Tasting

For tasting, refrigerator temperature works better than freezer-cold, even though ice-cold is the standard way vodka is drunk in Moscow. The rule of thumb: cold enough to tame fusel notes, but warm enough that aromas still show a bit in the glass. A single small sip from a clean, neutral-smelling glass is often enough for a first impression.

Stolichnaya, originally developed at the Kristall plant, has been the benchmark for decades for a clean, lightly grainy rye vodka with a hint of anise on the finish, at least according to the brand itself. Moskovskaya, the old state-era style from the same distillery, tastes more straightforward and plain, closer to the pure rectified spirit without much embellishment.

Russian Smirnov is made according to the original Moscow recipe and shouldn't be confused with the internationally known Smirnoff. It's marketed on its especially gentle charcoal filtration, a legacy of Pyotr Smirnov's invention from the 1870s. Compared side by side, it shows how differently a pure rectified spirit can taste depending on its filtration level.

Start with the nose: a clean vodka barely smells of alcohol, but rather lightly of grain or bread, with a fine sweetness. A small sip lingers briefly in the mouth before going down. This is exactly where you can tell whether the texture is oily and round or thin and sharp. Color reveals little too, since properly made vodka stays clear and colorless at every quality level.

For comparison, two or three styles side by side work well, each in a small, narrow glass. This concentrates the aromas rather than dispersing them. Between styles, a neutral bite of bread helps reset the palate before the next vodka takes its turn.