EsocLucius has contributed 26 reviews
Luksusowa
a smooth, clean vodka with a nice bite off the bat to give it some character, finihes smooth as polish'ed glass. hehe 5 stars for price and taste, you won't find a better vodka any cheaper than this.
Slava Ultra Premium Vodka
even at room temp. this vodka impresses. it's incredibly smooth, with a bit of dryness. there is virtually no afterburn at room temp, and absolutely none from the freezer. it tops other premium vodka's out there and is only 29.80 canadian, should roughly run 18-20 USD. it, unlike some other mass marketed "premium" brands is actually premium and deserves to wear that label. its currently only available in canada in the NA market. enjoy!
Zodiac
picked this up a couple weeks ago, i've normally got Luksusowa and Slava on hand for guests, whether they want potatoe or grain, generally got it covered! this is a potatoe vodka from the USA, and unlike some other premium brands Made "for" the US market, this is actually a premium vodka. very low odor, but can still detect some starch mixed with sweetness. it glides in and down, has a nice mouth texture, well bodied. it's taste is buttery smooth and mellow, there is a mild bit of starch, but very little, though i can tell it's a potatoe vodka. the aftertaste is very pleasant, unlike the Gander brand. highly recommended.
Russian Standard
alright, lets not get confused here. it has good flavor, but to say it has no bite at the end is a blatent lie! i happen to like the bite, so i much enjoy this vodka, full of fruit and character, at $25.xx per 750ml here in canada, it's miles above other brands in the grain sector of similar price. i still prefer Luksusowa, but then, i like potatoe vodka's. for grain and price, this is a winner.
Stolichnaya Gold
at our liquor stores, Stoli is $25 / 750, Gold is $26... it is worth it, because the margin isn't there and it is smoother with less bite. stoli gold for the price, for a grain vodka is one of my favorites. it has a little bit of an oily feel to it and it smells quite strong on initial de-capping. it is smooth and flavorful, much enjoyable.
Black Stallion
Unfortunately only available in Canada so far. had for the $24-26 per 750mL, this vodka is in the Luksusowa class of moderately low priced vodkas that are a great buy. a grain vodka, it has a sweeter, peppery nose. texture is smooth and buttery. taste is great, tangy and peppery with a mild, but pleasant bitterness. not too dry on the finish. no lingering aftertaste and goes down smooth as glass on the rocks or just out of the freezer. a true russian vodka... another vodka better than goose for half the price.
Pyat Ozer
the third most popular vodka in russia! it's incredibly smooth full of character that makes russian vodka great and is relatively cheap. it has a buttery smoothness and very slick mouthfeel. it doesn't have an aftertaste and doesn't dry out the mouth like poorer quality vodka. the whole experiance is excellent. slightly sweet, but not overbearing. a must try.
Chase
A premium priced Vodka that's actually worthy. I tend to really scrutinize the higher priced vodkas because frankly (pardon the sidney frank pun) premium vodkas to date have been a huge let down. this is a potatoe vodka so i benchmarked it against Luksusowa (poland) and Zodiac (america) this product is glassy smooth with a creamy mouthfeel with a slight starchy smell. tasting notes instantly say potatoe with a mildly sweet finish. definately delightful just on its own. it would be a waste to mix this.
Sobieski
tried this at the SLGA liquor show, there's quite a push on the product with a review label on the neck of the bottle. polish grain vodka... i love Luksusowa so felt obliged to try this bargin out. so far as grains go this has an initial bite which i like, ends smooth with a taste that says 'this is good vodka' the price point seals it as a great buy that won't disapoint.
Belvedere
had this in quantity for several days on a work trip to vancouver... smooth, nice texture and pleasantly sweet starchy taste, but a bitter finish... bottom line, not as good as luksusowa and more expensive lands it 4 stars.
360 Vodka
the provincial liquor board has delisted this product so it was quite cheap, only $30.xx not bad, but zodiac was better. it has a sweet smell with some fruity tones. that sweetness carries over into the drink itself, though it's bitter. that's where is scores low points. it's finish does not justify its original $50.xx price tag. it is better than grey gooose though, but that's not hard.
Level
Our stores have delisted this product, so i was able to pick it up for $31 CDN. not a bad price. the bottle is attractive, eqaul to that of all the other 'premium' brands. onto the important part, i prefer just drinking my vodka straight out of the freezer or poured over rocks at room temp... this vodka disapointed, it has a harsh burn for it's original price point and lacks the flavor profile i prefer. it compares well with $25-30 brands. that's why it's a 4, i got it "cheap" so it's not so bad, it'd have been a 3 if i paid full pop. i'd still much prefer a shot of stoli gold or russian standard over this though.
Moskovskaya
much similar to the black stalion available here. it's got a bit and is unappologetic which i like. there's actually taste here at a very low price.
Tito's Handmade Vodka
it's very smooth with virtually no bite or aftertaste.
what makes it great for most is what i dislike about it, there's pretty much zero flavor by comparison to others.
it's still a decent price and a quality product, so it's definately a solid 4.
Absolut
smells a bit harsh and is a bit harsh. nice bottle though/cap though. it's got a bit of smoothness in the middle that keeps if from being a train wreck, but has a nasty bite at the end. it's only a couple bucks more than smirinoff and to be fair, is worth it if it was just between those two. unfortunately there are plenty of good vodka's here in canada in the 26-30 mark, like Slava, Stoli, Musko (grain) or Luksusowa (potatoe) that blow it out of the water. it gets a 3 star rating for not being as pretentious as some.
Skyy
nice bottle, but a harsh smell and not a well refined taste, thin, bitter, almost metalic. compared to russian standard or stoli gold, which fall in similar price ranges this is not a winner... better than ab pure, but a premium over it. this would be a mixer, that's it... i prefer on the rocks or straight, room temp, this failed to pass the test of that. i dare not drink this to excess to validate the "hangover" factor, as i find if you drink in excess, you're not really enjoying what you drink. average at best. 3 stars... that's generous.
Iceberg Vodka
it's smooth, clean and crisp, but has a confused unrefined flavor... slightly grainy and peppery. the mouthfeel is very thin and the smell is harsh. overall, better than some premiums, but no standard or stallion...
Banff Ice
ok, all 5 star posters to date have reviewed only ONE vodka, this one... let me bring ya'll up to reality. it's one notch above alberta pure, but it's more expensive... and AB Pure is pretty rough. banff ice is not super smooth and has an afterburn that proves it, it lacks the characteristic flavor notes of classics like Stoli Gold and russian standard which are superior for the same price point. it's decent no doubt and better than alberta pure. i like supporting canadian, but i will not buy this product again because significantly better product is available for the same dollar.
Three Olives
A tad below average on it's own, but a good 'Bond' martini maker. the price is attractive and the bottle is well done. I wish there was a way to rate it a 3.5, so I have to round down. it's simply too harsh and bitter when taken straight up to be a 4.
Grey Goose
a superbly marketed bad product. Kudo's to the owner who's laughing all the way to the bank. it's overly sweet and has a harsh aftertaste, this is not a premium product and paying more than $20.xx a bottle you're getting ripped off.
Alberta Pure Vodka
it's cheap, really cheap. only available in canada and not particularly popular. initial smell is sweet nail polish remover. body is thin, with an overpowering burn and not much smoothness. i don't suggest drinking this neat as it is not pleasant. a definate mixer, it acheives what a 40% spirit will do if one wants to on the cheap with a dire aftermath the next day.
Polar Ice
average at best. it has a sweet grain nose which transfers sweetness into the taste, however the sweetness is also accompanied by a harsh abv smell that's just harsh. it's alright for mixing, but quite rough on its own.
Crystal Head
smirnoff grade vodka in a cool container that's overpriced = 2 stars... honestly that's generous... i drink vodka straight, room temp for judging and this was harsh stuff, even with ice in it half melted it was still rough! luckily, i didn't fork over the $57.95 for the bottle so i feel great in that regard.
Smirnoff
another low end product with mass marketing pushing it through most of the ignorant public's bloodstream. though not the worst vodka out there, it's pretty much rot gut, once a bit of research is done there are plenty similarly priced small market vodka's out there in every region of North America that better it by quite a lot. I give them cred for not masquerading, touting pretentious absurd phrases such as "world's best tasting vodka" ;)
Russian Prince
Russian Prince, it comes in a grey, opague bottle, you cannot see the product. it's clear and clearly awful. prefered by snowmobilers because the 26oz is plastic and won't break on the trail. this is one of the harshest vodka's on the planet. the initial burn and afterburn distorts any sort of taste that might've existed at one time. truly, there's a reason it's the cheapest vodka in our market... i'm pretty sure you could run a T34 off this stuff.
Blackstone Vodka
From the same company that does Minhas beers comes an equally dreadful Vodka, I finally found a Vodka that rivals Russian Prince as the worst vodka i've ever had. burn, no flavor, after burn, negative after taste. nothing redeeming about it. sure it's cheap, I'm betting it will lay you out the next day too. I didn't want to find it, but at a liquor show I sampled this prior to launch in this province and good thing it was only 1/2 a shot. you've all been warned.