What's an excellent value staple bottle on your bar? While my heart belongs to whiskies, I believe in cross category appreciation (and a fully stocked bar). I stumbled upon Top Shelf Vodka a few years ago and was intrigued. It's a locally produced craft spirit in a sleek, rectangular bottle that shines amongst similarly priced mass produced options. Top Shelf Vodka has a very subtle aroma. There's a refreshing quality like how enjoyable the air smells when you're near a body of water. Think ocean spray (...or lake spray for the rest of us).  Its soft flavour carries light sweetness that turns savory-tangy. Images of sweet corn drizzled in cotija cheese appear for me. This easily fades through a gentle lip and tongue tingling sensation. Top Shelf Vodka is a very smooth, well bodied vodka that plays nicely in mixed drinks. There is no discernable aftertaste (nor regret) here, which is why you're likely to see a bottle of this on my shelf.  8/10