Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

PG,

At least that's a valid criticism of the methodology rather than the usual "why didn't you use X" I keep getting. However, I don't think I'm going to take you up on it in future taste tests. I mean, yeah, I could improve things somewhat, but I'm also interested in having a fun night with my friends rather than being so clinical and precise that everyone feels like a lab rat. It's more fun to be sitting around hanging and talking with your buddies while trying things, and if it's no fun, no one will do it.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

ironically i think these results just might validate microbob's gf's insane claim.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Hey man, great trip report!
I alternate Smirnoff and Stolichnaya. This is because they are both cheap. Also they taste good.

In the interests of economizing my alcohol consumption, would anyone like to do an Irish cream comparison? I am using Baileys right now because I just don't know any better.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

ok some thoughts:

How much difference would the flavored vodkas make: ie; Grey Goose Citron.

For someone that hates taking shots straight what are some things I should try? I've found the Grey Goose Citron tolerable, Jager is ok but I haven't drank it in awhile. I'll be trying the Smirnoff after reading this thread.

Ever since an incident at my high school prom involving too many shots of Jose I haven't touched tequila. Just the smell of it will literally make me sick. People keep telling me that the high grade stuff is so much better. If I ever decide to brave tequila again, what would be the best tasting stuff I may like?

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

you hate taking shots straight and you want some that will be easy to do or you want mix shots recommendation.

If you want mix shot recs you should prolly make another thread.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

I took a multi year hiatus from tequila due to similar circumstances, fortunately just at a random party and not a prom. I wouldn't push it; in time the mind forgets and tequila no longer triggers that gag reflex.

Great thread.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Evan Williams = Smirnoff of Bourbon

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Vanilla Stoli for the girls is the way to go. Id also like to see someone do Ciroc, Belvedere and that other grape vodka that the rappers talk about all the time.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Get some friends and go for it.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

I'm looking for straight shot recommendations. Basically I rely on grey goose citron if I want to take a shot and I'm looking to branch out.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Also Finlandia Lime and Smirnoff Lime are both pretty good

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

haha i've been drinking this stuff exclusively for the past 6 months...idk if thats true because i'm not a connoisseur of fine whiskey but i do love it

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Cool. Thanks for doing this and posting it.

I've been kind of busy and indeed never did get around to doing the taste test with my GF although the goal with that one was just whether she could tell the difference between GG, Absolute and Smirnoff. I doubt she's had any of the others. She always just has it with tonic and lime only andd she says she can completely tell the difference.

Interesting that you seemed to side with the NYT article about it. However, the fact that a certain drink wins with the general populace doesn't necessarily mean that it's better. It could also be considered more a commentary on the tastes of the majority with the best example of that I can think of being those old commercials about some terrible beer like Blatz or Schlitz or something winning a blind taste test and also I think there was some other thing where Bud Light won the 1st prize at some beer event.

If you had a blind taste test with the general population I think Boone's wine would end up being very competitive with some incredible vintage that costs $5k+ a bottle or something. That doesn't mean that Boone's is actually as good as the classic vintage. It just means most people don't have very refined taste.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

I get all confused by this supposed misuse of the term 'ironically' but I'm thinking this might be one of those occasions. Regardless, I too think this supports her claim that she can tell the difference in taste when she drinks the stuff with tonic only. I also thought the NYT article itself supported her claim too since the article was specifically referring to the difference in taste between the various brands.

It seemed everyone in Wookie's party could tell the differences in taste since they all had their preference. It wasn't just a 1% of population most highly tuned taste-buds thing that could tell that there were differences.

To me it doesn't seem such a crazy stretch that my GF can tell the difference when it's just mixed with something pretty bland like tonic. I'm thinking everyone else in Wookie's party would be able to tell the difference in taste if they were trying it with just a splash of tonic instead of drinking it straight (especially with enough practice and without completely drowning it in tonic and ice).

Obviously in a giant fruity mix with 17 different liquids involved nobody is likely to be able to tell the difference but I think everyone already agreed on that.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

I bought a bottle of this about a month ago ($20 for a 1 liter) because I saw on a website about how good it was according to vodka snobs. Myself and 2 buddies tried it and compared it to Absolut(the only other we had on hand) and all 3 of us thought Tito's was at least as good if not better than Absolut.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Can we now take an avg vodka and the best vodka and triangle test these with your friends to see if you can pick them out every time? this is pretty important.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

lol at everyone suggesting a refinement using OP's friends. As well as the "ZOMG why didn't you include XXX vodka" there were some good suggestions for improving the process. But OP isn't your lab rat, get your own friends and redo the test with your own methodology and post the TR here. Win-win for everybody.

I'm definitely planning to do something like this, though I'm not sure what drink.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Well done, Wookie. Thanks for sharing. This just further proves the theory that GG is all style, no substance.
This is the best tasting stuff I've ever had. Soooooo smooth imo.
http://www.loscabosguide.com/tequila...io_0860_r2.jpg

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

Well, the NYT test was done by anything but average Joes. The people doing that testing were true connoisseurs who'd seem to be on par with professional wine tasters. For our test, I'd consider myself pretty well versed in the ways of alcohol and of a decent palette even if I'm not as sophisticated as a professional, and there were a couple others there who knew a thing or two about tasting. We also had a couple beer and shots guys, and a girl who only liked the fruitiest of the fruity drinks. And every single one of us ranked Smirnoff in our top 3. I'd say that's a decent-enough cross section of drinkers that one can be pretty well assured of getting a quality product when buying Smirnoff no matter what your preferences, even if there is some variation about one's true favorite from person to person, and there may be a vodka my friends and I all would have preferred that we didn't test. The nice thing about Smirnoff and Monopolowa is that you won't break the bank buying something we all liked.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

i bought Rain based on that same thread... it was honestly comparable to the worst vodka I have ever had in my life

Surprised Smirnoff did so well.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

I tried Ketel One on the rocks a couple weeks ago and REALLY enjoyed it after being prepared to hate it, or at the very least not think much of it. Now I think it's something I might actually order at a bar. There is still no way I order it in a mixed drink, though.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

wookie - Bud Light won some actual contest of professional beer tasters or something IIRC. One expert that a NYT writer selected for his article (and then his own choices too) makes an interesting story but just the two of them is hardly authoritative or definitive.

But, as I said, I do find it interesting that your own conclusions were similar to the two people involved in the NYT article and that your group and the NYT people all rated Smirnoff so well. My GF insists that Smirnoff tastes really lousy to her. Then she tried Absolut at some party and really dug it (and eventually got into Grey Goose).

Regardless, different people have different tastes. And her insistence that she likes Grey Goose better doesn't seem as far-fetched as people previously thought who were claiming, "OMG..nobody can tell the difference in taste anyway!"

On different tastes from different people: she can't drink Dr. Pepper or Root Beer because they are the most foul and disgusting taste she's ever had (according to her) which I find to be really weird.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

I think there were 3 in the NYT article, but that's not really important. Given how much we all disliked Grey Goose, I'd hypothesize that if we take her preference for GG in a blind test as a given, it may be due to either something distinctive in the Smirnoff that she finds unsavory or that she truly likes the rubbing alcohol flavor. You might see what she thinks of Fris or Nikolai, which we rated above GG and cost less but that don't have the flavors we found appealing in the top 3 vodkas.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

1942 is great, but can be rather expensive. in general don julio tequila's are really good though. Anejo>reposado>blanco for the others imo.

Re: Double-Blind Vodka Taste Test
 

She's from South America right?

For a lot of people outside North America root beer tastes like the stuff they add to medicine, so it'd be like us going to a foreign country and drinking something that tastes like Robitussin. Whatever they use to mask the 'tussin is probably tasty so it'd be a good drink but since we've tasted it with the medicine, we'll have bad associations.

I could see it being true for Dr. Pepper as well.