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Vapor Distillery Pumpkin King Cordial
About Vapor Distillery Pumpkin King Cordial
If you follow the blog, you know that it’s become a bit of a tradition of mine to review a pumpkin spice spirit each year. And don’t worry – I won’t rest until I’ve tried them all!
This year, I was adamant that I wanted to try a pumpkin spice liqueur or cordial that was not creamy. Though the non-cream ones are a bit trickier to get your hands on, I personally prefer them, as they are more versatile. This year, I chose Vapor Distillery Pumpkin King Cordial. This cordial is created by Boulder Spirits – a small, Colorado-based craft spirits producer.
This particular bottle of Pumpkin King Cordial is Gin-based, and infused for 1 month with spices and roasted Baby Bear Pie pumpkins. They advertise all natural ingredients, and the pumpkin and spices are all organic. The final product is sweetened with cane sugar.
Bottle Specs
❖ ABV: 30%
❖ Distillery: Vapor Distillery
❖ Aging: N/A
❖ Price Point: moderate
My Tasting notes
I took a whiff of this cordial, and the aroma was unexpected, with a mixture of citrus and earthiness.
I took a sip, and the citrus notes were prominent, with pumpkin in the finish and aftertaste. The alcohol was not too biting, but definitely could have been smoother. Although I do believe that the ingredients were fresh, I felt that the citrus and juniper notes clashed with the pumpkin spice notes, creating the illusion of rancidity. There was some sweet pumpkin spice in the finish, but overall the Gin flavor overpowered the pumpkin.
Cocktail
For my cocktail, I was inspired to create a simple martini variation that would hopefully let the pumpkin cordial shine. Instead of vermouth, I wanted to use brandy, as I felt it would be a better complement to the sweet flavor palate, and also balance out the lower ABV of the cordial.
Pumpkin Cordial Martini
Ingredients
- 2.5oz pumpkin cordial
- 0.5oz brandy
- 1 dash orange bitters
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, and stir until chilled
- Strain the mixture into a chilled martini glass
- garnish with an orange twist
Inside of a cocktail, I enjoyed this Pumpkin King Cordial a bit more. The brandy brought out its sweetness, though the pumpkin notes got a bit lost. Still, I was happy with the cocktail overall.
Bottom Line
RATING: 3/5
At the end of the day, I was a bit disappointed with this bottle of Vapor Distillery Pumpkin King Cordial, despite being very excited to try it. I personally feel that the choice to use Gin as a base spirit ended up being odd, and doesn’t enhance the sweet flavor profile that most pumpkin spice lovers are looking for.
Though there are signs that the flavors separately would be good quality, I simply think they clash when put together, and it leaves me wondering who the target audience is for this cordial. I was just a bit unimpressed. Though I still plan to try it in a few more cocktail recipes, I don’t see myself purchasing it again.
As always, drink responsibly.
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