Are there Vodka connaiseurs/Rum connaiseurs, etc?
- Thread starter GarageBoy
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I'm a big fan of Matusalem Reserve. Try it, you'll love it.
Rum yes, vodka no. I have a hard time associating the word connoisseur with vodka. Vodka comes is three main types...crappy, acceptable, and high end. The rumors of the distinction between vodkas within each tier are greatly exaggerated.
Haven't gotten into rum, but thats a To-Do for me. Vodka...no. I only mix it. I buy Svedka, or similar lower priced, but non rocket fuel vodkas for mixing bloody marys, screwdrivers, Vodka cranberry etc.
To me vodka is an obligatory accompaniment for example to cold fish dishes. I'm a firm believer that vodka should only be consumed with food. I'm not a big fan of vodka cocktails.
From my experience there are some good ones but there are some rules of thumb to follow. Rum- Most good sipping rum is usually priced mid to higher end. Each has their individual flavor notes. If you are like me there wont be too many rums you wont like. Vodka is another beast. To find a good one you can spend next to nothing or spend a days pay. Part of the reason for this is that some vodka's you are paying for the name and the quality and some you are just paying for the name attached to a sub par vodka. Usually better vodka's will advertise the number or filtrations/distillations. 3-4 makes it so that you start getting to a better taste. Also if the vodka was judged, they will advertise if it got a good score. Also one thing that I found was that a lot of unknown and foreign vodka's can be had for dirt cheap and matching quality to higher end stuff. This is from own experience but the best way to find out is to try some yourself.
For you Rum drinkers out there, try Flor de Cana made in Nicaragua.
- Thread starter
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For rum I prefer Meyers Dark or Bacardi Solera. Vodka on the other hand, for me, doesn't have any distinct flavor characteristics from one vodka to another. For an alcohol to be sold in the U.S. as Vodka, it is to be distilled from either grain or potato a minimum of three times and have no flavor or color. Though there remain some trace "impurities" which could result in flavor distinctions. For me though, the different levels of Vodka are more about how smooth they are. I tend to prefer the potato vodkas such as Chopin & Luksusowa.
When made properly it is essentially a GNS (grain neutral spirit) and should not have a flavor.
I think if you can find Boyd and Blair vodka (I'm very partial to potato vodkas for many reasons) you will be surprised how flavorful it can be.
To answer the question, YES! These are the only two varieties of alcohol that I am partial to. Rum was love at first sip (I was lucky to start with Mt. Gay Extra Old) and vodka took some experimentation to appreciate. I drink both neat or on the rocks, depending on my mood. I would never dream of mixing anything in my cabinet, but my girlfriend doesn't have a problem with it
I have converted lots of whisky, whiskey and cognag drinkers.
Once you had aged rum there is no going back.
http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-6402.aspx
as this was not allowed in competition after taking gold 5 years runing,
they made a black label that took over.
Be carefull, once you had a taste .....
Once you had aged rum there is no going back.
http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-6402.aspx
as this was not allowed in competition after taking gold 5 years runing,
they made a black label that took over.
Be carefull, once you had a taste .....
When I lived in Fla years ago I remember having some vodka made with sugar cane. Couldn't really taste the difference in a mixed drink, but what a nasty headache afterwards.
If its made from sugarcane, then it was more than likely rum.
There SHOULDN'T be any taste to vodka but as I'm sure we all know, there is. A couple of excellent but reasonably priced brands are Titos Vodka (distilled in Austin TX), under $20.00 for a fifth, and Youri Dolgoruki (russian) about $30.00 a fifth. Try either of these neat or mixed, definitely a noticable improvement over the real more common cheap stuff. Admittedly I'm mostly a whisky guy but if I'm drinking rum it's usually Ron Zacapa, about $40.00 a fifth and OUTSTANDING. A true sipping rum.
Or most likely Cachaça. A liquor made from distilled sugar cane. Tastes very similar to vodka. Very popular in Brazil and other South American countries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacha%C3%A7a
A good vodka such as Grey Goose or Belvedere can make a nice smooth drink. I am particularly fond of Grey Goose martinis.
A good vodka will only have the taste of alcohol. A bad vodka will taste like it was run through a dirty sock.
I love vodka.. still trying to get a few brands in my area but am striking out. Shakers Vodka is one. The one I need to try is Grey Heron Vodka.. it is actually produced about 20 minutes away from me and is made from grapes.
