vodka suggestions (merged)

[alphaiii]

I think it'd be good for mixing with Kahlua or Bailey's or something like that to make variations on Black and White Russians or things of that nature.

This is what I figured I could fall back on if I didn't like the chocolate martini. I think it'd add some good flavor to a mudslide or black russian.

I just hope I like the Rhapsody liqueur, since I could've bought the vodka by itself at the store near me. Oh well, if you count the vodka at full price, the liqueur only ran me about $8. I would imagine it'll be worth that.

[alphaiii]

As a side not, my mother grabbed me a 1.75L bottle of Pinnacle vodka while she was in NY last weekend. For $18.99 with a $10 rebate, I won't have any problem using this as a mixer. I hope this vodka stays cheap and makes its way into PA. I doubt I'd buy anything else for mixing purposes. I think it's a fairly good vodka (as you saw in my rankings), and the price makes it all the better.

[KatieLoeb]

As a side not, my mother grabbed me a 1.75L bottle of Pinnacle vodka while she was in NY last weekend. For $18.99 with a $10 rebate, I won't have any problem using this as a mixer. I hope this vodka stays cheap and makes its way into PA. I doubt I'd buy anything else for mixing purposes. I think it's a fairly good vodka (as you saw in my rankings), and the price makes it all the better.

My same feeling about the $17.99 1.5L bottles of Denaka at the PLCB Outlet. Won't but anything else for mixing until that goes away...

[alphaiii]

If you're mixing, then obviously don't spend any extra $$$...my personal favorite, and very cheap, btw, is Burnett's. Normally, I do Burnett's vanilla with cola, but their unflavored is FINE for dirty martinis. Even in WA state, it runs under $10 a fifth...

Cheers! (where in the HELL did I put those damn olives???...)

I lumped Burnett's into the cheap vodka hangover category due to the low price tag, but recently saw that it is quadruple distilled and triple filtered.

Considering the "cheap vodka hangover" is supposed to be due to impurities such as methanol, propanol and the like, increased distillations and filterings are done to remove these.

Perhaps Burnett's really doesn't fit the vodka from hell category after all. It must be a mental thing, but I just can't get past the cheap price. It's just too low for me to think it can be any good.

Damn marketing and premium liquor prices for making me feel like I have to spend more money for a decent liquor!!

[alphaiii]

The Van Gogh Chocolate is yummy! It's like an instant Chocolate martini with no Godiva involved. Chill and go, no muss no fuss! But you have to really like chocolate martinis. Some might think the "alcohol-y" flavor of vodka overwhelms the chocolate. I think it'd be good for mixing with Kahlua or Bailey's or something like that to make variations on Black and White Russians or things of that nature.

Let us know if you like it!

I tried the Van Gogh Chocolate vodka and the Rhapsody liqueur today.

The chocolate taste is very mild in the vodka. I can see why you would say some may think the alcohol overpowers it. Nonetheless, like original Van Gogh, it's a very smooth vodka. I haven't tried the Chocolate Rhaposdy martini yet, but did try the Chocolate Amaretto one. I'm not too impressed with it though. I think the Chocolate Rhapsody will be alot better. I also think the vodka will make for a nice mudslide.

The Rhapsody liqueur has a very very good flavor, IMO. It's hard to describe, but it's almost like the raspberry and chocolate flavors come through somewhat separately. It's definitely sweet, but not in a bad way.

I'll update how I like the Chocolate Rhapsody martini.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Slate rates the vodkas

According to the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms—which sets the rules for spirits sold in the United States—vodka is defined as a neutral spirit "without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color." In theory, then, one brand of vodka should taste like every other, and the phrase "premium vodka" would be something of an oxymoron.

But if all vodkas tasted alike, there'd be no reason to favor a $30 bottle of Armadale over a $12 magnum of Fleischmann's. In fact, all vodkas are not alike. Vodka can be distilled in a good many ways, from a great many substances, including wheat, rye, beets, corn, potatoes, and sugar cane

So which vodkas does Slate single out for distinction? They eliminated Ciroc but the next was Turi, then Absolut ... and many more .. their first choice was:

Final Verdict: Following a second round of shots, the panel unanimously called Chopin "far and away the best vodka we tried."

Grade: Five Shot Glasses

Agree with the list?

Is Chopin really that superior?

Think their panel tasting comments were appropriate for most?

[beans]

Asserting vodka has little or no flavour with that TTF legal description will dig me out of the woodwork.

Here's a recent and fairly decent press release on vodka tasting and judging.

Based upon one's own preferences will determine which vodka is the "best."

edit to add: Someone needs to advise that MSN article author that it is Canadian whisky. Ahem.

Edited September 2, 2004 by beans (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Here's a recent and fairly decent press release on vodka tasting and judging.

May I say NEAT to this article? .. because it is!

Thanks, Beans, as always .. you do know whereof you speak!

[KatieLoeb]

I'm pretty much in agreement with them. I've always sung the praises of Zyr vodka and it's certainly the best grain based vodka I've tried. Never seen the "Jewel of Russia" stuff. And I love, love, love the Chopin, but I tend to like potato vodka more than grain vodka myself.

Surprised they rated the Ciroc but not the Charbay or Hangar One vodkas from California. The Hangar is also grape based.

This does prove my theory that the Ciroc is grossly overpriced. Much like the yearly release of the Beaulolais Nouveau, there are French marketing executives dancing around their desks singing "We're going to be RICH!!! Stoopeed Americans!, etc."

[slkinsey]

Asserting vodka has little or no flavour with that TTF legal description will dig me out of the woodwork.

Here's a recent and fairly decent press release on vodka tasting and judging.

First, we should understand that the referenced press release is from a company that sells vodka. So they clearly have a point to make.

Next there is the question about the flavor of vodka. First, we should have an understanding of what flavor is. Flavor and taste are not quite the same thing. Taste is the sensation produced by the activation of taste buds in the mouth and throat area by certain chemicals. Smell is the sensation produced by the activation of olfactory receptors by certain chemicals. There is another chemosensory mechanism called the "common chemical sense" through which various nerve endings (especially prevalent in the naturally moist areas of the body) react to certain chemicals to create sensations such as the burn of capsaicin, the sting of ammonia, etc. These senses combine with other sensed elements such as texture and temperature to produce the impression that we call "flavor." As many people understand, smell is perhaps the most important contributor to the perception of flavor.

Understanding the foregoing, it is impossible for anything to have zero flavor. Anything you put in your mouth will have some kind of flavor. One could even argue that having nothing in your mouth has a flavor too! So, on that score you are absolutely correct that one cannot say that vodka has no flavor. Whether or not one can say that it has little flavor becomes a bit more complicated. It strikes me as an inescapable fact that a major part of the vodka-making process is to reduce to a great extent the presence of substances that would produce a strong or distinctive neurological response in the sense areas of taste and smell (and, to the extent that vodka is refined to remove congeners, common chemical sense as well). This makes the vodka-making process and aesthetic fundamentally different from any other alcohol-producing method, where the idea is to create an impression by increasing and/or shaping these sensory components rather than by reducing them and basing the character of the libation on what's left behind. One could argue that there is an upper level of flavor, above which a vodka is not judged a quality libation. Smaller concentrations of strong sensation-producing chemicals equals less intensity of flavor. I don't think there can be any argument that vodka isn't the least flavored liquor from a purely chemical standpoint, and I have yet to hear an example of any alcoholic beverage with less flavor.

The end result, of course, is that vodka indeed has very little flavor. This doesn't mean that it doesn't have any flavor, though, and more doesn't necessarily equal better. The makers of vodka, in choosing their fermentable materials, their distillation/rectification process, theit filtration methods and materials, and especially the water they use to dillute the spirit for bottling, are controlling what small contributors to flavor do remain in the beverage. As both the article and press release suggest, some of the main distinguishing characeristics are texture (touch) and "finish" (common chemical sense) which, not coincidentally, are the two least significant contributors to flavor. Of course, there are other characeristics of flavor that allow one to distinguish between vodkas, but they are not nearly as present. It is almost as though the goal of vodka is to remove the smell and taste to a large extent so that the flavor is comprised mostly of texture and common chemical sense perceptions.

That said, it doesn't make sense to claim that the qualities that allow one to make distinctions among vodkas exist in vodka to the extent that they exist in other liquors, nor that the differences that do exist between vodkas exist to the extent that they exist within other liquor families. This is one of the reasons one continually hears the word "subtle" in any discussion of high end vodka. All this is not to say, however, that it can't be fun and enjoyable to perceive and enjoy a barely-flavored beverage like Vodka. Under a certain aesthetic, less can become more. This is one of the things that makes Audrey's smoking martini so interesting. By dilluting the smokey single malt way down with vodka, certain elements of flavor come to the 'fore that are largely obscurred among the many strong flavor sensations present when the scotch is at full strength.

[alphaiii]

Has anyone tried Stolichnaya Gold, the one with the black label?

I saw it for $21/L the other day, which is a real good price, considering it's usually $25 for 750mL. I know it's gotten good reviews from the BTI, but I'm not much of a believer in their ratings anymore.

At that price, it's really tempting.

[alphaiii]

Well I tried Tito's Vodka today, so I thought I'd update my vodka list. While Tito's is very good, especially for $16 a bottle, I don't think it tops Van Gogh.

1. Vincent Van Gogh

2. Tito's Handmade

3. Grey Goose

4. Ketel One

5. Rain

6. Finlandia

7. Stolichnaya

8. Pinnacle

9. Svedka

10. Absolut

11. Fris

12. Smirnoff

[JAZ]

Oh, Tito's! I haven't had that in ages. Now that's a vodka.

[alphaiii]

Oh, Tito's! I haven't had that in ages. Now that's a vodka.

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You know, I tried Tito's and Van Gogh side by side again twice tongiht. I did the comparison blind - basically I just kept shuffling the shots eyes closed until I couldn't remember what was what. I ended up picking Tito's both times, as opposed to earlier today.

My conclusion - Van Gogh is a little smoother, but Tito's has a little better of a taste. Either way, both are very good and it would probably come down to a matter of what's available and the price. Unfortunately for me, neither of them are all that easy for me to find.

Next on the list - Pearl, and hopefully Van Hoo at some point.

[jamijc]

Wow - just tried Ultimat vodka this week.

It is AMAZING!! Previously my top favorites for martinis were:

1. Rodnik

2. Grey Goose

This now shoots to the top of the list. However, the only drawback is the price. One store has it for $59.99 and another for $49.99. Ouch!

[alphaiii]

Here are my updated vodka rankings (top 10) for anyone who may be interested.

1. Pearl

2. Vincent Van Gogh

3. Tito's

4. Grey Goose

5. Luksusowa

6. Absolut Level

7. Ketel One

8. Rain

9. Finlandia

10. Stolichnaya

[Marlene]

Here are my updated vodka rankings (top 10) for anyone who may be interested.

1. Pearl

2. Vincent Van Gogh

3. Tito's

4. Grey Goose

5. Luksusowa

6. Absolut Level

7. Ketel One

8. Rain

9. Finlandia

10. Stolichnaya

←

I see Pearl has made it to the top of your list!

[alphaiii]

I see Pearl has made it to the top of your list!

←

That's because it's a hell of a vodka, definitely a good recommendation Marlene.

[slkinsey]

It would be interesting to break down this list by price. I note that one of your favorites at #5, Luksusowa, costs around half as much as all the others.

[alphaiii]

It would be interesting to break down this list by price.  I note that one of your favorites at #5, Luksusowa, costs around half as much as all the others.

←

I can do that. These are the typical PA sale prices for 750mL, since I almost always pick up a bottle when it's on sale, and the sales are fairly regular. Retail prices range from $1-3 more.

1. Pearl - $18

2. Vincent Van Gogh - $19 (retail, I haven't seen this on sale yet)

3. Tito's - $16

4. Grey Goose - $22.50

5. Luksusowa - $12

6. Absolut Level - $24

7. Ketel One - $20

8. Rain - $16

9. Finlandia - $14.50

10. Stolichnaya - $17

I don't see myself buying anything other than Pearl and Luksusowa as of now. Luckily, if I have to budget shop, I know I can't go wrong with Luksusowa.

[elswinger]

I usually drink Stoli or Grey Goose (I'm not a big fan of Ketel One, Absolut, or Skyy).

I'll have to give Pearl a try, but have any of you tried the following (I'd like your opinion before I buy):

42º Below

Coroc

Ultimat

Stön

[jamijc]

Ultimat is the best vodka I've ever tasted. The price makes it cost prohibitive for casual drinking. ($50-60)

I also recommend Rodnik - if you can find it. Priced comparitively to Grey Goose - approx $30 for a 1 liter bottle.