-
Hanson of Sonoma Original Vodka
Distiller Score 86
The grape base of this vodka is immediately present on the nose which shows a heady mixture of stone fruits and warm soil. The palate echoes the vinus flavors with a touch of sweet concord, wild raspberry, and baked plum. There is an admirable richness and the finish is smooth with a touch of lingering fruit. Great with juice mixers.
Reviewed by John Rankin
-
Purity Spritz Mediterranean Citrus
Distiller Score 87
The color of the vodka is a medium orange-pink and it shows an intense citrus aroma from the moment you open the bottle. Digging deeper on the nose, you don't find much of a difference--the citrus notes dominate, particularly the orange peels. The taste is moderately sweet and full with a slight slickness, but as you'll be adding bubbles of some kind, this is to be expected. The palate shows gentle floral notes that were hard to find on the nose. The finish is more sweet than bitter and delivers what it already has shown--citrus and floral notes. If you'd like to make a cocktail rather than a Spritz, try this in a Cosmopolitan.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
Crop Organic Meyer Lemon Vodka
Distiller Score 91
The aroma of this vodka is so sweet and acidic that you can almost feel the twinge of lemon on your tongue as you smell. But, true to the flavor of meyer lemons, on the palate, it's mildly sweet with just a touch of acidity and a lovely roundness. It sits nicely on the tongue for a few moments before dissipating. It also manages to avoid any overwhelming sense that you're drinking a cleaning product.
Reviewed by Anna Archibald
-
St. George All Purpose Vodka
Distiller Score 89
St. George All Purpose Vodka has a very attractive nose with faint tones of orchard fruit intermingling with more forceful flavors of toasted grains and earth. On tasting, the pear distillate becomes more recognizable and evokes applesauce and Bartlett pear. The finish is very smooth with very little impression of alcohol but it does show a bit of sweetness. Although labeled as all-purpose, the fruit tones are very pleasant, but may throw the taste of some classic cocktails out of balance.
Reviewed by John Rankin
-
Cardinal Spirits Vodka
Distiller Score 91
For a vodka this spirit carries a fairly pungent, albeit pleasant, nose with tones of beurre blanc, fresh apricot, and marzipan. The palate has impressive body and echoes the rich and sweet flavors found on the nose. The finish turns on the spice and shows a bit of earthiness which is a balancing foil to the vodka’s more indulgent flavors. Quite lovely on it’s own, but would add an indulgent weight to many cocktails.
Reviewed by John Rankin
-
Absolut Mandrin
Distiller Score 85
Absolut Mandarin shows a moderate intensity of oranges and is rather more like a floral/orange quality rather than fresh and intense. Not a bad thing. The vodka is soft on the palate providing a gentle sweetness. Overall pleasant and not cloying at all. Choose your mixers wisely as the flavor of the citrus isn't super strong. Either try a more neutral mixer like ginger ale or club soda or amp up the flavors with fruit juices like pineapple juice or orange juice.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
Cardinal Spirits Black Raspberry Bramble
Distiller Score 89
This souped up vodka has a beautiful crimson color with scarlet highlights. The aromas are packed with fruit but also show a pleasant undercurrent of dried flowers and fresh herbs. The palate has nice weight and actually only shows subtle fruit character in a admirably understated way. The finish has pleasant vodka flavors and a dry, crisp sensation.
Reviewed by John Rankin
-
Blaum Bros Vodka
Distiller Score 90
This is an admirably pure vodka with a focused nose of toasted grain, vanilla bean, and white flowers. The palate has a nice weight and comes across as neutral in the most positive way. After tasting, pleasant flavors of cracked pepper, soft wheat bread, and a warming spice note. This a vodka that one can’t miss with and would be a winner in a myriad of cocktails but made well enough to be enjoyed on its own chilled.
Reviewed by John Rankin
-
Prairie Organic Vodka
Distiller Score 86
This vodka has a pleasant nose of ripe orchard fruit, fresh meadow flower, and slightly toasted cereal. The initial taste hints at sweetness, but that soon dissipates into a pleasant burn. A very admirable neutral vodka that is light bodied and easily mixable with clean, precise flavors.
Reviewed by John Rankin
-
Absolut Lime
Distiller Score 88
Although the aroma smells a bit like a green jolly rancher and not at all like fresh lime fruit, once you taste the vodka it makes more sense. A good balance of sweet and bitter and a moderate lime flavor. The drinks you can make with this are endless, but even just with ice and selzer you are good to go.
Reviewed by Stephanie Moreno
-
Deep Eddy Lime
Distiller Score 94
A pale green jade color meets the eye as aromas of fresh lime and subtle sweetness emerge from the glass. The flavor is very much akin to fresh limeade or (or melted sherbet!) prepared a bit on the tart side, with just a slight hint of sweetness. There's nothing astringent or very synthetic-tasting about it—one would swear it's just vodka that someone squeezed a fresh lime into with just a bit of sugar. All it really needs is some ice cubes, maybe a splash of soda, and definitely a hot day and a comfortable spot to sit and sip.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster
-
Sobieski Grapefruit Vodka
Distiller Score 92
The aromas and flavors have an authentic grapefruit character. The palate is juicy and fruity, with a good balance of sweetness and tartness, with a piquant note of grapefruit peel. A slight alcoholic burn dips into the finish, though there is no acetone-like flavor or aroma pleasant. This spirit could easily sip on its own with just a rock or two, with no additional ingredients.
Reviewed by Amanda Schuster