Vodka: can you taste any differences?

[spritzer]

It was Stoli and cranberry juice mixed roughly 50/50.

[n3rdling]

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

[anetode]

There's more to vodka than the taste per say, there's also the consistency, the smell, etc. I'm not a huge fan of Grey Goose, it's the de-facto overfancy overpriced vodka. Belvedere, on the other hand, has a lovely mouthfeel, good flavor and terrific smoothness. Polish vodkas are some of the best.

Growing up with Soviet factory-made vodka has kind of clowded my judgment, but the favorite standby to this day is Stoli. Smirnoff is ok, but it's a little harsher and more mediciny tasting than it should be.

 

If you're going to do a DBT with vodka, you can't just serve one shot after another, at room temperature. I say serve two or three shots, one chilled, one regular, one warm (nasty, but it will bring out some of the flaws); have a palate cleanser and some time between rounds; due it over a course of a few days if possible, to minimize the effects of intoxication. And finally, don't just spit the damn vodka out - this ain't no wine tasting.

[Voltron]

It was Stoli and cranberry juice mixed roughly 50/50.

 

Like the way it was consumed.  50% by me and 50% by everyone else. 

[jp11801]

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

Not sure if this bit of alcoholic folklore is true or not but I hear from my boozer friend that Titos actually buys shit vodka then filters it

[deepak]

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

The shady stuff we used to drink in the Eire was Scottish vodka, General something or another. 20 Euro a handle... never good when something is that cheap

[guzziguy]

I'm a tito's guy myself. 27 bucks for a handle here. if I want to spend less I'll get a handle of kirklands for 13 at Costco.

 

It's about $18 at Trader Joe's.  Hope that there is one nearby to you.

[n3rdling]

Not sure if this bit of alcoholic folklore is true or not but I hear from my boozer friend that Titos actually buys shit vodka then filters it

I've never heard of that.  My understanding is that they distill their own corn-based vodka.  I think they've only gotten popular in the last 5 or so years.

 

 

The shady stuff we used to drink in the Eire was Scottish vodka, General something or another. 20 Euro a handle... never good when something is that cheap

Ya the $13 one isn't anything amazing, but I think it's just fine for mixed drinks with friends.  I've done informal comparisons between it and other cheap vodkas and like this one more.  Kirkland also sells a smoother vodka for a little under $30 (handle) that's supposedly rebranded Grey Goose.

 

It's about $18 at Trader Joe's.  Hope that there is one nearby to you.

Handle or a fifth?  That's about the price of a fifth here in LA.

Edited January 11, 2013 by n3rdling

[Voltron]

I had been carrying around that weird guitar box full of Kevin's whisk(e)y for hours in addition to whatever number of beers and other random stuff I had that night. And I know my lack of memory cannot be trusted.

[mypasswordis]

It was Stoli and cranberry juice mixed roughly 50/50.

If by 50/50 you mean 80/20 then I agree.

[shellylh]

Like the way it was consumed.  50% by me and 50% by everyone else. 

 

[Trav]

Bomborra stands out...so does Sobieski..independent of price. Mind you im the guy who bought Louis XIII cognac and couldnt tell a difference...

[guzziguy]

I've never heard of that.  My understanding is that they distill their own corn-based vodka.  I think they've only gotten popular in the last 5 or so years.

Handle or a fifth?  That's about the price of a fifth here in LA.

 

Actually it was JP who said that he'd heard that Tito's might be filtered bulk vodka, not me.

 

That price was for a fifth.  Sorry, I missed the "handle" part.

[Emooze]

I can generally taste the difference. The bad has a certain taste to me that's just absent in good vodka. Favorite cheap stuff is still Russian Standard and if I could get Karlsson's here, that would be my premium go-to.

My 2 cents: I have tried the brita filter trick with crappy product and the change is not insignificant. 5 runs through a normal, disposable filter got rid of most of the harsh, nasty flavor. The only cost was an hour of my time and a filter that now makes water taste like vodka.

[Dusty Chalk]

You really should use a separate filter for that.  Does it make it taste like good vodka or bad vodka?

 

The only cost was an hour of my time and a filter that now makes water taste like vodka.

(squints)

 

Not sure if kidding or win.

 

EDIT:  lollers, if you type "brita filter" and let google suggest searches, the 3rd choice (2nd if you don't include "brita filter" itself), is "brita filter vodka".  Apparently there was a Mythbusters episode.

[cutestory]

In soviet russia room temperature is colder than outside. 

I know I'm late to this particular party, but in Soviet Russia, vodka tastes you.

[Emooze]

The filter made vodka taste good and water taste bad. Had to get rid of it. Couldn't have people thinking I was drinking at work.