Absolut Tune is an interesting entry in the beverage alcohol space – it’s not quite a hard spirit, and not really a sparkling wine, it lives somewhere in between. In an utterly unexpected move, Absolut has combined their signature vodka with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Brancott Estate, added carbonation, and packaged it in a snazzy champagne-style bottle. We’ve seen a number of interesting entries in the carbonated vodka space, like Le Grand Saint Sparkling Vodka, but Absolut Tune is one of the first major fusions of vodka and wine with added carbonation.
Absolut Tune (28 Proof / 14% ABV, $30) is clear in color despite the white wine in it (60% vodka and 40% Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc). The nose is greatly impacted by the wine and smells like fresh white grape along with a subtle undertone of dried apricot. Tune’s carbonation also informs the nose with a nice effervescence. The wine notes dominate the nose to a point where the the traditional notes from the Absolut vodka are hard to pick up, although they are there underneath. The entry for Absolut Tune is all white grape with dried apricot from the nose. There’s just a dash of sweet underneath from Absolut’s winter wheat but Tune manages to keep thing pretty dry throughout. The finish is very dry with just a hint of the sweet wheat from the vodka.
I have to belief we’re going to see more of this in the near future. High proof stuff blended with wine; beer made with wine (happening more and more); wine made with hops (don’t laugh - it will happen) . . .
Absolut is lousy vodka to begin with. They’re known for the look of their bottles, and they advertise a ton. The vodka in the bottle is not worth the price. But I guess that’s true for a lot of vodkas…
I’ve tried this, and it tasted exactly as I expected. You all can easily imagine it: a little bit of Absolut mixed with cheap NZ SB juice, and fizzy. I have also wondered how long the bubbles could possibly last. It seems like the bottle should be consumed in one sitting, which seems like poor planning. I guess it doesn’t matter; they will sell tons of whatever they get their tremendous marketing machine behind. Obviously, none of us fit into the intended target audience.
