MezcalMagic
Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka
Unflavored Vodka — USA
Reviewed
March 29, 2021 (edited July 27, 2022)
Vodka is already hard enough to review as it's meant to be a neutral, blank slate spirit. Smirnoff is even harder to review because not only is it so ubiquitous, but it leads the pack of cheap vodkas. Do you review it compared to its other cheap brethren or, given it's pervasiveness, against the backdrop of all vodkas?
That's no easy question to answer let alone when you consider that Smirnoff is truly one of the most characterless vodkas on the market. Given vodka's lack of flavor texture sticks out. Smirnoff quite literally doesn't have any texture. You could almost be forgiven for mistaking it for water. There is a hint of sweetness towards the end betraying that it is made from corn. I actually didn't know what it was made from until I tasted it and the faintest trace of corn caught my attention. But really, this is remarkably neutral especially for the price point. I will note there is some bitterness at the end as well with a medium lingering burn, the only indicators this is alcohol and not just sweetened water.
All in all Smirnoff isn't a bad vodka. It just can't really differentiate itself or bring anything to the table. That may not be a bad thing at all. After all, vodka is *meant* to be neutral. Put this thing in the freezer and you can take shots to your heart's content. At this point whether you spend more money just depends on how much you want to lessen the burn when it goes down.
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review