Some time late last year (Happy New Year, everyone!), between drinking other things, I decided to compare some popular vodkas to see which one I preferred to keep around, and if they were even distinct enough to bother caring about. I noted the overall character (which turns out to have a surprising variety among vodkas), and a separate "smoothness" (because this the only type of drink where you should probably care about that). Let's start with the least interesting vodka, the staple at every party that has ever existed: Smirnoff No. "those who drink this are typically not quite" 21. Cheap grain and vanilla, some alcohol, but not oppressive. Sweeter than I remember, not a lot of flavor. A strange muted taste sensation almost like your nose is being held, but the vanilla is still there. Just a tinge of salt at the end. There is nothing special here. This is vodka. Mix it with whatever, and drink it to get inebriated. This is meant to be a starting point to compare with what I found to be much more interesting ones. Character: salty vanilla Smoothness: 3.25, Overall: 2.5