Review: Van Gogh Dutch Caramel vodka

November 3, 11:16 PMKansas City Cocktails ExaminerAngie Rayfield

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Van Gogh Vodka has always had a reputation as a distiller of ultra-premium vodka. They added to their selection of decadent flavors again in 2009 with Dutch Caramel, and recently provided a sample to review for this column.

As any candy maker can tell you, caramel can be tricky. The ingredients are simple - cream, butter and sugar. The trick is to cook it to sweet gooeyness, burning the sugar just enough to create that delicious rich flavor without burning it so much that it tastes, well, burnt. Is it possible to create that flavor in a vodka?

Absolutely. Open a bottle of Van Gogh Dutch Caramel and enjoy the aroma. The fragrance is butter and sugar, with a hint of vanilla. It's like peeling the wrapper off one of Grandma's homemade candies.

The flavor is even better. Sweet but not sugary, the flavor doesn't remind you of caramel. It is caramel, with just a hint of vanilla and chocolate, and it tastes creamy without being thick or syrupy. There's no bitter aftertaste or bite, just a lingering warmth - it is vodka, after all, weighing in at 70 proof. Even the color is right for a caramel.

Van Gogh Dutch Caramel vodka is delicious simply chilled and sipped neat, but it also is very mixable, and will work well for absolutely luscious dessert cocktails.

Caramel Zing

• 2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Caramel vodka
• 3 oz. ginger ale
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice

Pour vodka and ginger ale into a tall glass filled with ice. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and garnish with a cherry.