes, you can taste the difference, a kind of Asian-flecked, perfumy character that spins this vodka in a different direction than the usual citrus-infused vodkas on the market. There’s a little bitter quinine-like note on the finish, but that may not be a bad thing. Try it with 7, then try it with tonic. Serve it to your friends who don’t like gin and see what they have to say. A definite favorite. A-

Indio Blood Orange Vodka – The king of oranges comes to vodkaland. Quite good for an orange vodka, not really bitter at all, though distinguishing it as a blood orange vs. a regular orange is impossible. Almost candy-like, this is a solid flavored spirit that cries out for skillful mixing. A-

Indio Wasabi Vodka – Certainly an interesting and noble idea, but the nose of this vodka is nothing like wasabi at all. It smells a bit like evergreen needles and fresh cut wood. It’s almost indescribable. The flavor is similar, but with a little bit of a fruity tang to it. There’s no heat here to speak of. Extremely unique. I have no idea how I’d mix with it. Bloody Marys, I guess. B

all $23

Indio Silver Edition Vodka

$23

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

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Christopher Null

Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. A veteran writer and journalist, he also operates Null Media, a bespoke content creation company.

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