Vodka Review: Dukes Sweet Vodka by VodkaBuzz
- Rating
- out of 5 shots
- Bang For The Buck
- 5 out of 5 shots
- User Rating
-
5.0000 out of 5 shots
- Rate It Now!
- Average Price
- $12.99 per 750 mL / See By State / You add a price you've seen if you join VodkaBuzz.
- Percent Alcohol
- 40
- Distilled From
- Grain
- Times Distilled
- 4
- Other Processes
- Sugar infused
- Produced By
- Global Spirits Company
- Website
- Dukes Sweet Vodka
- Cap Type
- Plastic Screw On
Identifying Features
Gray label with red highlights. The neck is wrapped in a black label with silver swirl patterns.
Written on the Bottle
Dukes Sweet Vodka infused with sugar. Premium four times distilled.
Sweet Recipes
"Dukes with Wings"
1.5oz Dukes Sweet
Fill with energy drink
"Dukes on the Beach"
1.5oz Dukes Sweet
.5oz Peach Schnapps
Fill with 1/2 cranberry and 1/2 orange juice, then garnish with orange slice
Review
Dukes makes a variety of interesting sweet vodkas. Dukes Sweet vodka is vodka infused with sugar. At 40% alcohol by volume, this vodka makes no compromises for the flavor.
The Shot
Dukes Sweet vodka is of course sweet. I don't mean sweet like subtle vodka sweet. I mean screamingly sweet. After sitting in the freezer, the vodka is syrupy due to the amount of sugar. In fact, there is very little vodka flavor at all. There is a very mild bitter flavor when swallowing, but the sugar left over covers everything up. Dukes Sweet vodka is like drinking a mix drink without having to worry about the mixer.
The Mixed Drink
With flavored vodkas, the key is finding the right mixture to create a synergy. Dukes Sweet vodka is unique because the flavor is sugar, rather than a particular flavor. So, I tried several different mixers at a 1 to 1 mixture.
My first thought was that greyhound (Dukes Sweet with Simply Grapefruit juice in this case) would be great because the bitters would counter the sweet, making an interesting middle ground. Instead, it tasted only slightly less bitter than a normal greyhound. It was good if you enjoy greyhounds, but they aren't my favorite.
The second round was Simply Lemonade. Simply Lemonade is very sweet. Dukes Sweet vodka blended very well with the mixer, creating something very palatable and different than my normal mixed drinks. If you like really sweet mixed drinks, this is a really good combination.
Next, I tried a Simply Orange screw driver. The mix was interesting. The orange juice actually came off bitter compared to the vodka. When I get past the odd bitter flavors, it's manageable. Orange juice isn't the best mixer, but it'll get you by in a scratch.
Finally, I tried Sugar Free Amp. The mix was very bitter. If you're going for an energy drink, a Red Bull might be better choice and is more than likely more readily available.
Fortunately, the Dukes website has a ton of mixed drinks that you may enjoy. Given that Dukes Sweet vodka is so unique, you may be better off tailoring your mixers to the vodka than trying to tailor the vodka to to the mixers.
Opinions
Erin had both the Simply Lemonade and the Simply Grapefruit. She liked the greyhound the best. The Simply Lemonade mix came across too sweet for her. She said Dukes Sweet helped tone down the bitterness of the juice and made for a good cocktail.
Daniel said it was good. He noticed the sweet flavor first, which is different from the norm. He thought there wasn't much burn, and the aftertaste covered everything up. He said it was tasty, but he didn't know if he could drink a great deal of it since it was like drinking a "coke vodka." It'd be great, he said, as a random shot, but he wouldn't want to drink it all night.
Dukes Sweet vodka is a different take on flavored vodka. After spending some time with the vodka, I think there's no point in fooling around with mixers. With such an palatable flavor right out of the bottle, Dukes Sweet vodka straight up in a glass is wonderful for sipping. Mixing it just takes away from the naturally enjoyable flavor.

Comments On Dukes Sweet Vodka
J. BEACH said on Mar 30, 2009 at 7:44 am...
A GREAT SIPPING VODKA, VERY MUCH LIKE A GOOD BRANDY... SMOOTH~~~ AND WARMING... GREAT TASTE....
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jessicavancuren said on Mar 30, 2009 at 10:15 am...
This vodka is amazing for shots. I'm so tired of paying for shots that have mixers in them, finally this is a vodka that doesn't need mixers. I give all DUKES vodka flavors a 10 out of 10. They're innovative, scrumptious and blend with every occasion.
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gibbskory said on Mar 30, 2009 at 10:24 am...
I enjoy Dukes Sweet Vodka best straight from the freezer into a shot glass or over ice with a fresh squeeze of lemon and club soda (like a fizzy hard lemonade!). I also made some particularly good jello shots with Dukes (used Cherry Jello mix).
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Robert said on Mar 30, 2009 at 11:57 am...
@jessicavancuren, I agree fully about the shots. If I see Dukes at a bar, I know what I'm drinking. BTW, it looks like there is a bug with apostrophes that I need to clear up. I pulled the slashes out of your comment until I can fix the actual code.
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Robert said on Mar 30, 2009 at 11:57 am...
@gibbskory, Jello shots are a great idea! Wish I would have thought of that.
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J-BIRD said on Mar 31, 2009 at 2:15 pm...
found this stuff the other day.
strongest, cheapest, best tasting vokda i've found. I think their sweet tea vokda is better than fireflys and its cheaper.
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Robert said on Mar 31, 2009 at 2:21 pm...
@J-Bird, the full 80 proof is definitely a big selling point for me. We'll be posting our Dukes Sweet T review in a couple weeks.
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Jonathan said on Mar 31, 2009 at 3:07 pm...
Wow this vodka is great! Its amazing how smooth this vodka is in shots and it's 80 proof. I made some Dukes with Wings the other day adding Redbull and everyone at my party loved it.
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Rogerdodger said on Mar 31, 2009 at 6:56 pm...
I can't believe no one has come up with this before. Vodka Mojitos, Lemon Drops, ice picks, it all sounds sweet to me...
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Shell said on Mar 31, 2009 at 7:33 pm...
This Vodka is Awesome!! I have been mixing it with Everything.
My girlfriends and I Love:
Sweet Vodka and Fresh Brewed Tea-it makes the Perfect Sweet Tea Drink by the pool and Sweet Vodka and Rootbeer...a Great After Dinner Drink...Yummy!!
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Gosue said on Mar 31, 2009 at 8:02 pm...
Dukes vodka is the sweetest vodka out there. Absolutely awesome however you drink it, whether its straight up or mixed. Not having to pay for mixes and their low prices is even sweeter!
Long Live The Dukes!
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Amanda said on Apr 06, 2009 at 6:41 pm...
Dukes is sooo good! You don't even need a mixer with it. And I'm so glad that someone's finally created a liquor that tastes good with sweet tea! This is way better than that Firefly crap.
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Robert said on Apr 06, 2009 at 7:44 pm...
@Amanda, The Dukes Sweet T vodka will be up in a week. Make sure to check back in then! I'm hoping to do a sweet tea vodka shoot out in the next couple weeks, as well.
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