Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
Heh. The funny thing is that Absolut was the first premium vodka brand in the US. Before that, it was all Gordons and Wolfschmitt-equivalent. Absolut defined the category and has been relegated to middle market status by the success of the market it created.
Personally, I think all premium vodkas taste the same. I mean, it's just 3-5 times distilled spirits. Where's the flavor? Any difference is strictly marketing and bottle shape, says I.
Absolute is certainly better than Gordon's, Mohawk, etc. But that stuff tastes like dirty kerosene!
It goes beyond taste. For me, it's the bite, it's how smoothly it runs down my throat. The finish. And how bad a headache I get afterwards....
My favorite, Jean Marc XO is just so amazingly smooth.
If you're mixing this stuff with orange juice or some other heavy mixer, I'm not sure it matters too much what you use (although there are limits to that also).