ContemplativeFox
Absolut Elyx
Unflavored Vodka — Sweden
Reviewed
March 15, 2021 (edited May 1, 2024)
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.
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@ContemplativeFox Haha probably a good call. Pretty much any other category is more fun to review.
@ctbeck11 I don't think I can force myself to do another string of vodka tastings lol (though these were better than the vast majority). I'm now out of new vodkas on hand to try, so I'll be moving on to something else :)
Great notes. Between this and the other three you posted, I’m sensing a vodka tasting series in the works. Are these one-offs or do you have more planned?