Absolut Elyx

Rye, faint vanilla

I think this is the finest vodka I have ever enjoyed. So smooth and delicious. It is vodka in it's finest form. I enjoy this on a couple of rocks with a piece of lemon. There is nothing better. A perfect product.

vanilla, baked bread, grass, cream, lemon

聞起來一樣有ABS的化學刺激感 但入口口感相當不同，穀物甜味明顯，帶一絲鹹味

The aroma reveals complex notes of wheat thins, baking spices, and black pepper. On the palate, there’s a sweet entry with the flavor of vanilla with subtle bitter lemon peel. The finish lingers with wheat thins and a hint of black pepper.

I was saving a 1 LT bottle at 42.3% alcohol for a special ocassion for several years, and… What a treat it was! This is definitely a large step up from the regular expression and a solid representative of the luxury market. It was very smooth yet rich with a pleasant mouthfeel. Great on ice or simply chilled.

The high end Absolut offering, Elyx is an upgrade over the standard Absolut. Is it worth twice as much, probably not but it is very smooth. The nose is clean with a bit of ethanol and wheat. On the palate there is a touch of sweetness, but it is incredibly smooth. It's pretty much what you want from a vodka with no off-putting aromas or flavors. The finish is short but again, no burn. I don't often drink vodka neat, it's just not that interesting to me but I will say this is good. Is it worth twice the amount of the standard, probably not unless you like your vodka neat. I gave the standard a 3.75, but neat it was more of a 3, with the 0.75 boost because of the value and the use in cocktails. This one is a 4/4.25 neat, but with the value lower I will go with a 4.

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.