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Ketel One

2009-11-06 12:00:00

Ketel One. Ketel One is the vodka I hear the second most people claim is The Best Vodka, bested only by Grey Goose. I never really bought it because of price. That is, until I started VodkaBuzz. I have tried to review this vodka no less than five times. Every other time, we end up drinking first and saving the review until the next day. Every other time, we drink it all before we can review...

360 Cola Vodka

2009-11-04 14:27:28

360 announced a new flavor recently: Cola. I've never seen a cola flavor before on any brand, so I'm curious what this will taste like (and whether the idea will give sweet tea flavors a run for their money). Details are pretty light, but 360 promises "a true adult classic, featuring the sweet-and-spicy taste of old-fashioned cola." I'm not sure what I think about the idea. How does a cola vodka...

Fris

2009-10-30 12:00:00

I first had Frïs — or Fris as I'll be writing it for the rest of this review — several years ago. Jeremy and I were at a hole-in-the-wall liquor store and bought a bottle at the clerk's suggestion. We were astounded by the quality and smoothness at such a low price point. In fact, I think reason I record a Bang For The Buck rating is because of Fris. That was over 6 years ago.Let's see...

Hangar 1

2009-10-23 12:00:00

Hangar 1 Vodka is one of those vodkas I've seen quite a few times, but never bothered to try. Today, I'll see what it's all about. The Shot Hangar 1 Vodka is essentially flavorless in the mouth. To boot, it's totally smooth on the way down. There is an odd aftertaste that I can't put my finger on except to say it's probably the flavor Trump Vodka was going for but failed. It's not unpleasant,...

Boru

2009-10-16 12:00:00

A reader suggested we review Boru Vodka. It's been several years since I tried Boru for the first and only time, and now it's time to give it another try. The Shot Boru Vodka has a sweet flavor in the mouth, but it exhibits some of the mouth drying sensations that come with bottom shelf vodkas, which is uncharacteristic of what I consider to be a middle shelf vodka. There are bitters after...

Regalia

2009-10-09 12:00:00

My mom's friend Joe happened upon Regalia. Joe typically drinks Jack, but picked up the vodka because he liked the bottle so much. He was kind enough to allow me to sample some of the Russian brew. The Shot Regalia has a nice Russian bite. There's no burn and no need for a chaser. The vodka is fairly flavorless in the mouth past the bite, but there are good bitters, indicative of it's source,...

Colorado Premium Vodka

2009-10-02 12:00:00

When VodkaBuzz was still a twinkle in my eye, I took a visit to Colorado. My sister's friend from college, Katie, picked me up from the airport. We stopped at the liquor store in Breckenridge. Katie saw Colorado Premium Vodka and bought a bottle as a gift for my mom. My mom liked the look of the bottle so much that it became a fixture on the mantle. After two or so years, she finally decide...

Don Cossack

2009-09-25 12:00:00

Once upon a time, I picked a bottom shelf vodka that I hadn't heard of: Don Cossack 100. This 100 proof vodka was a surprised at the quality for the dollar. I chalked it up to the higher proof, which usually improves the vodka. So, I decided to try the regular 80 proof Don Cossack. The Shot Don Cossack is neutral in flavor, but burns a good bit on the way down. In the mouth, I noticed...

Crystal Head

2009-09-18 12:00:00

Crystal Head vodka has been around for awhile now. It's hard not to notice a vodka with a spokesperson like Dan Akroyd, let alone a vodka with a back story like Romancing the Stone. Furthermore, the beautiful bottle design is probably as unique as it gets. With a good review from an alpha geek like John Hodgman, I had to give it a try despite the lofty price tag. So, in honor of Daniel's...

Segram's Extra Smooth Vodka

2009-09-12 10:38:14

I've shied away from Segram's for a long time. My sister bought a bottle years ago before a party and it didn't end well. As always, I'm willing to make a sacrifice for the review. The Shot Unsurprisingly, Segram's vodka is horribly bitter. There is a pretty decent burn on the way down followed by a horribly bitter aftertaste. For some reason the flavor of the vodka reminds me of almonds,...

VeeV Review Part I

2009-08-18 16:58:56

VeeV doesn't claim to be vodka, but I still feel compelled to talk about it. I first heard about VeeV through their site The End of Vodka when I read the NYTimes.com article I posted about not long ago. If you haven't heard about this açaí liqueur, I'll reiterate. The End of Vodka, at first blush, seems to classify vodka drinkers into three main types: irritating person, more irritating...

Weighing in on NYTimes.com

2009-07-20 13:51:24

When I first read NYTimes.com's article "Vodka Dead? Not So Fast", I was feeling a little sour. Wall Street Journal had recently insisted Vodka is Passé, which obviously struck me as a bullish claim. The Journal's article certainly stirred things up. It was even referenced the NYTimes.com article. I found myself on the defensive. The tone in the opening paragraphs didn't sit well with...

Square One

2009-07-06 09:00:00

While I was visiting Jeremy in Portland, OR, we found a bottle of Square One Vodka. A reader had suggested the vodka awhile back. So, we decided to give the vodka a test. Square One is an organic vodka, and is known for being the first organic American rye vodka. The Shot Square One vodka is a very clean, sweet tasting vodka. Since Jeremy didn't have much of a freezer, I drank it warmer...

Summer Drink Recipes

2009-06-23 12:48:40

We've covered some summer niceties like infusing and sweet tea vodka, but I'm sure there are more. What's your favorite summer vodka drink? Examiner.com has just posted two that sound refreshing and good for parties: Pink Lemonade Vodka Punch 1 12-oz. can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed 3 12-oz. chilled bottles of beer (use pale ale or lager) 3/4 c. vodka, chilled ...

Infusing Vodka is Out?

2009-06-12 13:06:12

Chow.com says infused vodka is out of style. This comes on the heels of the Wall Street Journal calling vodka out of style followed by NYTimes.com echoing a similar sentiment (we'll be covering that topic soon). I've never been a big drinker of infused vodkas, but I was looking forward to infusing my own vodka this summer. Infusion adds a different spin on an already great beverage, and...

Higher Excise Taxes On The Way?

2009-05-27 15:52:27

Digital City is reporting that we may soon face excise tax woes like those in Poland that have lead to a 75% decrease in vodka consumption. Digital City says higher excise taxes in the US on liquor, beer, and wine will be used to fund new healthcare measures. Luckily, vodka drinkers have the least to fear. Liquor is set to see only 19% higher tax while beer will see 144% higher tax and wine...

An Aussie in Poland

2009-05-18 12:49:03

Poland and Russia have long been arguing over who first created vodka. It isn't of any real consequence, though, because both countries are known for their great contributions to the current vodka market. Catherine Schaer, an Aussie writing for WAToday, describes her recent experience on a trip to Warsaw to find the best Polish vodka has to offer. She may not have come away with an end-all pick,...

An Expensive Bottle of Vodka

2009-05-14 10:56:33

I thought Stoli Elit was an expensive bottle of vodka. The approximately $60 price tag (at least where I am) is paltry fee compared to some bottles of Russian vodka that found their way to Hope Mills, North Carolina's ABC Store. Going for a mind numbing $1000, the bottle of Vodka Imperial Collection comes with an ornamental bottle and a container that resembles a Faberge egg. Only four bottles...

Vodka is Doing Well

2009-04-30 13:38:54

Despite what some people think, everyone around here seems to know that vodka is still in style. It never hurts to have some numbers to back that up. The Publican lays some of those out for us. Mintel, a market research company, released figures saying 79 million liters of vodka was sold in 2008. That's still a far cry from the amount of soda sold, but those sales add up to around $2.8 billion....

360 Vodka Earth Day Rebate

2009-04-23 19:12:39

Update: All the links below have expired. Sorry folks. You're too late to cash in on this one. In honor of earth day, one of our favorite eco-friendly vodkas, 360 Vodka, is offering a mail-in rebate. If you purchase a 1.75 liter bottle, you can get a $20 rebate. A 750 mL bottle rakes in a $10 rebate, and a 375 mL bottle will get you a $5 rebate. Interestingly, that could leave you with...