I know this is the “wine experiences” category, but there was no “vodka experiences”, so this will have to do… Not that I really remember vodka experiences well enough to write about them, but I did recently do a vodka tasting and I wanted to share my favorites:
Stoli Elite—definitely my favorite
Grey Goose—used to be my favorite, until I tried Stoli Elite
Pearl—also very good
Has anyone tried Kauffman? It claims to be the best… and it better be for $250!
I don’t mean to interrupt your nationalistic blathering Sancho and WR, but have either of you tried the Icelandic Vodka called “Reyka”? It is distilled using the steam of volcanoes and filtered through volcano rock.
Let’s just say: Reyka Rocks! Plus, it’s half the price of Stoli Elite and a tenth of the price of Kauffman. But, that said, Kaufman is pretty darn good.
1)Stoli Elit- No peers, clean, smooth, pure, soft, perfect texture
2)Kauffman- Very rich and luxurious, almost over the top, not nearly worth the price but excellent
3)Hangar One- A touch of Viognier Eau de Vie gives this very light clean vodka an interesting character
4)Jewel of Russia Ultra- Very clean mouthfeel, with nice weight and a very refined grain character
5)Jewel of Russia- Slightly less weight than the Ultra, but shares it’s breeding, very pure.
6)Russian Standard- Excellent for the price, great plush texture with a touch of sweet grain.
7)42 Below- The lightest, cleanest vodka I’ve tried with an almost water-like mouthfeel.
8)Ciroc- Supple texture and a hint of sweetness from the grapes
9)Jean Marc XO- Nice purity but could use more character, doesn’t live up to the hype
10)Grey Goose- A lot of snobs like to bash it, but its really very well made. A good choice in boring bars.
Sancho, try the flavored vodkas from Modern Spirits, some really interesting flavors (Black Truffle and Honey Grapefruit are both very good). They’re naturally infused and are done at 35% alcohol which makes them nice for sipping, though they mix well too. http://www.wallywine.com/m-12-modern-spirits-vodka.aspx
The Stoli Elit vodka is the best vodka available if what you’re into is a beverage that will deliver the intoxicating effects of alcohol, with absolute no taste whatsoever. But for my money, just regular Stolichnaya is a fantastic premium vodka.
From Wikipedia: “under U.S. and European law vodka must not have any distinctive aroma, character, colour or flavor.”
To me, the ideal vodka should taste smooth, pure and clean with no flavor whatsoever. Unlike beer, wine, oak aged spirits, etc, there’s no discernible nose or taste on the best vodkas allowing you to focus solely on the mouthfeel and texture. I’m aware that some people like noticeable grain or rye character on their vodka, but to me, it’s a flaw.
As for standard Stoli, I think it’s a good product for the price, but personally I don’t drink it straight as I find it disjointed on the palate with considerable burn on the end.
One of my favs is Ketel One. It’s a vodka where I feel there is the best quality for the least money, about $22 for 3/4 liter. Another very drinkable vodka is Jewel of Russia which is quite smooth and just needs a slight chill to it. Another great one is Armadale which is about $35 for 3/4 liter but is VERY nice and doesn’t even need a chill to be sipped.
For mixed drinks and such there is no reason to buy an expensive vodka, but don’t get the rock bottom Absolut, Grey Goose, Stolichnaya are all decent vodkas but not quite good enough to drink by themselves, however in mixed drinks their flaws are well hidden.
