One of the things I enjoy buying in a liquor store is vodka. Our local stores all have extensive selections. From the many flavored to the pure, vodkas all have distinct tastes. Most flavored vodkas like espresso, whipped cream or citrus are usually 35% alcohol or 70 proof.{{more}} The clear or pure ones are usually 40% alcohol or 80 proof. You might even find some at 100 proof. Flavored vodkas taste like their names: orange, lemon, candy cane. Depending on the brand and the way it is produced, clear vodka drinkers usually have their favorites since there is a true and distinct difference in taste. The filtration and distillation help create the differences, but in my experience, the raw materials are what really count. Vodkas can be made from rye, potato, corn, wheat, mixed grains and even rice.
A friend recently introduced me to a wonderful book about vodka. Vodka Distilled by Tony Abou-Garnim and Mary Elizabeth Faulkner, is a comprehensive book about vodka tastings, cocktail making and vodka types. The tasting method they outline are similar to my last column on wines. It includes identifying color, nose, palate, mouth feel and finish. Unless they are flavored, most vodkas do not have any color.
The book recommends that you breathe through your mouth to discover the nose. For the palate, coat the mouth with the vodka and then spit it out twice. Many flavors can be revealed through this technique. Mouth feel is literally the sensation you feel, like thin, viscous or silky. The finish is how long the flavor stays with you. I found the book to be an excellent guide and resource.
I have done a few simple vodka tastings of my own. I always do a blind tasting with the vodka at room temperature. That way I am not affected by the name, price or grain .
I like to swirl the vodka and then smell it. The differences begin there. Then I swallow the vodka to find the palate and mouth feel. I look for the smooth, silky, spicy, hot or sweet flavors. In most cases I can differentiate the vodkas by the grains from which they are made. For example, I recently tried two rye vodkas and one potato. Though the potato based vodka was the most expensive, I liked the two rye based vodkas much more. They were spicy, smooth and full bodied. The potato vodka was also full bodied, but the potato taste was overwhelming. I’ve done other tastings with corn and wheat based vodkas. Again, my preference is always rye or wheat or a mixed grain blend.
Here are some of my favorites: (Rye) Sobieski and Belvedere, (Wheat) Russian Standard and Grey Goose, (Mixed Grain) Stolichnaya and Ultima.
Find your own grain and know that taste trumps everything.
Contact Rita with your comments and recommendations at
Cheers06477@gmail.com.