X Muse Vodka Review

Are you looking for a new drink to try? Do you love good Vodka? Would you like to try one made in the UK with a unique clear flavour? Why not try X Muse?

When you think of Scotland, vodka is not a drink that comes to mind. X Muse is about to change that. It is a unique barley-blended vodka (the first from Scotland) which takes inspiration from the spirit-making traditions of Scotland.

Why Barley?

Most people vodka is made from potatoes but it actually uses grain in the process. Barley is central to spirit-making in Scotland, giving whisky its taste. It is a crop that has grown in Britain for many years, Neolithic man may well have made alcohol from it.

Barley has been cultivated and celebrated since before history began. In Egypt, it formed part of the burial rites and is linked to the resurrection myth of Osiris, where the sprouting of barley seeds sown in the belly of the dead god symbolised his return to life. In ancient Greece, an ear of barley signified the eternal cycle of resurrection after death in the Eleusinian Mysteries.

X Muse is a blend of two heritage varieties of barley, Plumage Archer and Marris Otter. These both grow in the UK and distilled separately. This mix of flavourful barley is part of the gorgeous taste of X Muse.

What is Special About the Water?

X Muse sources its water from an ancient aquifer, an underground layer of rock that holds groundwater. The aquifer lies beneath the Jupiter Artland sculpture park near Edinburgh. This exceptionally pure water helps bring out the clear flavour of X Muse

The water source is also the inspiration for one of the sculptures Jupiter Artland, Cells of Life created by Charles Jencks. X Muse’s bottle draws its look from the flowing curves of this art form.

As part of the process of making the vodka, the water is goes through a glass vortex amethyst crystals. This energised water is added into the vodka.

This part of the process takes inspiration from another artwork at Jupiter Artland, Anya Gallaccio’s “The Light Pours Out of Me”. An enclosed concrete staircase leads to a subterranean grotto, the walls contain beautiful purple amethysts, crystals with healing properties.

The Tenth Muse

In Greek mythology, there are 9 muses who are goddesses of inspiration, arts, science and all creative works. They gave the inspiration for all creative works. There is also a Tenth Muse, unnamed, unknowable and beyond form. She combines and focuses the power of her nine sisters, pushing us towards creating harmony and balance.

X Muse is also a sculpture by Ian Hamiton Finlay at Jupiter Artland. It depicts the head of Sappho, a Greek poet whose work was so creative Plato named her the Tenth Muse. Her inspiration continues as it is from this sculpture X Muse takes its name.

The Tenth Muse is the inspiration for X Muse vodka and if you read their story you will see the incredible thought that has gone into creating a vodka with incredible flavour. You can see this if you look under the wax seal at the top of the bottle. You will see the writing “Plura Latent, Quam Patent” which means “More is hid than uttered”

What We Thought of X Muse Vodka

We love vodka in our house and we loved X Muse. It has a lovely clear taste with fruity overtones. I could taste apples and pears. It has a smooth texture and is perfect for drinking on its own, or mixing into a cocktail. A taste experience not to be missed, it is different from a standard vodka.

It is not surprising it tastes so good as a lot of thought has gone into bringing together the blend and merging it with art and creativity to create the story.

A 70cl bottle of X Muse costs £55 and is 40% vol. It is available on the website