Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Premium Vodka: Can you really tell the difference?

passthru · 06-02-2007, 04:10 PM

I would like to consider myself a vodka snob in training. I have been a victim of Skyy, Smirnoff, Potter's, HRD, and a few others. I always prefer a top shelf vodka, except Grey Goose. I was very surprised by it.. I always had the impression it was very good, but when I opened my bottle I had the same reaction as the testers in the article. Luckily there was a big Grey Goose fan at our party that night, so I gave him some and mixed the rest with juices.

I do have favorites, but my opinions could be influenced.. I loved my first bottle of Ketel One, I think I thought it was very plain and was what I thought vodka was supposed to be, but I got hammered that night so.. I also like Ciroc, I don't know how big a brand that is. It comes in a very pretty bottle and is distilled from grapes. That could have influenced my opinion but I've always enjoyed it straight, neat or on the rocks. I recently read about a new premium fancy pants brand, Meydoyeff, and it happened to be located in my town so I tried it out. It reminded me of my impressions of Ketel One, and I like to drink it by itself too.

For those who can't tell the difference between cheap and expensive, I have an experiment for you. I've done this with Potter's and HRD vodka (super cheap brands) and I'm surprised/scared by the results. Buy a bottle of some crappy vodka and buy a water filter pitcher (Brita, Pur). Pour half of the vodka into another container, then pour the rest into the filter pitcher and wait for it to go through. Now pour yourself a shot of each and try sipping. I've found a very noticeable difference. The filtered vodka is far from good, but it's much better than the harsh sting from the unfiltered. I don't know what exactly is cleaned out, but.. that's kinda gross. If you really don't care about your vodka, maybe you can use this trick for your next screwdriver or other vodka drink you prefer..

06-02-2007, 04:10 PM	#53 (permalink)
passthru Addict Location: Portland, OR	I would like to consider myself a vodka snob in training. I have been a victim of Skyy, Smirnoff, Potter's, HRD, and a few others. I always prefer a top shelf vodka, except Grey Goose. I was very surprised by it.. I always had the impression it was very good, but when I opened my bottle I had the same reaction as the testers in the article. Luckily there was a big Grey Goose fan at our party that night, so I gave him some and mixed the rest with juices. I do have favorites, but my opinions could be influenced.. I loved my first bottle of Ketel One, I think I thought it was very plain and was what I thought vodka was supposed to be, but I got hammered that night so.. I also like Ciroc, I don't know how big a brand that is. It comes in a very pretty bottle and is distilled from grapes. That could have influenced my opinion but I've always enjoyed it straight, neat or on the rocks. I recently read about a new premium fancy pants brand, Meydoyeff, and it happened to be located in my town so I tried it out. It reminded me of my impressions of Ketel One, and I like to drink it by itself too. For those who can't tell the difference between cheap and expensive, I have an experiment for you. I've done this with Potter's and HRD vodka (super cheap brands) and I'm surprised/scared by the results. Buy a bottle of some crappy vodka and buy a water filter pitcher (Brita, Pur). Pour half of the vodka into another container, then pour the rest into the filter pitcher and wait for it to go through. Now pour yourself a shot of each and try sipping. I've found a very noticeable difference. The filtered vodka is far from good, but it's much better than the harsh sting from the unfiltered. I don't know what exactly is cleaned out, but.. that's kinda gross. If you really don't care about your vodka, maybe you can use this trick for your next screwdriver or other vodka drink you prefer..