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Who here likes vodka

beyond the band

beyond the band

cantankerous newb
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
2,980
Location
Temecula Ca.
OK I have a question about vodka. I have no knowledge at all.

I am not talking about that crap in the plastic bottle your grandfather made his screwdrivers out of either.

Tell me a little about the vodka tasting lifestyle.

Do you shoot or sip?

Tell me some about the little nuances in taste that vodka gives.

So gentlemen tell me your favorites. How does a tasting work? What is the best way?

Is there a particular cigar that is a creat companion?


Tell me tell me tell me.

Got something little that I want to give away and I need to know the best person to give it to.

Its not the biggest thing in the world trust me but its pretty freaking cool.
 
I approach vodka tasting just like any other tasting, whether wine, cigars, or food. Just concentrate on the aroma (nose), taste (palate), and finish. I wouldn't shoot; I would serve chilled and sip. The key to tasting anything, in my opinion, is holding the wine/smoke/spirit is one's mouth, rather than just gulping.

Some of my favorite vodkas are:
Chopin - very high viscosity and flavorful
Youri Dolgoruki - can be found in Russian specialty stores, very smooth
Imperia - similar to the Youri above
 
Personally, I prefer to sip instead of shoot. If I am going to shoot vodka, its gonna be somebodys crappy 5 o clock stuff in a jello shot lol.

As to the nuances, I think most come from aroma, as well as whether it burns going down, or the severity thereof. Some of the different varietys I have tried, you can pick out hints of how it was distilled, etc. And of course you have your various flavored vodkas, most of which I never touch.

I can honestly say I've never been to a tasting, so I wouldn't know of the best way. I would think that most would enjoy it chilled, but I almost think that it would be better served room temp. I however like most if not all of my drinks, chilled.

As for a proper cigar companion, I am too new to even make a recommendation in that direction. I still am figuring out my own likes/dislikes in that category, but if I was taking a guess I would say something a little spicy or peppery but that varys as to your own taste.

Personally, vodka is my drink of choice, over ice, with a slice of lime and/or a splash of lime juice. The better the vodka, the less lime. I've heard tequila is similar, in that if you have a very good tequila it is very smooth and you don't need the lemon/salt combo to cut it with and it is very sipable. I've yet to have this tequila...lol.
 
Vodka like any alcohol has its own little nuances and flavor profiles. Vodka imo is best served chilled. I keep mine in the freezer. A great vodka is very clean tasting and crisp with almost no burn going down. Vodka is more of a neutral alcohol and is infused with fruit to give it a more approachable flavor.

From my experience drinking with my Russian and Polish friends, a high quality vodka should taste as clean as water.
With that in mind almost any cigar goes well with it.

Sip or shoot depends on the quality, how it is served, mixed or straight.

I drink mine over ice or with tonic.

Some of the more popular vodka's out there are Grey Goose, Absolute, Stoli, Belvedere, Chopin, Sky, Ketel One, Turi, and Hanger 1 (which is actually made here in Alameda, California). There are also a large number of vodkas we don't get here in the states.

Hanger 1 has a tasting room as well. Interesting story behind them as well if you want more info..

Hope that answers most of your questions.
 
4 Ice cubes
3 Fingers of Vodka
2 Dashes of lemon juice


sip sip sip

That being said, Vodka is generally considered a tasteless beverage, iirc. I still love it, from Burnett's to 3 Olives, to Russian Standard, or Svedka.
 
I really enjoy vodka but can only drink it cold if its by itself and no shooting it for me I have to sip it. I mostly mix it with cranberry juice. Just enough to add some taste but I still like to have a strong vodka taste as well.
 
I read an interesting article a while back about drinking I believe Polish vodka at room temperature, it apparently brings out some interesting flavors versus it cold. I, however, am only 19, so I haven't tried it. I'll try to find the article and link to it later on.
 
bpj87 said:
I approach vodka tasting just like any other tasting, whether wine, cigars, or food. Just concentrate on the aroma (nose), taste (palate), and finish. I wouldn't shoot; I would serve chilled and sip. The key to tasting anything, in my opinion, is holding the wine/smoke/spirit is one's mouth, rather than just gulping.

Some of my favorite vodkas are:
Chopin - very high viscosity and flavorful
Youri Dolgoruki - can be found in Russian specialty stores, very smooth
Imperia - similar to the Youri above
Click to expand...

This is a classic bit of advice on how to tee up a vodka tasting. It is very acceptable to serve vodka from fancy shot glasses that are sitting in a bowl of ice - no ice in the shot glass. Remember, vodka should have only a minimal taste so you are really looking to find one that tastes clean with little or no burn going down.

I have to endorse the reference to Imperia. Russian Standard is a great distillery in Russia, its well known brand - named "Russian Standard" - is excellent (the bottle usually has cyrillic writing on the label). Imperia is the even further distilled and refined product of the Russian Standard Distillery.

As for cigar pairings - the sky is the limit. If you are fond of putting citrus with your vodka then a milder cigar would work best. I don't like a heavy cigar with such a light drink. If you have a good vodka that you are drinking straight then an Ashton VSG would be excellent. If you want a little more kick or flavor then go with one of the DPG labels. Just my two cents.
 
Not great with all the nuances but I have to say, Firefly muscadine wine vodka, its made in SC and is really good also Highly recommend Tito's made in Texas, top notch stuff. Both I like on the rocks or on a hot summer day with tonic on ice. Hope you enjoy!
 
I really don't know much about vodka other than the only stuff I care for is Grey Goose, and I tend to enjoy it with a lighter, milder cigar more than a full flavored maduro. Fuller flavored cigars I typically sip chilled brandy.
 
OK SO now I am on the correct place
Thank you AVB for setting me straight.
Thanks Rod for moving this thread

I am interested in trying this vodka stuff. Thank you for your posts so far.
The lovely parting gift is still on the block.
I think one of the posts was best so far.
I will give this another day for people to read and reply
 
Vodka by definition is supposed to be colorless, tasteless and distilled at 80 or 100 proof. If you look you'll see most flavored vodka is 70 proof and some of the vodka based infused bottles (Pink I believe is one) are even less.

Everybody has a preference. Gray Goose has been living off of one win a decade ago and has to have the best marketing of any brand. However, all the Russians I know think it's crap. Plain old red label Smirnoff has won more contests, the latest NY Times blind tasting recently, then most brands. Tito's is very good as is Ciroc (made from grapes), Belvedere (made from 100% rye) and Chopin (potato vodka). All do have a flavor that the warmer they are the more noticeable it will be. Drinking vodka ice cold hides the flavor and most Russians drink at room temperature. Now since the traditional way is by shots if you drink ice cold you get the feeling of a warming going down as you body heat warms the alcohol. Drinking at room temperature allows the taste (mostly at the back of the tongue) plus the alcohol burn to be felt immediately and has a greater impact on the way down.

If you are going to be mixing then the whole point it moot since you won't be able to tell what the hell is in your glass anyway. I'd stay away from the stuff on the bottom shelf myself since some could be used as paint thinner but a mid level brand will be more then sufficient. Denaka, Svedka, Platinium all will work just fine and are a high enough quality that you can do shots too if you so desire.

If you're curious I have Stoli, Ciroc, Svedka and a Russian only brand in the house at the moment but that changes over time.

Just remember that drinking just to get drunk is like having sex only to procreate.
 
AVB, not entirely true mate. Not all vodka is meant to be colourless and tasteless, as Russian vodka can have a distinct grain and honey taste, and is meant to be drunk straight, as well as being slightly brown coloured. Some vodkas are aged in oak casks.

In the United States, domestic Vodkas are defined by U.S. government regulation as "neutral spirits, so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color." Because American Vodka is, by law, neutral in taste, there are only very subtle distinctions between brands. Many drinkers feel that the only real way of differentiating between them is by alcohol content and price.

So the vodka that you get in America is tasteless by definition and regulation, but traditional Russian and Polish vodkas are anything but.
 
I quite agree. I was writing for an American audience and so left out the vodkas that aren't available here. There is one caveat though, Vodka in general is not aged and so the vast majority of "traditional" vodka is colorless.
 
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