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?