EFFEN Vodka

Not much else besides ethanol on the nose, but I feel that vodka should be given a pass on that. Smooth arrival, with vanilla marshmallow and cream, but immediately followed by alcohol burn. A sharper note then develops within the heat, which carries into the finish. I started to not even bother judging a spirit as subtle as vodka, but it can be done if following my personal "sake rule", which I found to be a decent approximation to the various grades of sake out there: Quality∝flavor*smoothness/price. While very simple and general, I think this falls within the precision intended by vodka designers. If applying this metric, Effen is fine for something that leans vanilla, but there are much better ones out there. Notes: Someone clever could point out that my quality formula contains a singularity if a vodka is given to me for free (price=0). This is not a mistake. Flask-cleaner is invaluable :) To 2nd order: Quality∝(flavor*smoothness)/price+(How much the ethanol smell reminds me of Bacardi Silver)/price^2. (That term is non-negligible for this vodka...)

My go-to vodka. Smooth and mild, rounder on the pallet than most vodkas of a similar price. Almost creamy.