Tasting Vodka
After we left Sea Garden at 11pm, Jeremy, Grace, Joel and I got a drink at Liberty on 15th East. This bar is just blocks from my place, but it's the kind of hot spot that I associate more with Belltown than with Capitol Hill. Its scene is like Victrola except the people dress nicer and put away their laptops. High profile creative types drink here between 8 and midnight. That's when I avoid it.
Rolling in just before midnight, the place was almost empty. They make great cocktails here, and a happy hour that's from 5-7pm, so I've tried a few. Tonight I ordered one of their Tastes, a sampler that could be rum, tequila, bourbon, scotch, gin, or vodka. I got $20 worth of vodka, 6 one-oz. lowballs for a blind taste test. Frankly, what my tastebuds enjoy depends entirely on my mood.
Here are the vodkas I tasted, in order from what I liked most first:
1 - Luksusowa (Potato - Poland) OK, not the highest end vodka, but I was in the mood for something with a little kick. This one is pretty smooth, but there's definitely a slightly pungeant aftertaste. Drink this cold.
2 - Grey Goose (Wheat - France) Of this group, I think it's the most expensive. The smoothest and mildest of nearly any vodka I've ever tasted. My favorite way to drink this is straight out of the freezer with two or three olives in it. No vermouth, no olive juice. No tonic ever.
3 - Ciroc (Grapes - France) I like this vodka a lot, but it's too fruity for me. I can't drink it straight. It's perfect with some cracked ice and 1.5 oz of tonic water. No lime needed.
4 - Tito (Texas) - Unoffensive and smooth. Didn't distinguish itself tonight. It was the first time I tried this.
5 - Gordon's (US) Smells like vanilla, tastes like smooth vodka. Surprisingly mild, which is not exactly a good thing to me.
6 - Square One Organic (Rye - California) This one smelled and tasted the most like rubbing alcohol. This is a pricey brand, and I really hated it. I didn't even finish it - gasp! Organic is not always better!
My all-new favorite vodka is Goat Vodka from Colorado (http://www.peachstreetdistillers.com/). This vodka is smooth, but not mild. There's a slight bloom to it that hints at green tea and citrus and barley. It's great when it's cold, but not right out of the freezer. You could put on ice, but not too much.
And of course there's Belvedere. I like this at room temperature. I think it brings out the sweetness of the vodka. Definitely smooth, but in a brandy sort of way.
Rolling in just before midnight, the place was almost empty. They make great cocktails here, and a happy hour that's from 5-7pm, so I've tried a few. Tonight I ordered one of their Tastes, a sampler that could be rum, tequila, bourbon, scotch, gin, or vodka. I got $20 worth of vodka, 6 one-oz. lowballs for a blind taste test. Frankly, what my tastebuds enjoy depends entirely on my mood.
Here are the vodkas I tasted, in order from what I liked most first:
1 - Luksusowa (Potato - Poland) OK, not the highest end vodka, but I was in the mood for something with a little kick. This one is pretty smooth, but there's definitely a slightly pungeant aftertaste. Drink this cold.
2 - Grey Goose (Wheat - France) Of this group, I think it's the most expensive. The smoothest and mildest of nearly any vodka I've ever tasted. My favorite way to drink this is straight out of the freezer with two or three olives in it. No vermouth, no olive juice. No tonic ever.
3 - Ciroc (Grapes - France) I like this vodka a lot, but it's too fruity for me. I can't drink it straight. It's perfect with some cracked ice and 1.5 oz of tonic water. No lime needed.
4 - Tito (Texas) - Unoffensive and smooth. Didn't distinguish itself tonight. It was the first time I tried this.
5 - Gordon's (US) Smells like vanilla, tastes like smooth vodka. Surprisingly mild, which is not exactly a good thing to me.
6 - Square One Organic (Rye - California) This one smelled and tasted the most like rubbing alcohol. This is a pricey brand, and I really hated it. I didn't even finish it - gasp! Organic is not always better!
My all-new favorite vodka is Goat Vodka from Colorado (http://www.peachstreetdistillers.com/). This vodka is smooth, but not mild. There's a slight bloom to it that hints at green tea and citrus and barley. It's great when it's cold, but not right out of the freezer. You could put on ice, but not too much.
And of course there's Belvedere. I like this at room temperature. I think it brings out the sweetness of the vodka. Definitely smooth, but in a brandy sort of way.
posted by Admin at
4:24 PM
1 Comments:
I always trust Van's opinion on alcohols. She has a refined taste and can distinguish many subtleties that are often lost on me (since I can't palette the uncut raw stuff).
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Unknown, at 4:22 PM
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