Is there a big difference between poverty vodka and fine vodka?

[DAPUNISHER]

The difference is filtration. That is pretty much it. If you sent cheap ass vodka through a carbon filter a few times, the taste is exactly the same as expensive stuff.

While myth busters is not an unimpeachable source, that was not their conclusion. Filtering the cheap stuff helped it, but it did not rival the premium. As the expert they had on, picked all 6 samples correctly. 5 samples were the cheap stuff after each successive filtering, 1 was the good stuff.

 

[Kneedragger]

The other thing that might be a factor is what is used to make it. You can make Vodka from potatoes, grains and fruits.

 

[HeXen]

The other thing that might be a factor is what is used to make it. You can make Vodka from potatoes, grains and fruits.

Is such made from those better? If so who makes it?

 

[blankslate]

Try Sobieski,

around $10 a bottle give or take.

Chilled you can do shots easy.

It gets good reviews. And in my, amateur opinion, it tastes very good for the $10.




....

 

[destrekor]

Just buy the cheap shit because even people who claim to be vodka experts won't know the difference anyway even when drinking straight let alone mixing with cranberry. "super premium" vodkas are a giant scam and in blind taste tests Smirnoff kicks ass on Cirroc, Grey Goose, Absolut, Belverdere, Skyy, and all the rest.

Skyy is the cheapest of all of those, Absolut the next cheapest... and both I can tell apart from Smirnoff. Smirnoff has a certain edge in its palate.

You mix with cranberry, yeah, I probably won't be able to tell. Not among those.

I CAN tell when you put anything more "well" in that cranberry compared to the above. I'll immediately be able to tell a cranberry vodka was made with something shit like Popov compared to more premium vodkas.

That said, I'm not one to appreciate the differences between top-tier and the lower-end premiums. I'm absolutely happy buying Skyy and Absolut.
Most of my vodka as of late has been getting used in Black Russians made with Kahlua Midnight.

 

[blankslate]

Sobieski is cheaper than Skyy and in my mind is smoother.

Try it. It's not everywhere but it's not impossible to find either.


....

 

[norseamd]

Try Sobieski, around $10 a bottle give or take. Chilled you can do shots easy. It gets good reviews. And in my, amateur opinion, it tastes very good for the $10.

have been meaning to try this for some time

 

[MrSquished]

you can't beat Costco's branded vodka. American six times distilled is $14 for a handle, the French six times distilled is like $22 a handle. and this vodka is closer to a Ketel One or a Bellevedere than it is to an Absolut.

 

[norseamd]

Is such made from those better? If so who makes it?

there is a polish potatoe vodka that i had a long time ago that was good

 

[Soundmanred]

there is a polish potatoe vodka that i had a long time ago that was good

I KNEW you were Dan Quayle!
It explains SO much.

 

[LikeLinus]

Sobieski or Svedka is the best mid-level brands. They don't give you a hang over and they are good for mixing.

 

[MrSquished]

Sobieski or Svedka is the best mid-level brands. They don't give you a hang over and they are good for mixing.

agreed. i drink both. i can get a handle of Sobieski around here for $19. Still the Kirkland American 6x distilled vodka at $14 is better quality, just more inconvenient for me to get to Costco.

 

[IEC]

Tito's is good

Vodka sucks. Tito's is tolerable.

 

[IEC]

Is there?

No difference. If you're just trying to impress people with how much money you're burning drinking away then go ahead, buy the "fine" vodka.

Calling it "poverty" and "fine" makes you sound pretentious so it'd fit the stereotype.

 

[88keys]

No difference. If you're just trying to impress people with how much money you're burning drinking away then go ahead, buy the "fine" vodka.

Calling it "poverty" and "fine" makes you sound pretentious so it'd fit the stereotype.

I worked part time in a liquor store and the "poverty" vodkas such as Barton and Popov were mainly purchased by alcoholics.

 

[DigDog]

With cheap vodka you can can more drunker

i think this might end up in my signature

 

[SlowSpyder]

Tito's is good

Tito's is my favorite vodka.

 

[Majcric]

Not to me, there's not, it all reminds me of rubbing alcohol. And must be chased.

 

[DigDog]

the issue here is that "poverty" vodka can mean anything, from decent if not great tasting stuff good for mixers, to poisonous paint stripper.

take for example whiskey - you can't have good poverty whiskey, because both 1) its made with stuff which costs more than potatoes and 2) it needs aging, but you can have pretty decent poverty gin, vodka, and a whole bunch of "made with weird stuff" liquor, like cachassa, or sambuca.

personally, i dont like vodka which tastes the way it should, so, no smirnoff for me. otoh Absolut, Zubrovka, and all those other "infused/flavoured" vodka, i'll drink them happily, provided they are thickened with cold.

(still, it's my 3rd choice if not 4th)

 

[KlokWyze]

The difference is filtration. That is pretty much it. If you sent cheap ass vodka through a carbon filter a few times, the taste is exactly the same as expensive stuff.

My boss actually said the same thing.

I personally can't taste the difference between anything. I just buy Svedka, cheap enough for me. Next time I may try getting some Crat and putting through a filter....nah too much work.

 

[ussfletcher]

My favorite is Oppulent vodka. Not sure if its newish or whatever but its not too expensive and IMO better than Tito's.

 

[Whisper]

The more expensive ones taste a bit less rough/have less bite when at room temp; when they're chilled, they all (even the really "economical" brands) drink more smoothly. The biggest difference I've noticed, though, is that the cheap stuff gives you a noticeably worse hangover if you over-indulge.

On the "lower" end (which is actually more mid-range), I prefer Smirnoff to anything shy of Grey Goose/Belvedere. Sobieski, as mentioned, is also good for the price. Absolut works ok in mixed drinks, but is pretty rough straight. Skyy I just can't stand.

BTW, I'm pretty sure the Kirkland's French distilled is essentially Grey Goose, just in a different bottle. At least that used to be the case.

 

[Hacp]

The answer is yes.

Here is a good article.

http://thecellars.com/Brews1/

If you read you see that the first (heads) and last (tails) parts of alcohol that come off a distiller are the ones that contain impure liquor. Distillers must remove these parts of the liquor and throw them away if they want to produce good vodka.

For the large distilleries who only care about profit, throwing away the heads and tails is like pouring money down the drain, so the mix heads and tails into their bottles to squeeze out every last penny from the distilling process. This often requires mixing in masking agents to mask the impurities of the heads and tails when introduced into the bottle. Cheaper bottles have higher concentrations of heads and tails, plus other masking agents. All of these additives will muddle the taste of the vodka and are more likely to give you a hangover in the morning.

If they're distilling in batches, assuming alcohol/water mixture, the first drops should be the purest.

 

[DrPizza]

The answer is yes.

Here is a good article.

http://thecellars.com/Brews1/

If you read you see that the first (heads) and last (tails) parts of alcohol that come off a distiller are the ones that contain impure liquor. Distillers must remove these parts of the liquor and throw them away if they want to produce good vodka.

For the large distilleries who only care about profit, throwing away the heads and tails is like pouring money down the drain, so the mix heads and tails into their bottles to squeeze out every last penny from the distilling process. This often requires mixing in masking agents to mask the impurities of the heads and tails when introduced into the bottle. Cheaper bottles have higher concentrations of heads and tails, plus other masking agents. All of these additives will muddle the taste of the vodka and are more likely to give you a hangover in the morning.

I have my doubts about that article (though I didn't bother reading it.) The heads are methanol. The heads are poisonous. And, distilling is concentrating the spirits. I have a bit of difficulty believing that a company is intentionally putting a higher concentration of methanol into their product for the sake of increased profit, without that product being pulled off the shelves.

 

[Kneedragger]

Is such made from those better? If so who makes it?

Well its not that too significant to me. I would say go try some Vodka made from grapes then try some from grains.The only one I remember off hand made from grapes is Ciroc. I think most house hold names are made from grain and a couple are made from potatoes. See what you prefer straight and mixed.

Me and the wife prefer Ciroc straight out of most of the Vodka we have tried. I use most of the others for mixed but stay away from the plastic bottles.