Few vodkas are as ubiquitous as Absolut Vodka. Launched in 1970’s, Absolut was a bit of a marketing gimmick thanks to it’s transparent bottle. While this has become more commonplace, the actual product inside still depends on the use of Swedish wheat, water, and process to make. While we know their upper end Absolut Elyx is excellent, does their base product merit attention?
Absolut Vodka
Sight: Clear.
Smell: There’s a nice touch of vanillin and grain notes that starts out, before pulling in a bit of ethanol. The nose is a little more yeasty than one might expect.
Sip: A moderate to heavy mouthfeel, it’s just short of coating in it’s character. It’s a little short of smooth as well, hinging into prickly without feeling hot. The notes of grain lead off, adding in a bit of alcohol and grain mash notes. The smallest hint of vanillin can be noticed peaking around the edges.
Savor: The end is again, mildly evaporative and prickly, leaving a slightly dried character and notes of grain on the finish.
Absolut Vodka is completely fine. Not great, not bad, just fine. That’s ok though, it doesn’t need to be exceptional on it’s own. In this price point, there aren’t a lot of vodkas that you’re going to want to sit back and enjoy neat or with an ice cube. Absolut Vodka would probably be fine that way, but it’s better in a cocktail.
In Cocktails
Absolut is priced and flavored in a way that makes us happy to utilize it our vodka cocktails. The reason has more to do with the lack of flavors and more to do with the texture. The moderate to heavy mouthfeel is useful in building drinks without adding more alcohol, and it doesn’t change the finished product. Unlike a rice or rye based vodka, there’s very little in the way of additional characteristics to interfere. The dilution and cold helps with the rougher edges, and in all but the most spiritous cocktails, it’s hard to notice. Bear in mind, it’s not bad, but we are inclined to splurge and step up the ladder for Absolut Elyx for spirit forward drinks like the Martini and Vesper where there is very little to hide behind.
Absolut Vodka Overall
We go with Absolut Vodka as our bar’s standard vodka based on the affordability, clean flavor, and the perceived mouthfeel elements. Absolut works very well in most cocktails, and is part of our recommended bottles for starting a home bar. That said, if you wanted to splurge a little, consider Absolut’s higher end offering Absolut Elyx for a smoother, more refined choice.