The Spirit World

Imbibe Magazine is a UK publication dealing with all manner of wines, beers and spirits for the on-trade. It is aimed at drinks buyers, bar workers and sommeliers but this tasting of Vodkas caught my eye.

The article puts 10 vodkas through a taste test and compares value for money in addition to taste.

Out on top came Snow Queen Vodka “Unanimously praised for a full, well-controlled palate offering a good balance of texture and softness, and a gentle sweetness” Not only did the tasting panel rate this one very highly they also voted it as a ‘high quality and over delivers’. Retail price in the UK is £26.49.
Belvedere Vodka was second and was marked as offering “a soft, slightly sweet nose and a full luscious palate that would stand up well in a cocktail” On the quality scale though this was marked as “Good but expensive” Retail price is £25.99.

U’Luvka Vodka, the one with the fancy designer bottle that you just know you are paying a premium for, retails at £36.99 and came third in the tasting. “The subtle nose invoked comparisons with straw, spice and herbs while the palate was seen as creamy and complex with a long, intriguing finish.” Again this was rated as “Good but Expensive”.

Kauffman Vodka, the most expensive in the tasting at £70, came next and was generally felt to “have little on the nose, while the clean palate was considered a touch watery by some and lacked the complexity” the price should have justified. Again this scored badly on the perceived quality chart ranking badly in the “Good but Expensive category”.

And which out of the tasting came bottom? Ketel One (£17.99 retail). This attracted some “negative comments when sipped focusing on a powerful aroma and rather dominant finish”.

The overall conclusion seems to be that vodkas in the £25-330 region offered the best value for money but those above this price point did not necessarily exhibit greater quality than those at a cheaper price.

UPDATE: We have been asked to point out that this UK magazine is different to the American publication produced under the same name.