jorI was recently on a business trip and stayed at the W Hotel. Well in the mini-bar was both Grey Goose and Belvedere Vodka. I don’t drink much – the occasional cognac or champagne maybe – and the last time I had vodka straight up it was some horrific Smirnoff crap that soured me on the whole concept. Anyway, long story short, since I am half Russian and I had nothing to do the night before my flight home, I tried these new “premium” vodkas and found I liked them. A lot. The bonus is that they don’t make me sleepy when I drink like other spirits do, and don’t leave me with a hang over the next day. But that may be due as much to not drinking a whole lot as anything else.

Regardless, I then started sampling other premium brands. And here’s what I’ve come away with so far. There’s 4 or 5 other brands I want to try still. Note I drink vodka straight up either at room temperature or out of the freezer, how these vodkas stack up for martinis and what not is not for me to say.

Anyway …

Grey Goose (France) – B- – Grey Goose has a nice flavor, almost “light” if that’s possible. It doesn’t burn too much going down and doesn’t have an overpowering aftertaste. I guess my only gripe about Grey Goose is that it seems almost too neutral.

Grey Goose La Vanille (France) – F – Absolutely horrific stuff. Smells and tastes like cough medicine. Makes me nauseous just openning the bottle and smelling it.

Belvedere (Poland) – B – Belvedere has more personality than Grey Goose but has a metallic or medicinal aftertaste. I did seem to get more of a buzz off Belvedere than Grey Goose, though.

Belvedere Orange (Poland) – B – Pretty good if you like flavored vodka. The orange infusion isn’t overpowering but it’s a little too acrid for my like.

Ketel One (Holland) – B+ – Ketel one seems to have an almost minty aroma to it. Goes down a little on the hot side yet has no harsh aftertaste. I ended up liking Ketel better than Belvedere or Grey Goose for some reason.

Skyy 90 (California) – B+ – I wasn’t expecting much from an American Vodka, but the guy at the store recommended it. Skyy 90 was a pleasant surprise. It has the smoothness of Grey Goose with the character of Belvedere and Ketel. The extra 5% alcohol doen’t make it any harsher. One gripe about the bottle, though: the top is metal and pretty hefty. If you put the bottle in the freezer the top retains the cold and you find your fingers freezing to it.

Jewel of Russia Classic (Russia) – A – Russia knows their vodka if Jewel is any indicator. Super smooth going down, very little burn as if it were cognac. Has a nice earthy smell and taste with no lingering aftertaste. It has a funky pouring spout which actually is cool when you freeze the bottle – the stuff pours out like maple syrup, hehe. This is only slightly more expensive that the other “premium” vodkas. I say slighly because it’s $40 for a 1L bottle as opposed to $32 for $750ml for the rest.

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