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.