russian vodka reviews

russian standard: 7.6

Russian Standard was an incredibly popular offering from Russia just a couple of years ago. It is an entirely Russian product, distilled and bottled in St. Petersburg. This is a vodka distilled from winter wheat – whatever that means.

coolness: Russia and Poland are known for many things, but vodka is chief among them. Tito’s was the first bottle of vodka I ever bought, but I quickly became a Russian vodka buyer because it was affordable and didn’t make me feel like I was beat over the head with a club the next morning. You can’t easily find Russian Standard anywhere in the States these days, but I managed to pick this guy up at a local store near me. I personally love the bottle and thing the darker colors (black, red, and silver) make Russian Standard unique when compared to other brands on the market. I dig it.

coolness: 9.1

cost: My understanding was that Russian Standard was seen as kind of a steal back in the day. I found this bottle for $18 in 750ml, which is a little on the expensive side if you ask me. Affordable still, but on the expensive side for a neutral grain spirit. With the decrease of imports from Russia to the states, it’s only going to get harder to find and more expensive.

cost: 6.5

flavor: On the nose, Russian Standard is immediately more alcoholic than other vodkas I have tried recently. It’s not any higher in ABV, but the smell is far more noticeable. The first sip, however, is easy. It goes down smooth and leave a lingering warmth in the chest. I kinda like that. There’s no bad flavors, but there’s a flavor, which separates this offering from others. I enjoy this vodka, and in a cocktail it’s pretty killer. It does it’s job and doesn’t overpower your drink, and it’s not too bad straight either.

flavor: 7.9

burn: I could definitely see that “lingering warmth” I previously described bothering people. I don’t think it’s anything too aggressive, personally, but it’s certainly noticeable. More importantly, it’s a considerably more noticeable warmth than the last vodka I reviewed here.

burn: 6.8

I can’t lie: I wanted to score this vodka way more than I did. I wanted to love it. I have fond memories of this stuff from when I first discovered non-American, “authentic” vodkas. It’s still very good, but in today’s market it just may not be worth the price (for me, at least). If you can find it and want to pay the mark up, go for it! I don’t think you’ll regret it. The truth remains that you can find good, readily available stuff at a cheaper price out there.