The
argument over who actually discovered vodka rages fiercely between Russia and
Poland and even Finland throws its proverbial vodka hat into the ring as well.
But there is no doubt the country that is associated with vodka the most is
Russia.
How many Hollywood
films have highlighted toasts being made with vodka and then promptly the
glasses are smashed against the fireplace. But this culture of making toasts
with the Russian national drink is part of the very culture of the country.
It is said that
the best vodkas have the best water, and many of the favorite brands in Russia
are made from fresh mountain spring water. There are many vodkas sold around
the world but looking for the best you must search for purity and quality, a
good body and of course a good flavor. Above all good vodka does not burn your
throat as you drink it, there should be little or no astringency. Here is a
round-up of some of the best Russian vodkas that you can easily find even
outside Russia.
Russian Standard Gold
The bottle is the
first thing that grabs your attention with this Vodka, as it is certainly what
you would call bling. Standard Gold is made to an old Siberian
recipe and is made out of winter wheat. The vodka includes extracts of ginseng, which bring a
deep caramel flavor to the drink, but one of the most exciting overtones is a
peppery finish. The embossed bottle makes it perfect for a gift, but it is what
is inside it that really counts.
Momont Vodka
Momont Vodka comes
from one of Siberia’s oldest distilleries, and it takes its water from the
springs of the Altai mountain region. And another unique factor to this
vodka is that the Itkul Distillery only uses pure malt in making of this drink.
Just like the
mountainous scenery, this vodka is clean, crisp and has an overall freshness to
it. It too is made from winter wheat but it is also distilled six times,
so the vodka is as smooth as silk. When you first taste the drink, it is
luscious and thick, it fills the whole mouth with flavor. The bottle is quite
intriguing also as it is shaped to resemble the tusk of a mammoth that was
found fossilized in the forests near the distillery.
Moskovskaya Osobaya
Famous for its
plain green label, this bottle looks like an authentic Russian vodka. In fact,
this vodka is one of the very oldest Russian brands and the drink dates back to
the old Empire. The vodka recipe was altered slightly in 1938, and now it is
triple distilled and the liquid undergoes a filtration process no less than
three times.
The resulting
drink is smooth, but has spicy overtones, there are also hints of citrus and a
lingering taste of aniseed. To finish with, the overall taste is creamy and
there is little heat to overpower the delicate flavors. These three vodkas are
uniquely Russian, both in the way they taste and the way there were made. There
is no other nation that put as much attention into making their favorite drink,
and these vodkas are an example of that.
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