See-throughs - long question
 

It's going to take a few paragraphs to get to the real question, but
as is my habit, I like to include a few hundred words of context.

Among the many subjects for which I am most thankful to the collective
wisdom and guidance of this group, I must include my introduction,
exploration, and enjoyment of single malt scotch. There are few things
finer than a relaxed afternoon or evening, alone or in the company of
good friends, taking life a bit more slowly while sipping the warmth of
a glass of good scotch.

Because of the rites and rituals I'm come to associate with such
enjoyment however, I cannot lightly or casually enjoy a glass of
Balvenie when the time simply isn't right. I get home from work,
check on the kids' schoolwork, maybe start on dinner preparations,
look through the mail to see which creditors are after me today. For
these more active or hectic times, I've gravitated toward beverages
of the see-through genre. Beverages I can enjoy while walking from
room to room while catching up on daily activities.

For me, that drink of convenience has been the martini. I can mix up a
batch, keep the bottle in the freezer, and pour a good one on a
moment's notice. Yummy, warm, effective. But, variety is nice too.
Enter vodka.

I've never been much of a vodka drinker beyond a fondness for a
perfect bloody mary, but with all of the hubbub and hype these days, I
thought I'd give it a thought. Now, I know at least one participant
here is a virtual expert on see-throughs, but I'd like to toss out
the question to the group with a few nuggets of my own.

One of the engineers in my office is a stereotypical Russian. Nice
guy, with a great "moose and squirrel" accent. I figure he ought
to know vodka, so I ask him what he considers the best vodka available
for sale here in the states. He responds by launching into story after
story about the connected party officials and their lavish lifestyle.
According to his assertions, "Russian vodka is ****." His
assertion is that Polish potato vodka is the best and was the vodka of
choice among the well-to-do in his country. Russian vodka was for the
peasants.

As a result of his recommendation, I bought a bottle of Luksosova. At
half the price of Grey Goose, I thought it was actually pretty good,
but as I say, I'm no expert on this stuff. I'm happy with the
popular Absolut, and I know others here are fond of Stoli, so here
finally is the question.

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 07:38:15 -0800, "rb608" wrote:

As a result of his recommendation, I bought a bottle of Luksosova. At
half the price of Grey Goose, I thought it was actually pretty good,
but as I say, I'm no expert on this stuff. I'm happy with the
popular Absolut, and I know others here are fond of Stoli, so here
finally is the question.

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

Back in the day when I used to drink vodka I liked Luksusowa the best, FWIW.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

See-throughs - long question
 

rb608 wrote:

As a result of his recommendation, I bought a bottle of Luksosova. At
half the price of Grey Goose, I thought it was actually pretty good,
but as I say, I'm no expert on this stuff. I'm happy with the
popular Absolut, and I know others here are fond of Stoli, so here
finally is the question.

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

I'm certainly no expert, but the vodkas I like best have a bit of a
"peppery" taste to them. Tito's Handmade is a local (Austin) brand, and
it's currently my favorite. (He's "exporting" it now, so it's possible
you could find it in different states.)


Chuck Vance

See-throughs - long question
 

"rb608" wrote

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

(in very best foghorn leghorn voice): well, now, son err--uhh, you jes'
sit yoself down rat here on this here little stump while i gone give you the
lass' word on them see-through concoctions, doncha know!

your friend may be russian, but either he doesn't know good stuff when
he tastes it, or i have the taste of a russian peasant... (ok, ok, i
know--insert wiseass rejoinder here________________)

i tried luksusova on a couple of occasions and found it overly bland.
while stoli seems "peperry", and absolut has a slight lemon aftertaste,
tater vodka just reminds me of how ethanol alone would taste when touched up
with tonic. all the other designer brands just have more or less of what
seems to be cheap perfume mixed in.
at any rate, it's not rocket science--i just stick with stoli and tonic,
no lime, and just a splash of tonic.
the no lime factor is the deal maker, for me. oh, and the vodka should
be kept in the freezer, of course.

yfitons
wayno(happy to be a factor in supporting alchoholism between friends)

See-throughs - long question
 

Wayne Harrison typed:
"rb608" wrote

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

(in very best foghorn leghorn voice): well, now, son err--uhh,
you jes' sit yoself down rat here on this here little stump while i
gone give you the lass' word on them see-through concoctions, doncha
know!
your friend may be russian, but either he doesn't know good stuff
when he tastes it, or i have the taste of a russian peasant... (ok,
ok, i know--insert wiseass rejoinder here________________)

i tried luksusova on a couple of occasions and found it overly
bland. while stoli seems "peperry", and absolut has a slight lemon
aftertaste, tater vodka just reminds me of how ethanol alone would
taste when touched up with tonic. all the other designer brands just
have more or less of what seems to be cheap perfume mixed in.
at any rate, it's not rocket science--i just stick with stoli and
tonic, no lime, and just a splash of tonic.
the no lime factor is the deal maker, for me. oh, and the vodka
should be kept in the freezer, of course.

I gotta go with wayno on this one. I prefer Stoli over any of the others
I've tried, more or less expensive. A good vodka is one that requires no
fillers; tonic, lime, olives, etc. and Stoli is the most refreshing one to
me.

All that said, I haven't had any of that fine liquid for a few months now -
red wine has taken its place, in a far less preferable back seat position.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 07:38:15 -0800, "rb608" wrote:


As a result of his recommendation, I bought a bottle of Luksosova. At
half the price of Grey Goose, I thought it was actually pretty good,
but as I say, I'm no expert on this stuff. I'm happy with the
popular Absolut, and I know others here are fond of Stoli, so here
finally is the question.

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

Since most vodka sold in the US is grain vodka (basically, grain alcohol
mixed with water), and the alcohol portion would contribute no "flavor,"
what kind of water do you prefer? If you're mixing it with things like
juices, tonics, lime, etc., I doubt any but the most _trained_ (not
"discerning") palate could tell the difference.

With a "martini" made the way "martinis" are often made (incorrectly)
today - first, with vodka, and then with no vermouth - I'd offer a
selection of mini/airline/50ml bottles and your own "taste test" would
be the only real way to see if you can tell much difference. OTOH, if
you're happy with Absolut, it might be best not to fix what ain't broke
- YMMV.

A friend who drinks primarily vodka swears by "Skyy" (I think that's the
spelling) because it claims and he agrees that it produces less of a
hangover if one over-indulges. I cannot speak to this as I'd not drink
enough of it to ever have a hangover.

TC,
R

See-throughs - long question
 

On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:09:12 -0500, "Wayne Harrison" wrote:

your friend may be russian, but either he doesn't know good stuff when
he tastes it, or i have the taste of a russian peasant... (ok, ok, i
know--insert wiseass rejoinder here________________)

The people I met during the few weeks I was in Russia preferred Polish vodka,
FWIW.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

See-throughs - long question
 

"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.

See-throughs - long question
 

"rb608" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
oups.com...
SNIP
What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?


I am not a vodka drinker, but I have a few Polish friends, and they also say
the Russian stuff is not very good. According to one of these friends, who
always brings me a bottle, this stuff is one of the best. "Bueffelgras
Vodka" ( "Bison grass vodka")This is Vodka with a piece of buffalo grass in
it. Vodka itself does not taste very strong, due to the fact that it has
been distilled several times. According to my friends, one should drink it
ice cold, and only taste the "warmth". The buffalo grass vodka does have
some aroma, presumably from the grass.

may be of interest;
http://www.theculturedtraveler.com/A...2004/Vodka.htm

http://cocktails.about.com/library/r...olishvodka.htm

http://www.american.edu/TED/polish-vodka.htm

TL
MC

See-throughs - long question
 

rb608 wrote:

...
What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

I don't know anything about vodka beyond Stoli is fine
in my Bloody Mary, so that's what we have in our liquor
cabinet. I have friends whose opinions I generally agree
with in these kinds of things who swear by Belvedere.

--
Ken Fortenberry

See-throughs - long question
 

"Igotta go with wayno on this one. I prefer Stoli over any of the
others
I've tried, more or less expensive. A good vodka is one that requires
no
fillers; tonic, lime, olives, etc. and Stoli is the most refreshing one
to
me."

When I was in Latvia, I discovered that, among its countrymen,
Stolichnoya was considered absolute bottom shelf vodka. It sold for
pennies in the supermarket...literally; a 1-liter bottle, fresh from
Russia, was about $1.50 US. The top shelf stuff sold for over $100 a
bottle.

Although from my college days it had taken on an aura of being an
ultradeluxe brand, I now view it in the same way as I see some European
spending lavishly for an american import beer like Miller Lite.

--riverman

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 08:43:38 -0800, "rb608" wrote:

"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.

If you can find a Costa Rican liquor called guaro/Cacique (cas-see-kay),
you might try it. It is a cane-based liquor, but it isn't as "rum-my"
as rum. I like it over ice or with tonic or soda with a slice of lime,
but have had it shaken and strained, again with lime, ala a "martini."

TC,
R

See-throughs - long question
 

rb608 wrote:
It's going to take a few paragraphs to get to the real question, but
as is my habit, I like to include a few hundred words of context.



What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

If I'm mixing, I use Skyy. I read a piece in a science magazine about
it a while back. The engineer who makes it always had a vodka headache
in the morning and he wanted a fomula with fewer impurities. Being an
engineer, he designed his own triple-column distillation system
specifically for vodka and marketed it. If I'm having straight vodka, I
pull a Grey Goose out of the freezer.

My recipe is this:

Per serving:
(5) drops lime juice into a martini glass
Fill a martini shaker with ice
(2) shots Skyy vodka into the shaker
(5) drops dry vermouth into the shaker
Shake it until frost forms on the outside of the shaker
Decant the martini into the glass
Spoon in an odd number of manzanilla olives, draining only slightly
If the olives are small, use (5)
If the olives are large, use (3)

Steve

See-throughs - long question
 

On a similar note, I am generally amused to see Red Stripe beer sold
here as a premium brand. When I was in Jamaica, it was just the local
cheap stuff.

Joe F.

See-throughs - long question
 

riverman typed:
Tim J. typed:
I gotta go with wayno on this one. I prefer Stoli over any of the
others I've tried, more or less expensive. A good vodka is one
at requires no fillers; tonic, lime, olives, etc. and Stoli is the
most refreshing one to me.

When I was in Latvia, I discovered that, among its countrymen,
Stolichnoya was considered absolute bottom shelf vodka. It sold for
pennies in the supermarket...literally; a 1-liter bottle, fresh from
Russia, was about $1.50 US. The top shelf stuff sold for over $100 a
bottle.

I didn't say *I* had good taste, only that Stoli tastes good to me. ;-)
--
TL,
Tim
(I mean, really, look at the people with whom I associate.)
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

See-throughs - long question
 

On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 11:09:12 -0500, "Wayne Harrison"
wrote:

-i just stick with stoli and tonic,
no lime, and just a splash of tonic.
the no lime factor is the deal maker, for me. oh, and the vodka should
be kept in the freezer, of course.

Well, bite my ass..... You drink stoli, but when you're with me you
drink the rot gut Smirnoff (made in Connecticut of all places!). I
still have about a liter of your cheap **** contaminating my liquor
cabinet. Either you come up here and drink it (I'll have some Russian
**** I picked up in Petropavlovsk - Putinka- unavailable in the
states), or I'll use the Smirnoff to build a fire in my camp stove.

Smirnoff! Oh, the humanity.........

d;o)

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 08:43:38 -0800, "rb608"
wrote:

If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Hell, now wayno will trade in his Smirnoff for Popov. No way to save
him, I guess.

See-throughs - long question
 

"Dave LaCourse" wrote

Smirnoff! Oh, the humanity.........

actually, that was smirnoff "silver"--90proof stuff. peppery, indeed!
;)

yfitons
wayno

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 09:02:57 -0800, "Steve" wrote:

Per serving:
(5) drops lime juice into a martini glass
Fill a martini shaker with ice
(2) shots Skyy vodka into the shaker
(5) drops dry vermouth into the shaker
Shake it until frost forms on the outside of the shaker
Decant the martini into the glass
Spoon in an odd number of manzanilla olives, draining only slightly

Sounds familiar, only I don't use the lime, and prefer 4 or 5 onions
(Gibson instead of Martini)

Dave





If the olives are small, use (5)
If the olives are large, use (3)

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 08:49:18 -0800, "riverman" wrote:

When I was in Latvia, I discovered that, among its countrymen,
Stolichnoya was considered absolute bottom shelf vodka. It sold for
pennies in the supermarket...literally; a 1-liter bottle, fresh from
Russia, was about $1.50 US. The top shelf stuff sold for over $100 a
bottle.

The Russian guides in Kamchatka said Stoli was over-rated and wasn't
that good. They recommended Putinka (named after Putin). It was $17
US per .75 liter. Not bad.

Dave

See-throughs - long question
 

In article . com,
says...
If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Try some experiments:
Go to an expensive yuppy bar that does a brisk trade in brand name
vodkas, and forage a bunch of empty bottles out of their dumpster
(or just give the bartender a nice tip and ask for some empties.)
Take them home and re-fill them with your jug o' Popov. Now gather
a group of purported vodka snobs and ask them to do a comparative
tasting from your bottles (be sure to let them see the labels.)

I betcha one of Wolfgang's shiny new nickels that they will all
taste subtle differences among the samples.

Or you could buy an assortment of vodkas and randomly rearrange
the contents of the bottles, and do the comparison test.

Since cold anesthetizes the taste buds, and vodka is typically
drunk ice-cold, I'd wager that subtle differences among vodkas are
more imaginary than real.

Kevin,
who would be interested in seeing the results of such a test, but
has zero interest in being part of the tasting panel.

See-throughs - long question
 

Kevin Vang typed:
In article . com,
says...
If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Try some experiments:
Go to an expensive yuppy bar that does a brisk trade in brand name
vodkas, and forage a bunch of empty bottles out of their dumpster
(or just give the bartender a nice tip and ask for some empties.)
Take them home and re-fill them with your jug o' Popov. Now gather
a group of purported vodka snobs and ask them to do a comparative
tasting from your bottles (be sure to let them see the labels.)

I betcha one of Wolfgang's shiny new nickels that they will all
taste subtle differences among the samples.

Or you could buy an assortment of vodkas and randomly rearrange
the contents of the bottles, and do the comparison test.

Since cold anesthetizes the taste buds, and vodka is typically
drunk ice-cold, I'd wager that subtle differences among vodkas are
more imaginary than real.

I don't think so. When my mother visited a while back, she made us both a
bloody mary. Sight unseen, one sip told me she had bought the cheap crap -
and that was through a spicy mixer. I tossed the Popov bottle after she
left.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj/

See-throughs - long question
 

Dave LaCourse wrote in
:

The Russian guides in Kamchatka said Stoli was over-rated and wasn't
that good. They recommended Putinka (named after Putin). It was $17
US per .75 liter. Not bad.

For you Dave and others in the Boston area. There is a wonderful
restaurant called Cafe St. Petersburg in Brookline
(http://www.planet99.com/boston/restaurants/14634.html). Has about 100
vodkas from memory, including some homemade ones and an special
horseradish vodka. Top notch Rooshun grub too.

See-throughs - long question
 

I have often considered setting up a blind taste test at the occasional
family get together, not only for vodka in this case, but also for
other products with "status" brands. For each group of products, I'd
figure on covering the cost spectrum as well as the reputation
spectrum. My in-laws are not heavy drinkers; but there are enough
social drinkers among them to come up with a sample size with possibly
meaningful results.

Serving size would be an issue if too many choices are offered. One
ounce x 6 is still 3 shots of straight vodka. Not so much for me; but
most of 'em don't have my blood volume or stomach lining. I don't want
a house full of puking inlaws at midnight. g

How much would be an adequate taste sample? And what would be a good
"neutralizer" to serve between tastes? Saltines? White bread?

Joe F.

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 12:11:28 -0800, "rb608" wrote:

I have often considered setting up a blind taste test at the occasional
family get together, not only for vodka in this case, but also for
other products with "status" brands. For each group of products, I'd
figure on covering the cost spectrum as well as the reputation
spectrum. My in-laws are not heavy drinkers; but there are enough
social drinkers among them to come up with a sample size with possibly
meaningful results.

Serving size would be an issue if too many choices are offered. One
ounce x 6 is still 3 shots of straight vodka. Not so much for me; but
most of 'em don't have my blood volume or stomach lining. I don't want
a house full of puking inlaws at midnight. g

Kick 'em out at 11:55....

How much would be an adequate taste sample? And what would be a good
"neutralizer" to serve between tastes? Saltines? White bread?

A 1/4 oz. should do it as far as "tasting" unless anyone wants more.
There's very little or nothing to "neutralize," so you don't need
anything (HINT-HINT - notice many labels: "grain _neutral_ spirit(s)").
And save your money, time, and BAC and forget anything made in the US
(absolutely neutral), unless you just want spoilers and/or to **** with
people.

TC,
R

See-throughs - long question
 

rb608 wrote:
I have often considered setting up a blind taste test at the occasional
family get together, not only for vodka in this case, but also for
other products with "status" brands.
...
How much would be an adequate taste sample? And what would be a good
"neutralizer" to serve between tastes? Saltines? White bread?

You've come to the right place to ask about liquor
tastings. Wayno hosted roff's Single Malt Scotch
tasting and a grand old time was had by all ...
I think ... or so I was told when I woke up to a
Wild Turkey chaser the next morning.

--
Ken Fortenberry

See-throughs - long question
 

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote

Wayno hosted roff's Single Malt Scotch
tasting and a grand old time was had by all ...
I think ... or so I was told when I woke up to a
Wild Turkey chaser the next morning.

god, what a night...and morning. the sight and sound of pamlico jim
thrusting a bottle of wild turkey into your grey-green visage, while
muttering, darkly, "drink or die, mutha ****er" is forever burned into my
memory.
one of the earliest of roff's "legends of the fall".

yfitons
wayno

See-throughs - long question
 

On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 16:57:35 -0500, "Wayne Harrison" wrote:

one of the earliest of roff's "legends of the fall".

When Jim came outside he told me that he was disappointed 40 chose to drink.
--
Charlie...
http://www.chocphoto.com

See-throughs - long question
 

"rb608" wrote in message
oups.com...
It's going to take a few paragraphs to get to the real question, but
as is my habit, I like to include a few hundred words of context.

//snip//
What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?


What a bunch of candyasses!! First of all, the feeling you have the next
morning should be considered just an extension of the prior evening's
exertions. After all, if it's good you wanna remember it, right??

Second of all, there ain't nothing like a mason jar of good old Wilkes
County corn (maize, to some of you'uns) concentrate. Serves the same
purpose - and after one good sniff ain't nobody gonna be able to tell the
difference.

Finally, if you mix it with some good Taiwanese plum wine (ume jo, to the
initiated), you'll be guaranteed an unforgetable experience. Especially if
you're in a bar in Taipei with your invisible friend Harvey.

--
Bob Patton
(change bgzqsdq to charter to reply)
..

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 07:38:15 -0800, "rb608"
wrote:

(snipped)

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

Stoli, with a side glance at Stoli Gold.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)

See-throughs - long question
 

On 12 Dec 2005 12:11:28 -0800, "rb608"
wrote:

(snipped)

How much would be an adequate taste sample? And what would be a good
"neutralizer" to serve between tastes? Saltines? White bread?

For just tasting, anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon (kitchen
measure, not dining spoons) is enough. You don't really taste it once
it's past your mouth, anyway.
For drinking style tasting, a shot or less, depending on the tolerance
for alcohol of the taster.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)

See-throughs - long question
 

rb608 wrote:
"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.

I'd sorta been hoping somebody would mention Everclear. Maybe mixed
half-n-half with distilled water. I mean, that's pretty much what vodka
is, right?

Just kidd'n!

Karl S.

See-throughs - long question
 

Karl S wrote in
t:

rb608 wrote:
"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.

I'd sorta been hoping somebody would mention Everclear. Maybe mixed
half-n-half with distilled water. I mean, that's pretty much what vodka
is, right?

Just kidd'n!

Karl S.


In Baltimore, you used to be able to buy Purple Passion in cans-- 50/50
grain alcohol/grape juice.

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

See-throughs - long question
 

Frankly, if I am going to drink some of that "white stuff", I'd rather it be
gin. I like those juniper berries.

On the whole, I'll stick with my bourbon - a good American drink - with or
without branch water. I prefer the brown stuff.

-John

"rb608" wrote in message
oups.com...
It's going to take a few paragraphs to get to the real question, but
as is my habit, I like to include a few hundred words of context.

Among the many subjects for which I am most thankful to the collective
wisdom and guidance of this group, I must include my introduction,
exploration, and enjoyment of single malt scotch. There are few things
finer than a relaxed afternoon or evening, alone or in the company of
good friends, taking life a bit more slowly while sipping the warmth of
a glass of good scotch.

Because of the rites and rituals I'm come to associate with such
enjoyment however, I cannot lightly or casually enjoy a glass of
Balvenie when the time simply isn't right. I get home from work,
check on the kids' schoolwork, maybe start on dinner preparations,
look through the mail to see which creditors are after me today. For
these more active or hectic times, I've gravitated toward beverages
of the see-through genre. Beverages I can enjoy while walking from
room to room while catching up on daily activities.

For me, that drink of convenience has been the martini. I can mix up a
batch, keep the bottle in the freezer, and pour a good one on a
moment's notice. Yummy, warm, effective. But, variety is nice too.
Enter vodka.

I've never been much of a vodka drinker beyond a fondness for a
perfect bloody mary, but with all of the hubbub and hype these days, I
thought I'd give it a thought. Now, I know at least one participant
here is a virtual expert on see-throughs, but I'd like to toss out
the question to the group with a few nuggets of my own.

One of the engineers in my office is a stereotypical Russian. Nice
guy, with a great "moose and squirrel" accent. I figure he ought
to know vodka, so I ask him what he considers the best vodka available
for sale here in the states. He responds by launching into story after
story about the connected party officials and their lavish lifestyle.
According to his assertions, "Russian vodka is ****." His
assertion is that Polish potato vodka is the best and was the vodka of
choice among the well-to-do in his country. Russian vodka was for the
peasants.

As a result of his recommendation, I bought a bottle of Luksosova. At
half the price of Grey Goose, I thought it was actually pretty good,
but as I say, I'm no expert on this stuff. I'm happy with the
popular Absolut, and I know others here are fond of Stoli, so here
finally is the question.

What should I be looking for in the taste of a "good" vodka? What
type/brand do you like?

See-throughs - long question
 

On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 13:04:22 -0800, Karl S
wrote:

rb608 wrote:
"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.

I'd sorta been hoping somebody would mention Everclear. Maybe mixed
half-n-half with distilled water. I mean, that's pretty much what vodka
is, right?

Just kidd'n!

Karl S.

There's a reason for that. The only thing I've found it good for is
making herbal tinctures. The stuff tastes horrible, even in mixed
drinks. You have to have a serious desire to get drunk to use
Everclear for anything but cleaning of external cuts and scrapes or
tinctures (which have to mellow for a long time).

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)

See-throughs - long question
 

Cyli wrote:
On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 13:04:22 -0800, Karl S
wrote:


rb608 wrote:

"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.


I'd sorta been hoping somebody would mention Everclear. Maybe mixed
half-n-half with distilled water. I mean, that's pretty much what vodka
is, right?

Just kidd'n!

Karl S.


There's a reason for that. The only thing I've found it good for is
making herbal tinctures. The stuff tastes horrible, even in mixed
drinks. You have to have a serious desire to get drunk to use
Everclear for anything but cleaning of external cuts and scrapes or
tinctures (which have to mellow for a long time).

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)

I've never tasted the stuff myself. I think it's banned in WA. or
something, or I would have tried some out of curiosity. What do you
suppose the difference in flavor might be? I've read that fermentation
can produce more than one alcohol, and that there are actually a family
of different grain alcohols - sort of like the various different sugars.

Here's what I found on the subject in a quick Google search.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusel_oil

Maybe that's the flavor difference in vodkas?

Karl S.

See-throughs - long question
 

"Karl S" wrote in message
...
Cyli wrote:
On Tue, 13 Dec 2005 13:04:22 -0800, Karl S
wrote:


rb608 wrote:

"No fillers" is how I've been enjoying it thus far. I don't know where
the cutoff is proportion-wise; but at some point, the inital flavor of
the vodka (gin, whatever) becomes unimportant and overshadowed by the
mixers. If I'm drinking it straight, I want and am willing to pay for
the good stuff (within reason); otherwise I can just buy a jug o'
Popov, 1.75L for $9.99.

Joe F.


I'd sorta been hoping somebody would mention Everclear. Maybe mixed
half-n-half with distilled water. I mean, that's pretty much what vodka
is, right?

Just kidd'n!

Karl S.


There's a reason for that. The only thing I've found it good for is
making herbal tinctures. The stuff tastes horrible, even in mixed
drinks. You have to have a serious desire to get drunk to use
Everclear for anything but cleaning of external cuts and scrapes or
tinctures (which have to mellow for a long time). Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)

I've never tasted the stuff myself. I think it's banned in WA. or
something, or I would have tried some out of curiosity. What do you
suppose the difference in flavor might be? I've read that fermentation can
produce more than one alcohol, and that there are actually a family of
different grain alcohols - sort of like the various different sugars.

Here's what I found on the subject in a quick Google search.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusel_oil

Maybe that's the flavor difference in vodkas?

Karl S.

Most vodkas are pure grain alcohol cut to the desired proof with water and
then by law, vodka has to be filtered through charcoal. The major
difference is how much charcoal in used.

See-throughs - long question
 

Bill McKee wrote:

Most vodkas are pure grain alcohol cut to the desired proof with water and
then by law, vodka has to be filtered through charcoal. The major
difference is how much charcoal in used.

ISTR, from many years ago (and I couldn't even guess at the source)
that I was given to understand that there was some federal law that
vodka had to be pure grain alcohol and distilled water.
I interpreted this to mean that there was no difference in
quality/taste in vodkas SOLD IN THE US.
As, at the time, I (to put it mildly) hadn't much of a pallate, it was
all the same to me -- so buy the cheap stuff.
In later years, backpacking through eastern Europe and SSSR/Russia, I
found major differences.

cheers

oz, who uses it now only for disinfectant, having discovered single malt

See-throughs - long question
 

"MajorOz" wrote in message
oups.com...

Bill McKee wrote:

Most vodkas are pure grain alcohol cut to the desired proof with water
and
then by law, vodka has to be filtered through charcoal. The major
difference is how much charcoal in used.

ISTR, from many years ago (and I couldn't even guess at the source)
that I was given to understand that there was some federal law that
vodka had to be pure grain alcohol and distilled water.
I interpreted this to mean that there was no difference in
quality/taste in vodkas SOLD IN THE US.
As, at the time, I (to put it mildly) hadn't much of a pallate, it was
all the same to me -- so buy the cheap stuff.
In later years, backpacking through eastern Europe and SSSR/Russia, I
found major differences.

cheers

oz, who uses it now only for disinfectant, having discovered single malt


No to just grain alky and water. Russian is potato skins for the starch.
Friend was the plant manager for one of the upper cost US brands. He is the
one who said the rules say charcoal filter. His brand used about 9' / 3m of
charcoal. The real cheap brands used a few inches. He said he could not
taste the difference, but could see the difference with an ohm meter. His
plant used grain alcohol delivered in railroad tank cars.

See-throughs - long question
 

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 06:33:17 GMT, "Bill McKee"
wrote:

(snipped)

Most vodkas are pure grain alcohol cut to the desired proof with water and
then by law, vodka has to be filtered through charcoal. The major
difference is how much charcoal in used.

I'm betting EverKlear doesn't use much charcoal. I expected the harsh
heat, but the taste was not good besides. That was when I drank a
mouthful sort of by accident. So the next time I did a Bloody Mary.
It cut right through the SnapeTom and spices and I poured that out, as
I'd spit out as much as I could of the straight stuff.

Cyli
r.bc: vixen. Minnow goddess. Speaker to squirrels.
Often taunted by trout. Almost entirely harmless.

http://www.visi.com/~cyli
email: lid (strip the .invalid to email)