Absolut Elyx

Fantastic in a dirty martini!

This is excellent. A huge step up from their flagship. The almost tangy clean mineral notes from the copper are prevalent and the mouthfeel is magically light. It’s almost like whipped air. I’m sure this is great in a martini but for me, neat is where this shines, and I don’t say that about vodka. Masterfully done.

Rating: 16/23 N: It smells like nothing. Like, absolutely nothing. P: Whoa! This is a weird one. It's sweet. And musty. With vanilla. And it's a bit spicy. It weirdly reminds me of Don Julio Blanco. It certainly isn't as complex, but it has that core character to it. It's fairly smooth, but not as smooth as Reyka or Chopin. The profile is kind of fun, but in this oddly childish way. It is sort of like a less mature Beluga Noble in that regard. Still...it's fun! And it's certainly less harsh. And there's a nice bit of oiliness to it rounding it out. The complexity is surprising. F: That oily, musty vanilla sweetness lingers. It's a bit too sweet really, but I suppose that helps to richen the flavor. I do get a little bitterness from the alcohol, but that's standard fro vodka. - Conclusion - This is a bit of a tough one because it's so far out there. Which is not what I expected. I thought that this would be bland but well executed. Instead, it tastes almost more like I'd always expected a wheat vodka to be: sweet and musty. Whatever they used in this might be a great base for a wheated bourbon. I think that Ocean does its funky thing better than this does though. It's just kind of hard to have a full dram of this knowing that it's supposed to be vodka. That Don Julio tequila essence just keeps coming through. Based on a lot of side-by-siding, I think that this beats Russian Standard for sure and is probably a bit above Beluga Noble and Kirkand French. I'd put Ocean and Reyka at about this level, but I'd score Chopin higher. Based on that, this most probably is a 16. That said, I can totally understand why someone would love this. It's a fun experience. I can even see myself growing to love it. It just isn't what I expect from a vodka right now. What's remarkable is how little alcohol bitterness there is here. It's just so abnormal for a vodka that I don't know what to think about it. I could be convinced to lower this to a 15, but not right now. For something that's marketed as being so exclusive and high end though, this is pretty affordable. I wouldn't feel bad buying a bottle at this price.

Nose - sweet soft grain, vanilla custard, marshmallow, black pepper, nutmeg, earthy herbal and vegetal notes, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sweet soft grain, lemon and grapefruit zest, creamy vanilla, marshmallow, nutmeg, herbal notes, floral tea, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with soft grain, citrus zest, sweet vanilla, and floral notes. What a step up from the standard Absolut! It’s not a night and day difference, but all the parts I didn’t like about it’s little brother have been improved. The nose is much softer, with earthy vanilla and a really nice marshmallow note balancing some pepper and baking spices. The palate is equally nice. It’s exceedingly neutral, but some pleasant citrus and floral notes accompany the same marshmallow and baking spice characteristics. Overall, this is really good vodka. It’s a tough call between this and Stoli or Ketel One, but I’m leaning towards the Elyx at the moment. And I’d say it’s superior to Beluga and Russian Standard. The alcohol is present, but there’s no harshness to be found. So what’s the catch? Well, this is $40+ a bottle, easily double the price of Stoli and almost double the price of Ketel One. It’s not two times better than them, but it might be better enough to spring for a bottle if you want something fancy. The bottle design is also beautiful and looks nice on the bar. And I have no qualms saying I’d rather drink this than Jim Beam Original most days.