Rating: 10/23 N: I get alcohol on the nose, but who would have expected otherwise? There's a hint of grain, but otherwise it smells like faint chemical. Definitely not the worst chemical smell, but not appealing either. It's a more austere nose than Kirkland's French vodka or Beluga Noble. P: Kind of bitter but not in a way that screams chemicals (though I would definitely use the word chemical to describe this palate). Also quite watery. There's something that I guess I'd describe as artificial grain? I've never experienced quite this flavor before. It's disappointing, but not awful. The worst part here is the harshness. It's quite noticeably harsher than Beluga Noble and it quickly really starts to burn. It certainly isn't as harsh as Everclear 190, but its flavor isn't much better either. F: Not an awful finish. The harshness lingers, unfortunately, but that was to be expected. A soft, mellow bitterness that has a faintly chemical presence mixes with some nondescript sweetness. As a bland vodka that is fairly harsh, this succeeds. It has less character than Kirkland's French vodka does, but I can understand how that particular profile could be a turn-off for some I'm pretty neutral on the profiles between the two, but this one is definitely harsher. Personally, though, I also prefer the Kirkland flavor because the chemicals just aren't there. Despite their comparatively light presence, they are still the main flavor here. I would rate this fairly highly if only it were less harsh. As it is, I think a rating of 11 is the highest I can imagine, but it is probably at least an 8. I gave Everclear 190 a 9 rather than something more like a 7 because its high proof gave it potential for spiking juice without watering it down. This is better in terms of harshness and flavor, but it it certainly is more watery. As a neat drink, this is closer in quality to Kirkland French vodka than to watered down Everclear due to the harshness. Considering that and where each of them lie, I think 9 to 11 is more reasonable for this, with 9 being increasingly doubtful. I'm borderline between 10 and 11 on this, but I think I'm landing on 10 because the harshness is just a bit too much and the palate is neither interesting nor tasty.