In Russia you never water down your Vodka, this means you cannot use ice to chill it. As a result, it is common practice to leave the bottle in the freezer overnight before opening and to chill the glasses used an hour before. These were all observed before the bottle was opened, the results were a Vodka that went down smoother than water and was as refreshing as ice in Arizona during August. Extremely palatable and pairs perfectly with Orange Juice or Cranberry Juice, 100% of course, never cocktail.