MontBlanc Vodka

Nose - dry grain, black pepper, dry herbal notes, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - chalky grain, sweet vanilla, black pepper, lemon zest, dry herbal notes, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with sweet, chalky grain, black pepper, and lemon zest flavors. This looks to be a Total Wine brand, but there’s not much information to be found online. I grabbed a sample because the bottle looked cool, which is usually a bad sign. To my surprise, this isn’t bad vodka at all. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Russian Standard. It’s exceedingly neutral and robustly grain forward. There’s almost a chalky texture to the palate. Outside of the standard grain, black pepper, and herbal notes, there’s very little to identify. No real fruitiness or floral qualities, save for a hint of vanilla and a bit of lemon zest. It’s solid, no nonsense vodka, which is good when executed well, like it is here. I’d need to do a side by side with this against Russian Standard to know for sure, but I think I like this slightly less as there’s a bit more harshness on the nose. It’s close though. Close enough to notch this above the pack, but not good enough to make my top five. I’d rather drink Jim Beam Original, however it’s not far off.