Best Vodkas?

[Saint]

I've recently taken to drinking "good" vodkas, neat, as shots. I find them very pleasant. I haven't yet achieved the level where I can sip a fine neat vodka like a good scotch, but I'm getting there

I always would buy cheap (i.e. $20ish for 750ml) vodkas such as Smirnoff, Absolute and Skyy. They were fine for mixing, but tasted like rubbing alcohol when "shot" or sipped.

Anyway finally I tried some Stolichnya at a party, and I actually enjoyed it, warm even.

Finally my roomate bought a bottle of "Belvedere" which is high end POlish vodka, and I had an ice cold shot of that, and it was excellent. I recently bought some Grey Goose and it too was excellent, though no better than Belvedere.

Finally, my dad has been drinking Iceberg, a Canadian vodka that is VERY highly rated, but only costs in the $21.00 range, unlike GG or BLVD which are $38 a bottle!! NEarly TWICE as expensive.

Anyone tried all the vodkas mentioned, and have a coment?

[canadiantofu]

My top 3.

Silent Sam for mix
Grey Goose, Stoli for straight up

Check this site out.
http://www.ivodka.com/index.html

http://cgi.synertech.net/ranking/ivodka/list1.html

[rookie]

My Regular brand is Absolut however I have been drinking the Iceberg because the 60's you get an extra 10 airmiles with it. Now I am finding that I like it better than Absolut. Oh well enough said time for a martini! :D

[TigerHawk]

Finlandia -hands down. You can drink that stuff down straight and it'll go down okay.
But if you looking for cheap vodka try elsewhere, this stuff is premium and costs more then even the Ice Berg vodka.

Linky: http://www.finlandia-vodka.com/

[wiggy]

Quite often spending a little extra makes a big difference. I would never buy beer by price. I always spend a bit more and find something tasty.

[deep]

I haven't yet achieved the level where I can sip a fine neat vodka like a good scotch...

"the level"? You have to become a 9th level Vodka Mage or something? Remember that all eastern european vodkas will taste better when shot from the +7 Vorpal Shot Glass. ;)

I find Vodka to be a rather one dimensional drink, but when I drink it, I drink Stoli.

[Blazin_Sunfire]

"the level"? You have to become a 9th level Vodka Mage or something? Remember that all eastern european vodkas will taste better when shot from the +7 Vorpal Shot Glass. ;)

I find Vodka to be a rather one dimensional drink, but when I drink it, I drink Stoli.

Thats helarious!!! Ur teh best deep! I drink to you http://jm.g.free.fr/smileys/winko.gif

[el_diablo007]

of the vodkas that I've tried (Polar, Absolut, Smirnoff, Finlandia and Silent Sam) I find that Silent Sam is the smoothest going down...Absolut and Smirnoff are horrible.

[newfbc]

Finlandia -hands down. You can drink that stuff down straight and it'll go down okay.
But if you looking for cheap vodka try elsewhere, this stuff is premium and costs more then even the Ice Berg vodka.

Linky: http://www.finlandia-vodka.com/


Finlandia *is* cheap. In the same price range as Absolut or Smirnoff. Stoli is decent, especially some of the flavours (Vanilla). Iceberg (Go Newfie vodka!)is really good for the price, it's won a lot of awards, and has constantly come 2nd to Gray Goose in ratings.

Ron.

[ccdude]

Effen

[darth wolf]

Iceberg...but i only use it for mixing (only cause it was on sale and had airmiles) lol

[Degenerate]

those stupid flavored smirnoff vodkas are just lame.

[hardcoredummy]

Stalichnaya vodka is very good. Also surprisingly, Van Gogh vodka is great too... too bad i only saw it available once at the LCBO, and when i went back to get another bottle a month later, it was gone... i went to half a dozen LCBOs around the city hoping one would have them, but none did. Strange.

[Roninvancouver]

Iceberg Vodka hands down. It's made from iceberg water. uses corn for the grain - tres smooth! it's from canada. it's under $23.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/randalls/mb652754.html


http://www.minivodkaguy.com/Iceberg2New.jpg

http://www.straylight.ca/images/iceberghunters.jpg

[Saint]

Just tried my dad's Iceberg vodka.

I think we have a new winner in terms of value. Definately the smoothest vodka I've tried thus far, very distinct taste, can't really decide if it's TASTIER than grey goose or belvedere, but value wise, you can't beat it. Half the freakin' price!

Definately sipable, and shootable. When making mixed drinks I could drink any vodka, but for straight drinkin' I might as well stick to Iceberg. It can go both ways.

Gets my vote. Plus the bottle is flat and easily fits in the freezer.

[KevC]

Next time I'm gonna hafta try Iceberg. But after I tried Moskovskaya I can't go back to anything else... isn't expensive either.

[Pete Jones]

I'm a fan of Luksosowa from Poland.

It's made from potatoes. And is quite different.

And as they say, no grain, no pain. :)

--Pete

[D-3vil]

I'm more a fan of the home-made stuff... the 50%+ kinda content :D

But as far as votka goes, I'll vote for Iceberg.

[balou911]

Anyhone try Jay-Z's vodka - Armadale or something like that. Maybe its only avail in the states still.

I second Grey Goose. Gotta try the Belvedere next..

[Mase Dawg]

At my bar, Grey Goose is by far the most popular premium vodka - but just because they do so much marketing. Consumers are stupid! IMO, Belvedere blows the rest of them away, (it's made from potato rather than grain).

[B40]

Someone want to enlighten me on why Grey Goose is so good? I bought a bottle and I don't think it's worth the extra 33% over something like Smirnoff..

[Anessa]

Siamese Vodka..anyone ever tried it?

[Whitewind]

I heard that filtering cheap vodka through a britta water filter makes it very smooth since it removes the impurities.

Vodka after britta filtration (http://www.ohmygoditburns.com/?p=4)

has anyone ever tried this?

I am not much of an alcohol drinker, but this intrests me as a DIYer.

cheers

[to_munda]

I dont have a "favourite" brand name, I just buy whatever is on sale or with bonus airmiles/ sample stuck to the bttle.
I do like Grey Goose however- find it real smooth- great for straight shooter.
;)

[Keelie]

Finlandia -hands down. You can drink that stuff down straight and it'll go down okay.
But if you looking for cheap vodka try elsewhere, this stuff is premium and costs more then even the Ice Berg vodka.

Linky: http://www.finlandia-vodka.com/

i've had this, and i dont recall it being expensive, or premium. its cheap, in BC anyways.

[MilkyWind]

omg OP, your description of the vodka makes me want to go out and rob a liquor store right now *drool

Vodka sound very saviory after reading your experiences with them.

[szw]

omg OP, your description of the vodka makes me want to go out and rob a liquor store right now


OR you could just buy it like a normal person.

[mlc2000]

those stupid flavored smirnoff vodkas are just lame.
The chocolate vodka is good, can't get it here though >:(

[Minus_83]

stoli or wyborowa (sp?)

i want to try the flavored stoli they have, as the flavore smirnoff tastes like raspberry rubbing alcohol, i assume the stoli would taste like raspberry heaven.

never had a bad night with stoli OR wyborowa, but im still learning, ive had iceberg and some polar bear stuff too, lol, but stoli and wyborowa for the win.

russia!

[Stepmiller]

Tried Iceberg for the first time last week, and man that stuff is good! Used to buy the small Grey Goose, not anymore.

[Saint]

Tried Iceberg for the first time last week, and man that stuff is good! Used to buy the small Grey Goose, not anymore.

Far and away my favorite vodka.

I prefer the taste of Grey Goose SLIGHTLY but not worth 100% premium.

[Stepmiller]

Just back from a LCBO at lunch, a guy told me that in nov the big plastic iceberg bottle will have 10 bonus airmiles, and the regular bottle will have a mini Hypnotic liqueur on it as a freebee. I was going to buy some next week, but I'll wait now until mid November to cash in!

Is that that blue drink that i see on tv all the time?

[Saint]

Iceberg is a clear vodka.

[Stepmiller]

I know, I was talking about Hpnotiq (found it online). It is the blue drink.

[mingming]

Still in love with Finlandia. Put it in the freezer and it's so smooth when you drink it.

[Evil Techie]

finlandia is so so

best vodka still comes from russia
the red russian prince one or something
forgot the name
is still the best consumer vodka IMO

[DISH]

Best mid priced vodka has to be kettle one. But it's only $7-$8 cheaper then Belvedere so why bother?

[Jumbotron]

Among the best - my choices:

Ketel One
Grey Goose

[IceMan77]

Ima gotta get me self some of this Iceberg Vodka.

[Smic4]

I went to this restaurant called Terra and they gave us a free shot of vodka because they delayed our reservations. I have no idea what kinda vodka that was but it was good. But then again that was my first shot of vodka so I have nothing to compare it to. Apparently it's a popular restaurant so a fellow RFDer might know what they serve there..

[derevaun]

No one's a fan of Ketel One? That's my favourite.

[Stepmiller]

I tried Ketel One before, it's pretty good, and a way better value than GG or the other overpriced ones.

But when I can, I drink Canadian!! Which is my I don't drink Molson or Labatt anymore.

[kazooclown]

run your cheap vodka through a brita filter about ten times....makes it taste like the expensive stuff

[Eyeman]

I've recently taken to drinking "good" vodkas, neat, as shots. I find them very pleasant. I haven't yet achieved the level where I can sip a fine neat vodka like a good scotch, but I'm getting there

I always would buy cheap (i.e. $20ish for 750ml) vodkas such as Smirnoff, Absolute and Skyy. They were fine for mixing, but tasted like rubbing alcohol when "shot" or sipped.

Anyway finally I tried some Stolichnya at a party, and I actually enjoyed it, warm even.

Finally my roomate bought a bottle of "Belvedere" which is high end POlish vodka, and I had an ice cold shot of that, and it was excellent. I recently bought some Grey Goose and it too was excellent, though no better than Belvedere.

Finally, my dad has been drinking Iceberg, a Canadian vodka that is VERY highly rated, but only costs in the $21.00 range, unlike GG or BLVD which are $38 a bottle!! NEarly TWICE as expensive.

Anyone tried all the vodkas mentioned, and have a coment?

Vodka is one thing that I would not spend big bucks on. It is a netrual spirit without much taste anyway. Some are better than others, but I'd never pay the money for Grey Goose again. For something a bit different, you might try Acquavit, a netrual spirit with a slight carawy taste. Cold from the freezer, it is marvelous stuff at about the same price as regular vodka,

[samzor]

Finlandia -hands down. You can drink that stuff down straight and it'll go down okay.
But if you looking for cheap vodka try elsewhere, this stuff is premium and costs more then even the Ice Berg vodka.

Linky: http://www.finlandia-vodka.com/


Finlandia is the same price as all the cheap vodkas in Quebec
http://www.saq.com/pls/devsaq/generator.pp_afficher_page?p_iden_tran=21374651&p_modi_url=1031012930&p_nom_page=fiche_descriptive.saq&p_tab_para=vide!vide&p_tab_para=p_no_prod!00020362
Best vodka i tasted so far is Chopin from poland
http://www.saq.com/pls/devsaq/recherche.pp_build_query?p_iden_tran=21374651&P_modi_url=1031012859&P_type_rese_dist=99&P_NIVE=2&P_mot_rech=chopin

a bit too expensive imo

[charger]

The cheapest vodka in the entire store. I run it through my trusty brita filter and it tastes like the most expensive vodka... Speaking of that, what is the cheapest vodka in BC?

[duckdown]

another vote for grey goose, although I'm more of a gold rum kind of guy

[KingCreole]

For "cheap" vodka, I think Finlandia, Polar Ice and Iceberg are hard to beat.

But if you want to splurge a bit and notice the difference (very creamy, hint of vanilla) Tito's Handmade Vodka (http://www.bcliquorstores.com/en/products/65011) is IMO the best value for "high-end" vodka.

[CanadaBoy]

Any Polish vodka

[JaGWiRE]

Iceberg Vodka hands down. It's made from iceberg water. uses corn for the grain - tres smooth! it's from canada. it's under $23.

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/randalls/mb652754.html


http://www.minivodkaguy.com/Iceberg2New.jpg

http://www.straylight.ca/images/iceberghunters.jpg

I don't drink much. However, last night was my sisters bday. I was drinking quite a bit (I don't mix alcohol with pop or anything, I don't drink pop myself anyway). I had some smirnoff, and later-on Iceberg. After taking a shot, I said "wow, that is pretty smooth". My sister went on to comment that this stuff tastes gross, but I must say, that wasn't bad. I'm an alcohol newb though. Much better then smirnoff regardless.

[NorthYorker]

For "cheap" vodka, I think Finlandia, Polar Ice and Iceberg are hard to beat. I settled on Finlandia after trying more or less everything under $50 in LCBO. Polar Ice and Iceberg are no-names in my list of vodkas and Finlandia is somewhat "brand".

Any Polish vodka I'd say Polish potato vodkas has some kind of sweetish-perfumish aftertaste I don't like. They're OK in mixed drinks, not as "shots"

I don't drink much. However, last night was my sisters bday. I was drinking quite a bit (I don't mix alcohol with pop or anything, I don't drink pop myself anyway). I had some smirnoff, and later-on Iceberg. After taking a shot, I said "wow, that is pretty smooth". Smirnoff is bad. Period. They catered to "mixed drinks" crowd for too long and very nature of mixed drinks drowns some "roughness" in taste. I guess they didn't filter it as good as Stoli/Finlandia/Absolut. I generally avoid Stoli from LCBO as well, because quality is uneven. Some batches are perfect, some stink to the point of moonshine. I drink Russian vodka when it brought from Russia by ppl who know where to buy stuff. Absolut rules my world of flavoured vodkas (Lemon, Cranberry and especially Black Currant, which is not avaliable in LCBO), but for pure product, Finlandia is da best. I tried Grey Goose and Shopin, but they didn't taste better, although they cost twice as much. Besides, who buy French vodka? Probably same ppl who buy Swedish wine :)

[JaGWiRE]

I settled on Finlandia after trying more or less everything under $50 in LCBO. Polar Ice and Iceberg are no-names in my list of vodkas and Finlandia is somewhat "brand".

I'd say Polish potato vodkas has some kind of sweetish-perfumish aftertaste I don't like. They're OK in mixed drinks, not as "shots"

Smirnoff is bad. Period. They catered to "mixed drinks" crowd for too long and very nature of mixed drinks drowns some "roughness" in taste. I guess they didn't filter it as good as Stoli/Finlandia/Absolut. I generally avoid Stoli from LCBO as well, because quality is uneven. Some batches are perfect, some stink to the point of moonshine. I drink Russian vodka when it brought from Russia by ppl who know where to buy stuff. Absolut rules my world of flavoured vodkas (Lemon, Cranberry and especially Black Currant, which is not avaliable in LCBO), but for pure product, Finlandia is da best. I tried Grey Goose and Shopin, but they didn't taste better, although they cost twice as much. Besides, who buy French vodka? Probably same ppl who buy Swedish wine :)
My dad has some absolut. Maybe that's for the next party :P.

[duckdown]

Finlandia is crap IMO

Grey Goose, Belvedere, Ketel One, Stolichnaya, Silent Sam

[newfbc]

I settled on Finlandia after trying more or less everything under $50 in LCBO. Polar Ice and Iceberg are no-names in my list of vodkas and Finlandia is somewhat "brand".

I'd say Polish potato vodkas has some kind of sweetish-perfumish aftertaste I don't like. They're OK in mixed drinks, not as "shots"

Smirnoff is bad. Period. They catered to "mixed drinks" crowd for too long and very nature of mixed drinks drowns some "roughness" in taste. I guess they didn't filter it as good as Stoli/Finlandia/Absolut. I generally avoid Stoli from LCBO as well, because quality is uneven. Some batches are perfect, some stink to the point of moonshine. I drink Russian vodka when it brought from Russia by ppl who know where to buy stuff. Absolut rules my world of flavoured vodkas (Lemon, Cranberry and especially Black Currant, which is not avaliable in LCBO), but for pure product, Finlandia is da best. I tried Grey Goose and Shopin, but they didn't taste better, although they cost twice as much. Besides, who buy French vodka? Probably same ppl who buy Swedish wine :)

Absolut doesn't have Cranberry. I'm waiting to try Pear though, the newest flavour.

Ron.

[NorthYorker]

Finlandia is crap IMO

Grey Goose, Belvedere, Ketel One, Stolichnaya, Silent Sam Frankly speaking, I consider Grey Goose poseur drink. Belvedere and Ketel One are OK, but IMHO don't worth price premium. Stoli is hit and miss, depends on batch. Finlandia provides consistently good product for good money.

Absolut doesn't have Cranberry. I'm waiting to try Pear though, the newest flavour. Yeah, my bad. They dropped it some time ago (I'd say around Y2K), in Europe anyways. Pear should smell artificially, as natural pears are never used to flavour vodka (at least I haven't heard about it). May be good in cocktails, though.