The numbers are not modest. 98 Points from Wine Enthusiast. 97 Points from the Beverage Testing Institute — awarded consistently across more than twelve years of evaluation, making Elit the only vodka to have held that score with that consistency. Named Vodka of the Year by the BTI more times than any other spirit in the category's history. The highest-rated white spirit in the world by aggregate critical score — a distinction earned blind, year after year, by a panel with no stake in the result.

Elit was created in 2003 at Latvijas Balzams — a distillery built in 1900 by order of the Tsar in Riga, Latvia, one of Europe's oldest and most architecturally remarkable spirits facilities — by Tamara Ponomarjova and Aija Zablocka, two women whose founding vision for the world's finest vodka has been carried forward by female Master Blenders ever since, including current steward Ginta Muizniece. The result has never changed in its essentials: 97% winter wheat and 3% rye, triple distilled, blended with deep artesian well water drawn from 200 meters below the Latvian earth, and then subjected to the process that defines everything — the patented −18°C freeze filtration.

This is not a marketing flourish. Chilling vodka to sub-zero temperatures causes the remaining congeners and micro-impurities that survive standard charcoal filtration to crystallize and separate from the spirit, allowing them to be removed at an ion-charged filter pass that standard-temperature filtration cannot achieve. The result is a measurably purer spirit with a silkiness and textural creaminess that is the immediate and defining characteristic of Elit in the glass. For the serious vodka enthusiast, this is the benchmark. For the gifting buyer who wants the most credentialed ultra-premium vodka available, this is the answer.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Latvijas Balzams was established in Riga, Latvia in 1900 — built on the order of Tsar Nicholas II as a state-of-the-art spirits production facility and today among the most storied distilleries in the Baltic region. It has been the home of Stolichnaya vodka's production for over 75 years, and it is here that Elit was developed under the SPI Group's ownership — a brand conceived specifically to push beyond what standard ultra-premium vodka production could achieve.

The mashbill is precise and deliberate: 97% Russian winter wheat and 3% rye — a composition that gives Elit more personality than the purely neutral profiles many competitors achieve, the rye adding a barely detectable spice and structure that distinguishes the spirit in blind tasting while the wheat provides the soft, gently sweet grain character that defines the house style. The grain is fermented slowly before passing through triple distillation — each pass refining the spirit toward a higher level of purity before the defining step begins.

The patented freeze filtration at −18°C is inspired by an ancient Russian tradition: leaving casks outside in plummeting winter conditions, where the cold caused impurities to crystallize and settle, allowing a cleaner spirit to be drawn off. Elit applies that centuries-old cold-climate intuition with modern precision — chilling the spirit to exactly −18°C and passing it at ultra-slow velocity through an ion-charged filter, then allowing it to rest before a further multi-stage filtration through quartz sand and birch charcoal. The result strips away the micro-impurities that cause harshness, sharpness, and the unpleasant morning-after effects that lower-quality vodkas produce — leaving a spirit of remarkable textural purity and a finish that is notably long, clean, and free of harsh alcohol bite at any temperature.

The artesian well water used for proofing is drawn from 200 meters below the earth at the Latvijas Balzams facility — a source of exceptional natural purity whose mineral character contributes a subtle icy freshness to the finished spirit. The bottle itself is sealed with a distinctive ribbed cap and presented in Elit's signature clean, architectural design — a bottle that communicates the liquid's character before it is opened.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast — 98 Points Beverage Testing Institute — 97 Points (awarded consistently across 12+ consecutive years — an unmatched record in the vodka category) Beverage Testing Institute — Vodka of the Year (awarded more than 15 times) Named Vodka of the Year 2024 by leading industry critics

The highest aggregate critical score of any white spirit in the world — earned blind, consistently, across more than a decade of independent evaluation.

Tasting Profile

Nose Delicate, grain-forward, and quietly complex — more expressive than pure neutrality but never aggressive. Gentle vanilla and wet stone open the nose alongside faint lemongrass and a whisper of flint minerality from the deep artesian water. A subtle anise note and hints of lemon zest add aromatic lift, while a barely detectable white pepper thread from the 3% rye component adds structure and complexity. Fresh cotton and a clean, cool mineral freshness — the freeze filtration's most immediate aromatic signature — thread through the whole. The overall impression is of absolute purity with just enough grain character to reward slow attention.

Palate The freeze filtration's achievement is most apparent here — the mouthfeel is silky, coating, and creamy in a way that standard filtration processes simply do not produce. The entry is soft and grain-forward, transitioning from a subtle bitter almond note to sweet almond as the palate develops. Lemon custard and vanilla cream add gentle sweetness and texture through the mid-palate, accompanied by supple touches of baking spice that emerge toward the peak without introducing any harshness. A balanced grain sweetness and subtle icy minerality weave together in a profile that is simultaneously restrained and deeply satisfying — vodka as a precision instrument rather than a blunt delivery mechanism for alcohol.

Finish Exceptionally smooth, long, and cooling — the freeze filtration's defining legacy on the palate. A crisp, clean fade carries fresh herbs and a measured kick of white pepper into a finish that lingers well beyond what standard vodka delivers, before resolving into a pure, polished close with no harsh residual heat. One of the longest and cleanest finishes in the ultra-premium vodka category — the quality that makes Elit a genuine sipping vodka rather than simply a premium cocktail base.

Quick Overview

Category	Details
ABV / Proof	40% ABV / 80 Proof
Origin	Riga, Latvia — Latvijas Balzams (est. 1900)
Producer	SPI Group — Master Blender Ginta Muizniece
Grain	97% Russian winter wheat · 3% rye
Distillation	Triple distilled
Filtration	Patented −18°C freeze filtration · Ion-charged filter · Quartz sand · Birch charcoal
Water	Deep artesian well — 200 meters below earth · Latvijas Balzams facility
Founded	2003 — created by Tamara Ponomarjova & Aija Zablocka
Style / Identity	Ultra-luxury freeze-filtered wheat vodka — silky, mineral, grain-forward, world's highest-rated white spirit
Aromas & Flavors	Vanilla, wet stone, lemongrass, flint, anise, lemon zest, sweet almond, lemon custard, vanilla cream, baking spice, white pepper, fresh herbs
Awards	Wine Enthusiast 98 Points · BTI 97 Points (12+ consecutive years) · BTI Vodka of the Year 15+ times · Vodka of the Year 2024
Bottle Size	750ml

Serving & Occasion

Designed explicitly for neat consumption — Elit's freeze filtration creates a silkiness and textural purity that are most apparent without dilution. Serve straight from the freezer in a chilled crystal glass for the complete Elit experience — the low temperature amplifies the viscosity and creamy mouthfeel the freeze filtration produces. Equally exceptional over a single large ice cube in a rocks glass, where the spirit opens slowly and the minerality and grain character develop over time. The cleanest and most refined Vodka Martini achievable from any bottle — see below. An exceptional gifting bottle for vodka enthusiasts, luxury spirits collectors, and anyone who has never experienced what the highest-rated white spirit in the world actually tastes like. Store bottle in freezer for optimal serving.

Cocktail Suggestions

Elit Vodka Martini (the definitive serve) 2.5 oz Stoli Elit · ½ oz dry vermouth · lemon twist or olives. Stirred over ice with precision — never shaken — served up in a chilled crystal coupe. The freeze filtration's silkiness and the artesian water's mineral freshness make Elit one of the finest Martini bases available at any price point. The mineral undertones and lemon zest character of the nose play beautifully against dry vermouth's botanical dryness — a Martini of exceptional refinement.

Elit Dirty Martini 2.5 oz Stoli Elit · ¼ oz dry vermouth · ½ oz quality olive brine · two olives. Stirred over ice, served up. The vodka's grain character and mineral quality hold their own against the brine — producing a Dirty Martini where the spirit remains audible rather than buried. One of the best Dirty Martinis available from any ultra-premium vodka.

Elit Vesper 1.5 oz Stoli Elit · 1 oz gin · ½ oz Lillet Blanc · lemon peel. Stirred over ice, served up. James Bond's original cocktail — and one where Elit's wheat-driven sweetness and silky texture balance gin's botanical complexity with unusual elegance. The 3% rye adds a structural note that bridges the two base spirits perfectly.

Elit Vodka Soda 2 oz Stoli Elit · premium chilled sparkling water · expressed lemon peel. Built over ice in a tall glass, stirred gently. The simplest serve that allows the artesian water's mineral freshness and grain character to speak unobstructed — clean, refreshing, and considerably more rewarding than the same format with standard vodka.

Elit Espresso Martini 1.5 oz Stoli Elit · 1 oz freshly pulled espresso · ¾ oz coffee liqueur · pinch of salt. Shaken hard over ice, double-strained into a chilled coupe. Three coffee beans to garnish. The freeze filtration's silkiness produces a noticeably smoother Espresso Martini than standard grain vodka — the lemon zest and vanilla character of the Elit interplaying with the espresso's roast in a combination that is more complex and refined than most versions of the classic.

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