AK-47 Tasting Notes

AK-47 Vodka 40%

Tasted: Oct 2014

Nose: Lightly oiled with plenty of barley and whisky-like notes. With time a touch of smoke emerges.

Palate: Soft and lightly creamy with a touch of barley and smoke.

Finish: medium length with a slightly peppery finish.

Conclusion: Distinctly average.

AK-47 Vodka 40%

Re-Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Quite broad and oily aromas with a light vanilla note along with hints of nuts. With time it becomes a little perfumed.

Palate: Full and soft. Gently oily with some sweet vanilla and a hint of nuts.

Finish: Good length with a light spicy bite in the finish.

Conclusion: A pleasant vodka which has character and a good spiciness.

Tovaritch! Tasting Notes

Tovaritch! Russian Premium Vodka 40%

Tasted: Nov/Dec 2013

The nose is initially quite neutral but with time it becomes lightly smoked with an almost peaty note. Very natural with hints of warm vanilla.  

The palate has a striking bitterness with hints of aniseed, bark and tart citrus. Very grainy with a light sweet vanilla note which balances the bitterness. Long and spicy with the citrus notes lingering. In conclusion it’s a very impressive vodka with plenty of character.

Smirnoff Tasting Notes

Smirnoff Red Label 37.5%

Re-Tasted: Oct 2013

The nose is slightly floral but mainly neutral with a light graininess. With time it becomes a little smoky. The palate is sharp and grainy with a light creaminess. Very neutral, no real character with a spirity finish. 

Smirnoff Blue Label 45%

Tasted: May 2005

A clean, youthful nose with a pronounced, refined, citrus and garden aromas plus a touch of earthiness. Dry on the palate, very clean with a reasonable intensity of crisp, citrus flavours. Soft alcohol and a long, neutral finish.

Russian Standard Tasting Notes

Russian Standard Vodka 40%

Tasted: Aug 2008

To me it tasted pretty much like I expected, sharp and spirity with that slight acetone note. To me it seemed a bit harsh and industrial, but then this is a mass market brand, so that is to be expected.

Mamont Tasting Notes

Mamont Vodka 40%

5 times distilled vodka produced in Siberia and filtered through Siberian rock.

Tasted: Aug 2010

A rounded and slightly starchy nose. Soft and full with a botanical/ grainy nip and hints of natural vanilla pod.

The palate has quite a candied sweetness. Again soft and full, slightly starchy with an almost apple-sweet character developing. The grain is very intense on the middle, which clears the way for a subtle fennel/ aniseed finish. A definite strange one this. 

Mamont Vodka 40%

Re-Tasted: Nov 2013

The aromas are quite fresh and edgy with hints of smoke, herbs and grass along with hints of cereal and vanilla. 

The palate is soft and slightly grassy with hints of minerals and smoke. Lightly cerealy with hints of vanilla and a pleasant herbal-spice finish.

Khanskaya Tasting Notes

Khanskaya De Luxe Vodka 40%

Tasted: Apr 2010

An extremely neutral nose with practically no grain character. Maybe there is a slight, very subtle floral-cereal note. Pretty much refined alcohol. The palate is just like the nose, very pure and almost like drinking water! A touch of cereral does come through on the finish but again it’s very subtle and one wonders how many times this has been filtered. 

However once chilled the nose displays more of the grain characteristics one would expect. It also brings out a subtle oiliness and that floral note is more noticeable. In conclusion it’s an ideal base for cocktails.

Bulbash Tasting Notes

Bulbash No1 Premium Vodka 40%

Distilled in Minsk , Belorussia

Tasted: Nov/ Dec 2013

Soft and creamy nose with a delicate corn-like fatness and a hint of smoke.  The palate is soft and lightly spiced with some graininess and a touch of creamy vanilla. Quite mouth-filling with a developing herbal note. Fresh and crisp finish with the vanilla notes lingering. In conclusion it is pleasantly creamy spirit with a good crisp finish.

Beluga Tasting Notes

Beluga Gold Line Vodka 40%

Grain spirit is combined with water from Siberian artesian springs that undergoes additional filtration, as well as silica sand and silver purification. It is then combined with milk thistle extract, oat extract, honey, vanilla, and sugar syrup. After the spirit is diluted and ingredients are added, it’s rested in tanks for 90 days before it’s filtered five times and bottled. 

Tasted: Mar 2014

Slightly smoky aromas with hints of sweet vanilla. Soft and rounded and ever so slightly starchy with a light, herbal freshness. 

The palate is soft, full and milky with creamy vanilla and a pleasant balancing grainy/ spicy bite. Possibly not quite as complex as the nose but the vanilla lingers and it finishes with that light herbal note.

Belenkaya Tasting Notes

Belenkaya Lux Vodka 40%

Tasted: Apr 2013

A softly grainy nose with a pronounced citrus character along with hints of vanilla and smoke. Pleasantly rounded and slightly crisp with only a hint of lightly oiled cereal. 

Soft and relatively straightforward, which is probably down to the fact it is filtered through coal and then sand before then having a final ‘polishing’ filtration. There is a touch of soft grain and vanilla but its finish is slightly on the tart citrus side.

Akdov Tasting Notes

Akdov Ultimate Vodka 40%

Oak Aged Vodka

Tasted: Apr 2010

One look at the deep gold colour you would have expected the oak to overpower any other flavours, but the creamy oak vanillins are quite subtle and really only hang out in the background. An interesting nose, reminiscent of a un-dunnagey/ earthy, light Spey with a cereal nuance. 

The palate is much the same as the nose, although there is more grainy spirit character and less oak along with some botanical notes. Good length and purity. Chilling it maybe makes the nose a bit more whisky like and slightly more oily but makes little difference to the palate. 

In conclusion it makes an ideal stepping stone for Vodka drinkers that would like to experience other oak aged spirits.