Review - Vodka Taste Test #4 - Another 8 of the Best
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- I reviewed 8 more vodkas including Grey Goose, Hammer + Sickle, Chopin Wheat, Crystal Head, Russian Standard Gold, Belvedere Intense Unfiltered Diamond Rye Putinka Limited Edition & Stoli Elit. They are all quality picks, but there were a few that stuck out as exceptional.
If your favorite is not shown here, check my previous three “Vodka Taste Test” videos.
As of 09-14-2014, my current bottle count stands at 1,461 total bottles. I have 913 different ones in the bar and another 548 in back stock. I am a Certified Specialist of Spirits and have also been certified by the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT). I've been actively collecting for the last two decades and what started as a small basic home bar has transformed (with the help and understanding of my wonderful wife) into what I think is a pretty nice collection. Thank you for watching and sharing in my passion.
Cheers!
Chopin Vodka is amazing.. The Chopin potato vodka is the best I ever had.. Bravo Poland!
+Devilz DandruFF Agreed!!!! :)
Definitely the best vodka
Chopin and Russian standard platinum are my 2 most used go to's. Quality product.
Real Vodka must be made from rye or grain. Better if it's distillate. Potato's vodka is strong alcoholic beverage, but not real vodka. :) Only name.
@@org1969 Why do you say that?
I only drink vodka, and I only drink it neat. I concur with this gentleman. Grey Goose was the worst I have ever had. I like most Russian vodkas, but Polish are the best imo. Belvedere diamond rye is my favourite.
Belvedere and chopin, you can never go wrong amen!
I just wanted to say thanks for your effort to bring the public these videos you have to be the most knowledgeable liquor reviewer on here, and I enjoy learning from your viideos
cutlerylover - Thank you for the compliment! It's my pleasure to share my knowledge with those of you who can appreciate fine spirits. Cheers!
Mate your collection makes my mouth water. I absolutely love your bar setup.
The Belvedere Intense Diamond Rye is absolutely incredible.
Can we for a movement appreciate the looks of Hammer and Sickle 😭😭😭 can't take my eyes off it!!!
Grey Goose is overrated and oversold.
+arainla I always try to tell my American friends that...thankfully many have switched over to Chopin
+cas1994 Chopin and Belvedere are both great!
arainla very true.
A vodka not here that should be is Reyka. Do yourself a favor and try it
Reyka and hammer & sickle are my go to. Grey goose isn’t bad but it’s not worth the price.
your overrated about vodka
There is a Polish potato vodka that I have been drinking called Luksusova (may have messed up the spelling). It is clean with some nice flavor. You may hate it or love it, just my taste.
It’s a great value in vodka. I even used it as my baseline in this video. Cheers!
czcams.com/video/Mq5qjj3F2fk/video.html
try finlandia and wyborowa
I will never forget my first shot of Stoli Elit. I absolutely melted at how spectacular it was. I didn't even want to swallow it. I just wanted to keep feeling it in my mouth. It is my go to high end Vodka by a very significant margin. I have my first bottle of it displayed with lights under it. I do wish, however, I could find Hammer + Sickle around here as well. I've been wanting to give it a shot.
Hammer+Sickle is by far my favorite vodka ive ever had and im sad as hell that the liquor stores are starting to not stock them anymore
Yeah, one of the main reasons I don't drink vodka anymore is because I can't get hammer and sickle.
Any dupes
Bottle 1: "Subtle this, hints of that." Bottle 8: "I love you guys!!!"
I really dig the utilitarian look of the shelving dressed up with the lighting.
Chopin is just simply the best.
As our standard vodka we enjoy Monopolova ( 30 years plus) also Reyka and recently Hammer and Sickle as a sipping treat . All three are outstanding and good value. Grey Goose, we wrote that off years ago as a marketing ploy. .. overpriced yuppie swill.
Chopin is #1.
I love Buccees. Best gas station in the world, hands down.
POLAND VODKA is the best VODKA.
I am italian.
suddenly i want to drink vodka
Too bad I'm 20
@@nelzelpher2088 - 20 y.o. and you can't buy an alcohol? That's really cruel! If you are 18 y. o. then you can buy and drink alcohol in Poland with no problem's...
There you go !
I enjoyed so much of this video. I am not any expert of anything but watching your video let me know that I finally start found my taste on vodka which I enjoy everyday! I always thought Gray Goose is kind of hype for the price point, always enjoy Belvedere over Gray Goose any day. I developed love for Dirty Martini over the years which can't enjoy with ethanol ridden vodka & so far my best was made with Elit and followed by Chopin. But my everyday choice is Stori for budget reason which I enjoy very much. Your video inspired me to the journey of find my taste of every other spirit I enjoy. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us! Cheers!!
Awesome to hear! Thanks for the comment and cheers!
Chopin all the way! smooth as hell! :D
@@MrPlaidFace No, it is a ~$30 vodka. it is roughly the same price as grey goose or belvedere.
The best
Excellent review, Just purchased a 1L of Elite for $29. It was the last bottle they had, tucked in the back of a shelf, I just liked the style of the bottle and didnt know what i was buying, luckily it brought me to your chanel
I hate Grey Goose, it's expensive and taste like a cheap russian vodka. Belvedere on other hand is amazing.
i have it the other way around lol, i tink belvedere is sour.
Belvedere is so pure it almost tastes like nothing just like vodka should
I found Belvedere disappointing. The worst is Tito's Handmade.
D Anton I hate when people/sites recommend Tito's. Tito's is shit compared to regular Greygoose and Chopin outshines Greygoose anyway. It's a bad overpriced low-end vodka
Agree. Hate Grey Goose. I prefer Ciroc. My favourite's though are regular Russian Standard and Crystal Head.
Chopin Vodka is my go to...
Thought I'd just say thanks man, your vodka reviews are the best on CZcams by far really helped me pick out some new vodkas to try, I bought some Beluga gold line because of your review and do not regret it my new fav. Relatively new vodka called suavelle I tried lately in a bar and think you'd enjoy. Share your love of belvedere unfiltered by the way love the mouth feel.
I'm a whisky and rum guy so the only vodka I actually enjoy is POTATO based. Potato vodka is the only vodka that has actually flavor to me. The rest is just pure spirits.
Chopin is the best Vodak I have ever had bar none. My Polish friend said yes.
Great review! Was kinda hoping Crystal Head would score a little better. I need to get out and try some new top tier stuff. Thanks mate!
I too really enjoy the Crystal Head and was surprised it didn't do better in his review although I have not tasted many Russian Vodka's I have had my share of Grey Goose and Belvedere!
Bill Glancy
I had the chance to try some high end Belvedere recently and loved it. VERY smooth...
Comparing the Crystal Head to Russian vodka is impossible in my opinion. The extra flavour without burning your throat that the Russians bring to the table is just unique. Anyway: try some!
I've been starting my own little collection recently and found this guy and I've already binged watched most of his vids
Congratulations! Thanks for being here and cheers!
i was drunk after watching this video lol
I'm Drinking Crystal head & coke it's the cleanest Vodka I ever tasted.
So true! Belvedere surely the best one
Great Video! I'm a vodka fan, I've tried Russian Standard Gold, it is delicious, but I shall hunt down the Elite one to try lol. Hammer & Sickle is also good :D
Niko Chaffin I've tasted Stoli Elit. It's the single best vodka I've ever tasted but, personally, I can't justify the price. It's the law of diminishing returns. Once vodka gets that expensive it's only marginally better than other more affordable bottles.
comrade, I invite you to Grozny, we can try Russian Standard platinum you will love it with some bear shashlik
Try Russian standard platinum. Pretty close to Chopin except for final flavor.
Great review. Very professional. Thanks!
Never liked the Goose I do enjoy the Chopin.
i tried gold today and did not enjoy it,,too sweet and had a stronger bite or heat going down than what i was excepting,,russian standard original is smoother and milder flavored and that is what i drink for now only because it is a close second to putinka which was my best tasting vodka i ever had,,it is dangerously smooth i find myself taking shot after shot and i could drink whole 70cl bottle and only get nice mellow buzz,,quality stuff,,i hope one day i can get my hand on more bottles,,i love the perioscope spout that come up when you twist the cap open ,it is very clever and unique and makes poring nice and neat ad then it goes back down when you twist cap to close ,,my sister got me this when she was on a cruise trip around st petersburgh and norway etc no english on the bottle all russian and perhaps some hebrew so i know is pure russian stuff,the fancy bottle you have is diffrent than mine but idk if they taste the same or yours is export version? idk maybe they make different expressions but the one i got was amazing
hmm how come it said this comment was hearted but i see no heart on it?
I’m a total noob compared to you, but I was immediately disappointed with Grey Goose for its strong “acetone” flavor. I don’t understand why so many call it their favorite. Perhaps they never had it straight.
Because they've never had a REAL vodka.....they buy based on the label and inflated price.
For me what do I expect in Vodka is neutral taste with silky texture with slight sweetness and slight taste of vanilla, walnuts, grain and lack of ethanol taste to it. Because I want to separate Vodka form Sanitizer... My favorite vodka is Belvedere.
That's a perfect description of what a great vodka should be. Thank you for sharing and cheers!
The last vodka is always the best. The more you drink the better it gets.
Crystal head is overrated as well. I love Belvedere diamond rye and Russian Standard (original). I want to try that Elite vodka, sounds amazing.
Wow this guy deserves more subscribers
Best vodka is best-refined one. #1 vodka has NO taste, NO smell, NO color. How to choose: each label has some letters on the back. Look at the letters through the full bottle. If the letters are not distorted the vodka is great (pay no attention to price), if the letters are distorted - the purification is not good and the vodka not bad it is very-very bad!
Next time you should take 3 shots of each one and then try to review them.
I think Id go for the black bottle. Im new to vodka. Im just getting into vodkas actually having flavours, Im used to herbal spirits like gin and absinthe. But I like the clean concept and gonna indulge a little.. Cheers! Great video!
I think you’ll find my recommendations pretty solid. Thank you for being here and cheers!
Crystal head my fav at the moment just purchased another 175cl bottle off amazon tonight , also looks great on the side once finished
Stoli elite is my all time favorite, a little bit expensive for me so I don´t buy it as often as I would like
adan fernandez how does it compare to regular stoli?
Grey Goose is overpriced crap, I will take Stolichnaya any day off the week and 2x on Saturdays - Stolichnaya is actually cheaper where I am then Smirnoff - just saying.....
Jes Christian Børlum Norway?
Stolichnaya is cheaper and smoother than more expensive black Smirnoff which together with its red version are the most overpriced vodkas amongst the most popular.
I agree Stolichnaya is good stuff also I don't like Smirnoff unless it Smirnoff Ice
really like your review. I know nothing about vodka but after your review I have an idea of what differentiates the better ones from the not quite as good. thank you
I’d like to also try the Belvedere
if you need someone to help you drink all that alcohol in the future give me a call ill see what i can do
I just turned 21. Hook me up with some.
my sister was on a trip in st petersburg and brought back a bottle of putinka,it was a nice surprise when i tried to twist open the cap to see a small nozzle pop out the top like a periscope and made for easy pouring,,i must say i was blown away by the flavor and smoothness ,had my relatives try it out and they were blown away thinking to themselves what were they drinking all this time if this is what vodka should taste like,,they told me grey goose was way overrated and tasted like jet fuel compared to putinka ,even my cousin who is not into vodka and only takes it once in a while for shots said he fell in love with this and its made for sipping ,i also had a bottle of moscovskaya which was similar in flavor but less sweeter and a bit more burn going down but still very mild in comparison to others,,i would say for the snobs who think grey goose is the best because its more pricey they need to try again ,even a vodka called pinacle from france tasted better than gregoose or similar and much cheaper,,it has the same french flag logo too and i bet maybe grey goose rebrands this one as there own
Thanks for that information and cheers!
@@LiquorHound thank you for your helpful vids
Love your vids especially the ones with vodka i m watching your vids for a long long time and i will keep watching them.
Cheers from the Netherlands
You need to provide a user friendly listing of your review results in the comments!
Rubbing alcohol is not ethanol, its isopropal alcohol. You keep saying you smell ethanol, well I hope so it what vodka and all other alcohols you drink are made of. What youre smelling is propanols or the higher fusel alcohols that made it through distillation due to being ran too fast or at higher temps. Ethanol is the alcohol you drink and I hope you smell it in all of the vodkas lol. Very nice collection!!!!!!!
Bryan Valdez - Thank you and you are exactly correct in that those higher alcohols are the result of the still being run too fast or at higher temps. I do understand that isopropyl alcohol is “rubbing alcohol” and that ethanol makes up a lot of what we know as “spirit alcohol.” I like to use the “rubbing alcohol” descriptor to keep it simple and since it is a common smell that most can relate to. I’m sure you know that isopropyl alcohol can be in a final distilled product, as well as propyl, butanol, methanol and several other alcohols in what is commonly refer to as “Fusel Oils” (which comes from the German word “fuseln” meaning “bad alcohols” or “bad liquors”). Thank you and cheers!
Reyka, Belvedere, Finlandia and Absolut. All you need for your soul:)))
As a macedonian im telling you that your shelf behind came from heaven
Are you from Greece man?!
Wow such a Master. Thank you sir for taste testing and teaching so much great information. Cheers!
Man you did a good job I'm sold on hammer and sickle. I've already purchased my first bottle and was not disappointed. I like it with a Moscow Mule it's great
How does the price compare with the other vodkas on the table?
Thank you *****, I really enjoy your reviews. The State-controlled liquor stores where I live recently began stocking Hammer & Sickle and based on your recommendation as a good value pick I grabbed a bottle a few days ago. Without doing a side-by-side comparison just yet, I think this may be my favorite vodka at the $25 or less price point. I'd love to drink the premium and super-premium stuff on the regular but this will certainly do. Thanks for the review!
I dunno here - I rarely, rarely taste ethanol in GG, but I always do in ordinary Belvedere. When I taste it in GG, it's in that individual bottle and not in the next.
I see my favorite on the table. I will edit when you get there.
Russian Standard Gold: floral grain essence, hint of spice, it's vodka..
I found Crystal skull my go to
Two nice American vodkas are Wheatley and Phoenix. Both made with wheat and distilled ten times. A third one is Western Son out of Texas. Also distilled ten times and all three are around $20 for a 750 ml bottle.
Great suggestions! Thank you for the comment and cheers!
I just found your channel and I love your expertise. Im new to vodka after not drinking for a LOOOONG time and Im enjoying* the flavours. On Behalf of my girlfriend and I, I’d love to see your review of a Lithuanian Vodka (she is Lithuanian). It is called Stumbras Premium Organic. I had it when I was there and loved how smooth it was. I think you’d like it :) thanks
The one and only “RUSKIY STANDARD” or Beluga or Stolichnaya
Yes! For me, if I drink Vodka, I drink Russian
Russian Standard Gold is the best. I prefer basic Russian Standard over Russian Standard Platinum.
Finally you have some Stolichnaya in the test but it's the Elit version. Why on earth haven't you tested the regular version?
Belvedere is my favorite vodka brand, on the cheaper side blue ice vodka isn't to bad either (its oddly a potato vodka but works well)
his water cup has smirnoff lmao great review bro good to know about these vodkas before i buy any
You should compare bottom with the taste tests; something like Popov interests me.
Popov is a very cheap but good vodka, so that could be interesting to compare it with the more expensive once
Me and popov don't agree after 3 shots. Chopin is dangerous as after shot 8 the bottle takes control and practically shouts finish me!
this was a great review...i was looking at Moscow Mule reciepes and your channel popped up.
thank goodness for a reviewer who can break down the various fumes of liquor..
THANKS!!!
typhoon out
Again unbiased commentary, Thank you.
Chopin is great. BUT nothing beats the STOLI ELIT
Is Hammer & Sickle still around? I have a bottle from 2016 I got from Binny's for $14. I don't see them anymore
Grey goose or crystal head ??
As usual TU on reviews and 100% agree on hammer and sickle vodka.
You'll never find it, but 1911 Vodka from an orchard in LaFayette NY is amazing. It's made from apples but it's NOT apple vodka. Look up the Beak & Skiff Orchard website to get the details. It's available at only a few liquor stores, mostly in Syracuse (!) because it's real apple country, and a few bars in NYC.
Nothing comes close to Polish vodka, simply the best.
+Attero Dominatus OBJECTION!
AtackofTheBeast
To what?
Polish vodka is the best, fact.
+Attero Dominatus Agreed. I don't drink vodka anymore but I drunk my share in the past and Polish vodka is delicious. Now I'm whiskey and bourbon person.
+Attero Dominatus Right on Brother.
Yup. There's a brand of Polish vodka I always get and can never remember how to spell the name, but it's potato vodka which is the only type of vodka I'll drink.
Belvedere FTW 🔥🔥🔥
Well its Chopin and RS Gold i'll be going for next time ...
Absolutely love the hammer and sickle vodka
what about glens vodka
I wish you could get your hands on "Baojine Chinese" vodka*. It is filtered through diamonds. I used to be a distributor for diageo, this has to be one of the best vodka I've ever tried in my life.
wow! that is good video! I don't drink at all, but your video is really helpful for my job, now I can explain to people about that brands!
ive been wanting to grab a bottle of the intense, you just gave me a reason too.
I watched all your vodka tasting tests and I guess maybe it couldn't be considered one of the best but I really enjoy new amsterdam vodka I think it's got a good taste and smell compared to vodkas in its price range and little to no burn I think you should mix in some cheaper vodkas to compare how well they taste versus expensive high quality vodkas I am especially interested in new amsterdam so you should definitley throw that in your next test
Great reviews mate you know your stuff!
great video but shouldnt you be neutralizing your nose (e.g. coffeebeans) at least after every 2n/3rd nosing?
+Grade Mladosti - I could, but for me I don't find it really necessary (a lot of practice). Besides, my videos are long enough already! ;-D Cheers!
thx for ur reply! keep up the good work, i enojy wathcing these reviews
+LiquorHound I only think it could help you to add in a neutralizing scent, it would increase your validity to your viewers, but if this is how you want to do it, cheers anyways!
Your own skin is the best nose neutralizer so a good sniff of your upper lip is all you need. Coffee beans or anything other smell will distort your pallet.
Is there a difference between the Belvedere Intense and Belvedere Intense Diamond Rye? I can't tell when looking around, it looks almost like it's just a different label between European and US markets? Or is it a rare version of the Intense? Or was it a limited batch? The few places I see that have this exact lable all say "not available"
Edit: Ugh nevermind you say it in the video, it's a special batch. Do you know whether it will come back or was this a limited thing?
Thank you for putting your liver on the lone for us.
Which vodka would you say has the least taste and the least ethanol linger. I currently drink Crystal head vodka which you reviewed to have more ethanol taste than you prefer. But I enjoy the beginning. Keep up the great work!
I’d probably recommend you try Beluga Transatlantic vodka. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
Absolut is my favorite but i got into Crystal Head too
Excellent tasting review, thank you!
need some advice wanting to get vodka as a gift because they quite enjoy it thinking between Chopin and belvedere what should i go with
Either is fine since they're both well made. If you can get Belvedere Intense 80 proof, I'd recommend that one (it's in a black bottle). Cheers!
thanks for doing other liquors besides whiskey...hope to see more reviews!
A really thorough comparison video, as always. I personally only use vodka for cocktails. Just wondering, how does regular Stoli compare with the Elit that you enthused about in this video? I would be interested in your expert opinion. To me, not being a vodka expert myself, the regular Stoli seems to have that same clean taste that makes it idea for cocktails.
+Ken Middleton - Thanks! The standard Stoli (and many other quality vodkas in that price range) are fairly clean and are great for cocktails. But when tasted at room temperature, you'll usually nose and/or taste some negative distillate alcohols (similar to a light rubbing alcohol). When you get into the Elit or even higher quality vodkas (like Beluga Gold Line, Jewel of Russia Ultra, or Kauffman Private Collection), they won't have those defects, and they'll actually become more flavorful (light vanilla, bigger malt/grain, and a really nice lactose-like creaminess on the palate). Cheers!
Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful reply.
I've watched half a dozen blind taste test videos where people dislike Grey Goose when they don't know they're drinking Grey Goose. I've also tried 14 vodka brands so far, and Grey Goose is my least favorite. It tastes how ear wax smells.
My friend where is the beluga ? It’s another level, although the stolichnaya elit is 👌🏻
Beluga’s been featured by me many times. The first was 9 years ago in my in “Ultra Premium Vodka Taste Test” videos. Then a few time in my year end “Best Spits of…” videos. And the Transatlantic version was even showcased in my “World’s Best Vodka” video here: czcams.com/video/0ZZNj8vf0tk/video.html
Great review as always. Thanks.
I really love your vodka review videos, I learned a lot from them. I was wondering what your take on Russian Standard original is?
My experience is that most "vodka" made in the west is technically speaking not vodka as vodka is supposed to taste only of alcohol, it is not supposed to taste like badly made unfiltered moonshine....
...and winner is-----STOLICHNAYA
Thank you for all you do I'm a budding liquor snob and I'm trying to learn all I can I am a dumb old fireman so I am having to Google some of the fragrances so I know what you are talking about also what do you cleanse your palette with
Congrats and keep on learning! 👍 I just sometimes rinse with water in between tastes and use roasted coffee beans to cleanse my nose. Cheers!
Excellent reviews done with real skill and really appreciated bro
Thank you and cheers!
Great video as always dude :) How about a irish cream tasting? Id love to know what your favourite would be! Mine is Cool Swan for what iv tasted as yet :)