Russian Standard Vodka

Russian Standard is, well, a great standard when it comes to reasonably priced vodkas. While it doesn't have anything exciting to offer there's genuinely nothing to hate here either. You can almost view this bottle as being an excellent example of what vodka should be. A vodka standard if you will. The nose is very mild and tame. It has the standard smell of a wheat vodka lazily floating down a sweet, alcohol river. The alcohol presence is there but just barely. This doesn't sting the nostrils. Just gentle ethanol scent exists, a medium to support the sweetness of the wheat. Let it sit for a bit and a spicy citrus zest begins to emerge as well, tucked even further away in the background. Sweetness continues once imbibed. It's not the upfront sweetness of corn vodka nor is it the distinct bready sweet of other wheat based vodkas. It's a happy, pleasant in-between; a compromise between those two extremes that's happy to be pleasant in how unassuming it is. Only when you swirl it around in your mouth do you get more defined vanilla and bread flavors. Otherwise it's an undefined, almost neutral sweetness. On the finish you get a some of that citrusy zest from the aroma and a bit of a spicy pepper "kick." For a vodka it's pretty muted but it's noticeable from the previous sweetness. That's not to say it's out of place. It rounds out the experience quite nicely. Texture wise it also strikes a balance between oiliness and being watery, which fits nicely with the rest of the experience. I only have two complaints about this vodka. The first is that it's perhaps a bit too standard and nondescript. It just isn't exciting to drink by itself. But for the price point that's a mild concern especially in a category that means to be neutral. Second complaint is that it does have a bit of a burn going down which makes the product feel just a bit rough around the edges. It is *not* a burn that makes it undrinkable. Rather, just a burn that reminds you there are better products out there--for a higher price. This is a great vodka to use for smooth mixing and as a baseline against which to judge all other vodkas.

Rating: 14/23 N: Not much on the nose. A little sweet and a little alcohol. P: Sweet with a hint of fruit (orange and lemon?). There's a sweet wheat flavor and some pepper. It's sweeter and less rich than Ocean, but not as smooth. It isn't as harsh as Beluga Noble though and most of the burn seems to be pepper. It's a kind of zippy and clean vodka flavor. I like it pretty well, but flavor-wise I would take both Ocean and Beluga over this generally. It's also almost as harsh as Beluga. It isn't as smooth as Kirkland's French vodka, but I like the flavor here better than Kirkland's funk. F: Pepper, citrus, and some alcohol bitterness. Clean. - Conclusion - Overall, this seems like a solid vodka. It's very generic, but perhaps in a good way? It could use some touch-up on its rough edges, but it's very solid. I think it's in the Kirkland and Beluga quality range - not as good as Ocean or Chopin. Beluga and Kirkland were both 14s, so this is going to be a 14 too. I could imagine going down to a 13 if anything, but I think it's a pretty solid 14.

Always a great option!!

Nose - chalky grain, black pepper, lemon zest, mineral water, dry herbal notes, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - chalky grain, black pepper, coriander, lemon and orange zest, mineral water, vanilla, herbal and floral notes, mild to moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short and slightly viscous with chalky grain, black pepper, and dry herbal flavors. This is an exceedingly neutral, yet robust vodka. I would compare it most to Stoli, but I don’t think it’s quite as good. The nose here is quintessential vodka, with the most notable qualities being a very grain-forward presence and a stronger pepper note than most of the competition. Again the palate resembles Stoli, but it’s definitely more austere, with less fruitiness and grassiness. This is good, no nonsense vodka. It hits all the right notes without adding any fluff to the experience. The mouthfeel is full and the finish is clean. I’m going to notch this above the pack, but just barely. I’d rather drink Stoli, which also happens to be $3 less a bottle. And I’d rather drink Jim Beam Original most days as well.

I don’t really know anything about vodka so I’m going to give it a basic standard rating, it was smooth for sure. Sipped it before using it as a mixer

Straight out the freezer, it's smooth & clean. The nose is a touch harsh but it disappears with the taste. Warming on the lips, a tiny bit of burn at the end too ut it's quite oily & much easier on the way down than expected. Always a good vodka, although usually one I mix.