In what may have been the most awesome blind taste test ever, a BusinessWeek writer served his friends chilled shots of various brands of vodka to see whether there was any noticeable difference in taste. His argument was that vodka is a neutral spirit and by definition is nearly indistinguishable from one brand to the next—and that consequently the “brand story” (including country of origin) is really all that separates a Grey Goose drinker from a Ketel One alkie. To test this, he asked his subjects to pick their favorite brands from shots and mixed drinks.
It turns out, no one could really tell one vodka from the other—there was one successful pick, but it wasn’t repeatable. (Probably because the subjects were all half-drunk by that point.)
The other conclusion I drew was that when it comes to mixing vodka with fruit juice, or unpurified ice, you might as well as save your money and keep a bottle of Popov around. After mixing with fruit juice, muddled mint, simple syrup, or tap-water ice, the slight subtleties of the vodka in these concoctions go out the window faster than the promise of a contractor who says he’ll come to your house every day to work until the job is done.
Oddly, there’s a related slideshow of various vodka brands with “tasting notes” that seem to imply that every vodka is a unique and beautiful creation. Hmm, looks like we’ll have to try our own blind taste test.
“World’s Best Vodka? It’s Anybody’s Guess” [BusinessWeek]
“The Best Vodkas” (slideshow) [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: Getty)
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My husband wasn’t a believer in this whole “more money means better vodka” thing until he sampled a drink made with Grey Goose instead of his usual Stoli. He is now a believer.
I’m the same way, except I came to the reverse conclusion: I can’t drink Grey Goose, and tend to stick to Stoli. I find differences in consistency, after vodka’s been in the freezer for a while; Stoli comes out much more viscous, for some reason, and thus better to drink straight. And I also find Grey Goose to be somewhat citrus-y, in a way that I’m not a fan of.
It’s possible I drink too much.
There is absolutely a difference in taste! I prefer Stoli or Kettle One over Skyy or Absolut. Also, in several professional taste tests as well as my own (you know the living room, a coffee table, stacked shot glasses, & tons of friends) Grey Goose is some of the worst you can buy yet some of the most expensive. If you like vodka stay away from the Grey Goose!
Am I the only one who figured this out in college? Smirnoff is for mixed drinks only.
Claiming there isn’t a discernable difference between vodkas is like my grandmother claiming that all computers are the same. Just because some college fratboy or soccer mom can’t tell the difference between a high end vodka and the cheapest crap off the shelf doesn’t mean there isn’t one any more than my grandmother not knowing the difference between LInux, OSX and Windows means they’re all the same.
There is a hueg difference between some vodkas, though it’s more subtle between others. And if you’re talking about the difference between a $35 bottle and a $70 bottle… well, I have never really seen that there is $35 worth of difference in any brand.
@xay: The funny thing is, in the aforementioned 20/20 blind taste test, I think Smirnoff came out as the favorite.
@MercuryPDX: The reason why hot sake is popular is you can get away with using a cheap kind. But with good sake, you want to serve it chilled, and then let it warm up to room temperature to taste the difference.
For some reason Absolut makes me want to puke. Even in mixed drinks it just tastes disgusting.
I can tell when there’s really cheap vodka (~$6.00 or less per liter) in a mixed drink, so I usually buy Smirnoff. If it’s for martini’s, I would go for Grey Goose. Grey Goose is really smooth when you’re drinking it plain, whereas the other vodkas that I’ve tried aren’t.
@generalhousewifery: Tito’s is some of the best vodka money can buy. I’ll put it up against Grey Goose, Belvedere, Chopin, et. al. any day.
@mookiemookie: Thanks.
I always drink vodka and soda so the taste differences are pretty noticeable. I’m sure mixing with anything else hides the differences though.
I went through a tour of vodkas and I keep coming back to Grey Goose. (Ciroc was decent too)
Worst:
Titos
Absolut
@johnperkins21:
Let you in on a well kept secret.
There is a very good potato vodka, easily found at bevmo or traderjoes:
[www.bevmo.com]
I have kept this stuff in my liquor cabinet right next to the grey goose someone gave me. I rather spend my money on a good single malt
better brands do get u less fd up
Tito’s is the best damn Vodka ever, and I’ve drank a $400 bottle of vodka. Anyone who thinks Tito’s is bad, doesn’t have good taste. That’s it.
@choinski: @valthun:
Yep, I recall as well that Mythbusters found that using a filter like Britta did improve the vodka. The problem was the cost of the filter made the whole thing not worth it. You were better off saving your time and money just buying a higher shelf vodka then doing it at home.
The real question is: did they get laid?
Someone once gave me a bottle of Grey Goose. I’ve been refilling the bottle ever since with “Vodka of the Gods” from Trader Joe’s. No one has ever noticed.
If you drink vodka even on the rarest of occasion, you should know there is a huge difference between certain brands. The cheaper stuff just doesn’t sit well… while stuff like Grey Goose is like silky water going down. Mmm.
At work craving vodka at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Ugh, just give me a homebrew please.
BusinessWeek? This sounds like more a job for the NY Post.
@joellevand: As a bartender I find that to not be true. Vodka drinkers THINK they can tell what vodka they think is their favorite. There are plenty of bars that are cheap and refill their expensive bottles with cheap ones as well as bartenders that run out of whatever it is you are drinking and substitute something else.
In all the years I’ve been bartending I have NEVER had anyone call me out for pouring the wrong vodka.
I do find it funny that people will call a certain brand in vodka more often than any other spirit, and vodka really is the only one you CAN’T get a discernable difference from.
I’m not a big spirits drinker but the difference between rums and tequilas, even in mixed drinks, is apparent even to me.
And people who don’t call when they drink scotch or gin, blasphemy!
Vodka’s may not be too different in taste. But the stuff that goes into them is different. I’m allergic to Ketle One, and Scmirnoff, but not Skyye. Don’t tell me they are all the same. The hives all over my face are proof that they aren’t.
@joellevand: Stoli>Grey Goose. Your husband is a nitwit.
Why settle for vodka? I cut all my mixed drinks with rubbing alchohol.
The taste is not much different.
@mcjake: You have to be kidding me.
@b612markt: Agreed. It’s all about how you feel the next morning.
I tend to not have hang overs with Ketel 1 and Skyy. I like Smirnoff, but its started giving me bad headaches. A friend of mine got me started on this Ice Pick kick. Instead of sweet tea, we use Crystal Light tea. Only calories come from the vodka. And its SOO delicious!
I drink too much.
This is wrong. I’ve been to a blind vodka tasting before. A very wide range of vodkas. all tasted blindly and revealed at the end of the night. Clearly a difference. price did not always indicate quality (does it ever?) but there was definate qualitative differences, confirmed by the majority of tasters. Maybe the differences dilute when making mixed drinks but in straight shots of vodka inturrupted by aparatif, you can totally taste a difference even if not a seasoned taster. You’d be supprised.
As a survivor of Stalin’s purges, my Ukrainian grandfather (RIP) knew more about drowning one’s sorrows in alcohol than anyone you’re ever likely to meet.
As part of his effort to help me answer some of life’s most pressing questions, his expert opinion was that Stoli was the best vodka currently mass-marketed in the US, followed a distant second by Absolut. I’ve lived according to these principles and they have done me well.
Also, Grey Goose is for sorority girls.
Vodka all tastes the same to me as well. They did one of these tests on 20/20 about a year ago…same results…the testers couldn’t tell the difference between top shelf and the cheaper brands…nothing has changed apparently….
I use vodka for a couple of cooking type uses. I use Grey Goose because it really doesn’t have any taste to throw the thing I am making off. Vanilla extract made with Smirnoff would be really nasty. The same goes for limoncello or kaluha.
Could I tell the difference between belvedere and grey goose in a screwdriver. No. Could I tell the difference between grey goose, stoli and cheap plastic bottle vodka in a screwdriver? Yes.
That and cheap vodka will give you the headache from hell.
I can’t really taste the difference in Vodka – part of why I don’t like it. If it isn’t a flavoring in the alcoholic drink, what is the point other than to get drunk?!? Give me whiskey, gin, rum, or anything with flavor any time.
But, that said, vodka is not a neutral flavor – although it is close. Unfortunately some vodkas, no matter how “high quality” they are – taste like turpentine. They ruin the flavors of whatever you put them in – unless you happen to like that flavor.
Which is funny, since gin doesn’t taste like turpentine to me . . . although most people relate that flavor to it more than vodka.
On the other hand, cooking with vodka really does create a different flavor . . . and using vodka for infusion is awesome.
there is definitely a difference between cheap vodka and good vodka, cheap vodka is like windex. but so far i haven’t noticed a difference between the pricey ones.
Damn, now I want a dry martini or several so I can do my own blind taste test!!
It makes all the difference the next day if you consume too much vodka the night before. I can’t even drink 2 cocktails with Smirnoff without being ill the next day. Grey Goose and I, however, have a long loving relationship no matter how much I abuse it the previous evening! (So far, that is.)
More expensive vodka for me is all about hangover avoidance, shallow as that may sound.
@generalhousewifery: i just want to add, yet again, that tito’s is freaking awesome. i’m generally a beer person, but i could drink tito’s and tonic all night long.
Stoli devotee here. I can absolutely taste the difference between it and other vodka. Well, for the first round.
Sheeeit! I love me some Fleischmann’s.
people who claim they can taste the difference is BSing, they are all the same.
I can tell when I’m drinking the vodka straight… but add a mixer and it really doesn’t matter. I can’t tell the difference between brands, but I can between something like Absolut and Store-Brand.
Vodka’s just alcohol. As far as I’m concerned, I might as well just grab Everclear and add half as much.
As the earlier commenter pointed out, these blind tastings are useless if using chilled vodka. I’m a totally pedestrian taster and don’t claim to be an expert or snob on anything food- or drink-related, including vodka, but even I have been able to tell the difference between brands of vodka in informal blind taste tests, when using vodka at room temperature.
As anyone who read the “Great Brain” books as kids will know, chilling your taste buds pretty much nukes your ability to taste things. I’m a vodka drinker, and the reason I prefer to drink it unchilled is because that way I can actually taste the subtle flavors. Try an unchilled shot of Shaker’s wheat vodka and a shot of their rye vodka and tell me you can’t tell the difference. It’s not a huge difference, and not one I would probably notice in a mixed drink or in a chilled shot — all chilled vodka tastes like rubbing alcohol to me — but if you like the clean, subtle flavors of good vodka then yeah, it is perfectly reasonable to seek out brands you like and stick with them.
I guess it’s all a matter of personal preference, but there are certain brands that to me taste pretty much the same — I doubt that I could tell Grey Goose from Skyy — and some that to me have a very distinctive, if subtle, flavor, like Shakers and Pearl. And I’d agree that price is only a very general guide to these kinds of things. I’d take a $17 bottle of Tito’s from Trader Joe’s over Grey Goose or some other ultrapremium any day. Mmmm…Tito’s….
I love how everyone here tries to argue against a somewhat-scientific study by arguing with anecdotes. The whole purpose of doings double-blind experiments is that everyone THINKS they can tell the difference.
Belvedere, Chopin, Luksusowa, Stolichnaya – there is a reason a lot of good vodkas come from Eastern Europe – we invented them! And we have had a lot of practice consuming them too. Grey Goose comes from France; what do the French know about vodka? Stick to wine please.
Sorry if someone already posted this and I totally missed it, but slate did something similar in 2004…apparently, potato vokda is really good.
Apparently? It is!
Oh, and you should go have MORE “vokda” there new-and-troubling.
@CapitalC: Hahaa…I was doing my own taste test, you see.
I have a pretty refined taste, even through the mixers. My experience- Popov=vomit all night.
@Ash78: Yeah, gin is due for a revival!
Another vote for Molopolowa: [www.argonautliquor.com]
Goes for $26 for 1.75l in Oregon. Does anyone know why they seem to have 2 different bottle/label styles?
@HungryGrrl: I think Gin is in the midst of a revival. Although, perhaps, only in my circle. One can never really tell with these things.
I’ll emphasize the “just water & alcohol” comments; BY LAW all U.S. vodka is ONLY grain neutral spirits and distilled water – so there shouldn’t be a difference as both are considered odorless, tasteless, and colorless. Imported vodkas can taste differently. All that being said, I still liked Potters American vodka best, and the cheap giant bottle of Banker’s Club is the smoothest “economy brand” here. Clearly, to me, there is a difference in “feel” even when I know there isn’t a difference in taste.
@dmolavi: @kylenalepa: What should be remembered is that they were sorting them by taste, not brand. Also, it should be noted that Kari Byron picked the cheapest vodka as her favorite, so maybe us regular folks without trained palates should consider that mythbusting enough. There’s no shame in liking cheap booze if you like it. You’re being a shrewd customer if anything, so you’ll be among friends here.