The blind vodka challenge

[Huskee]

As many of you know if you read my posts I am a big fan of blind taste tests. I try to not be swayed by popularity or labels or advertising, I even take friends' recommendations with a grain of salt. Partly because we're all different, and partly because perhaps they were swayed somehow into liking what they recommended to me. I just like to see for myself with all influences removed which I like best.

So my wife and I did a vodka blind test. I've always thought vodka exists just to add alcohol to other things. But, in the interest of fun and education we're taste testing them! Granted this is only 3 brands and there are perhaps a dozen good ones, but these are the ones we regularly buy for our drinks, so I used them and not the other big names.

Tito's, New Amsterdam, and Absolut.



Now, I am a big fan of New Amsterdam spirits. Inexpensive yet not "Five O'clock" cheap, and tastes great or so I always though. I really prefer to buy New Amsterdam gin now instead of Beefeater or Tanqueray. It's just a GREAT spirit for its low price tag.

We've also been liking Tito's in our Moscow Mules and various other 'tinis and such. She "loves" Tito's. A friend of ours turned us onto using it, and I've even seen it here in The Pit as a good one.

So I lined up all 3 in different shot glasses for my wife to taste test.

Drumroll.... My wife carefully sipped each of the 3. She picked:
1. New Amsterdam (sweeter, tasty, pleasant to sip)
2. Tito's (slightly more of a burn, still pleasant but less so straight)
3. Absolut (mediocre by comparison, neither sweet nor strong, just quiet)

I closed my eyes (since I knew what was n each glass) and she did the same test to me.

I picked the exact same as her! It was fun. But I tried to do it again, and by the 2nd and 3rd attempts they all tasted exactly the same- you have to do it quick!


EDIT: The pic shows them having come out of the freezer, that's how we store them for drinks. But, the test was done with all of them at room temp.

[Nate]

Well I guess I have a new one to try.

If im mixing I usually just get Smirnoff and occasionally will get Titos for a vodka base drink.

I will ill say that back in my heavier drinking days I would lean towards absolute because it didn't seem to have the same harsh hangover effects as some other vodkas.

[SoCal Chris]

We just got back from a family reunion in Nashville and a few days on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We hit about 8 or 9 distilleries in 4 days. I was looking for "the perfect sipping bourbon." I found several that I really liked. The problem is, I found one or two at Buffalo Trace that I liked, a couple at Woodford Reserve, Makers, Bulleit, etc. Now what we are preparing to do is to have a "Taste Off" of the best ones. We are meeting up with our kids at my Daughters place in Arlington VA next week and we will have 6 to 8 that we will taste blind. It should be interesting and I hope to come away with my overall favorite.

[EdF]

I don't know how I'd keep that many straight!

[Huskee]

We just got back from a family reunion in Nashville and a few days on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We hit about 8 or 9 distilleries in 4 days. I was looking for "the perfect sipping bourbon." I found several that I really liked. The problem is, I found one or two at Buffalo Trace that I liked, a couple at Woodford Reserve, Makers, Bulleit, etc. Now what we are preparing to do is to have a "Taste Off" of the best ones. We are meeting up with our kids at my Daughters place in Arlington VA next week and we will have 6 to 8 that we will taste blind. It should be interesting and I hope to come away with my overall favorite.

Awesome! I did that last week with 7 Scotches. It's eye opening to say the least. I love removing preconceptions and bias by doing it blind. I LOVE BT and Eagle Rare, even got my wife to pick ER instead of her beloved Maker's Mark by doing a blind test!

[SoCal Chris]

ER is on the list. I was also surprised by some of the lower cost bourbons like Jim Beam Black Extra Aged, Jim Beam Double Oaked and Even Williams Single Barrel.

[BruceB]

We did the blind taste test a couple of years ago after we got to drink some good vodka during a trip to Poland.

Turns out we both prefer potato vodka over grain-based vodka.

Also, there is some advice floating around on the interweb about filtering cheap vodka a 3 or 4 times through a Brita water pitcher filter. The taste test proved that worked also !

[Huskee]

Interesting! What is 'cheap' vodka? If I had to guess I'd guess Smirnoff or Five o'clcok, etc?

[BruceB]

Probably Smirnoff, or anything in the $8 / 1.75 liter bottle range. The rot gut, hide-the-taste with mixer brands, We did a taste test with some BBQ folks a couple of years ago where the Brita-filtered rot gut came out beating brand names like Grey Goose !

[Breadhead]

I pay $9 for a 1.75 liter bottle for my Rot Gut vodka...🤗 I'm old enough to know when to quite drinking so gut wrenching hangovers don't occur to often. Meaning I go to bed at 10:00 or 12:00pm instead of 2:00 or 3:00am. Stickburner's dude's stay up all night.😬

[6th Borough BBQ]

Well I can't speak to which one is best as I do not drink much vodka, cannot quite yet read Belarusian, and my Belarusian wife isn't around to translate. I assure you they have plenty of good vodka in Belarus though it is difficult, if not impossible to keep up with the locals!

I do have plenty of bottles lying around though so in the event of a party, I have enough to go around that everyone will agree that they are all excellent.

If you look really closely you can see the stack for my Lang in the window. Looking forward to a Brisket this weekend!

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[BruceB]

the couple with the bison on the bottle make me think they are zubrowka (bison grass vodka), usuaklly has a strand of grass in the bottle. A bit of a bitter taste.

[JCBBQ]

Look at that! She must bring that stuff back with her...haven't seen them at BuyRite

[Breadhead]

For mixed drinks... my regular is vodka tonic with a twist of lime, I buy rot gut vodka.

Simply because when you dilute the vodka with those strong flavors nobody can distinguish what vodka was used. Bars use that trick. If you order a premium vodka with a mixed drink with powerful mixers, they will pour out of a Tito's bottle they refilled with rut gut vodka, it's an illegal margin builder.

Don't believe me? Next time you go to a cocktail lounge, sit at the bar, so you can watch the bartender, and order a vodka tonic with a twist of lime, and carefully watch what bottle he/she pours out of. Then on your next drink order a martini stipulating the same vodka, and see if the bartender uses a different bottle. Not all bars do that but I learned that from a bartender.

For martinis I buy Grey Goose or Tito's...👍

[Huskee]

I agree it's hard to tell in a mixed drink. That's why there is a firm law in my house that my Scotch and the good Bourbon (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, soon to be Blanton's, etc) will not be used for mixed drinks. Buy Jim Beam or Canada House if you want a whiskey mixed drink I say.

[Breadhead]

LOL... that's like taking your Rolls Royce to McDonalds to get breakfast. You may as well call Uber.😆

[badf00d]

Wish we could by liquor at Costco in Ohio (state controlled) because Kirkland vodka is Grey Goose for less money.

[mattcotool]

I am a big fan of New Amesterdam, but my all time favorite is Grey Goose.

[Breadhead]

Yes... Grey Goose is smooth.👌

[HouseHomey]

I buy Pinnacle Vodka. It's French and distilled 5 times. The best part is I pay $11.99 a handle. Try it and you won't be disappointed for 12 bucks.

[Breadhead]

Go to CVS and get a 1.75 liter of Gran Lagacy for $8.99. Pour some tonic water in it and give it a squeeze of lime and you will smile.😆 While you're there grab a bottle of Grey Goose if you're going to have a martini.👅

[Mikey C]

Grey Goose is my go to if I'm spending the money, But Costco has there version of it at 1/3 the price. Ive had several people do side by side comparisons and most of them cant tell the difference. I usually just drink it strait from the freezer but if I mix it its with OJ or a bloody mary...

[SmokenInTexas]

Used to drink Titos..then came The Lone Star vodka.

[Henrik]

+1 for sampling them at roomtemp, and cool test! Even though Absolut is Swedish I'm not a big fan. I prefer the Russian or Polish brands, when I can get my hands on them. In the meantime I really enjoy one called Skyy vodka, a dark blue bottle spelled with two Ys. Super smooth, one of the few I can drink straight.

[Beefchop]

I drank a lot of Russian vodka when I was living overseas and I like the way it tastes, esp. straight up. I don't know what they do differently but it has a more "oily" feel and finish that I prefer...

[SoCal Chris]

I love Grey Goose but Skyye is much easier on the wallet. I rarely drink it straight so with a mixer the lower priced Skyye is perfect.

[JCGrill]

Big fan of Smirnoff for mixing. I think it's almost good enough to drink straight and it's relatively inexpensive. For a straight up vodka I mostly drink local. Lots of craft distilleries around here doing a good job.