Vodka Review: Imperia by

Rating
5 out of 5 shots
Bang For The Buck
3 out of 5 shots
User Rating
4.7143 out of 5 shots
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Average Price
$26.99 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
8
Other Processes
Quartz filtered twice
Produced By
Roust Group
Imported By
Remy Cointreau Inc
Website
Imperia
Cap Type
Plastic Screw On

Identifying Features

Hexagonal bottle, with raised symbols on five of the six sides. A dark red cap adorns the top of the bottle.

Written on the Bottle

The vodka you hold was first created in 1894 in the city of St Petersburg. There, by Imperial decree, the brilliant scientist Mendeleeve prepared the most luxurious of vodkas from the finest winter wheat, the softest glacial waters, and for extraordinary smoothness and clarity, filtered through quartz crystals from the Ural Mountains. From that original recipe comes Imperia, Russia's finest vodka. Imeria. Russia's luxury gift to the world.

Review

I've seen Imperia on the shelves for awhile, but didn't pick it up since I'm usually a creature of habit. However, since I needed a new vodka to review, I decided to give it a shot. I grabbed it over other bottles because the shape has a very Russian feel, and has raised symbols on the various on five sides of the hexagon. That is, it caught my eye.

Imperia is actually a subset of Russian Standard vodka. It is the highest quality (or most expensive, if you'd rather) of the Russian Standard vodka. The Roust Group says Russian Standard is the number one selling vodka in Russia. I have no way of determining if this is true, however. The Roust Group is known for recently purchasing vodka.com for $3 million.

The Shot

Imperia, which touts its Russian heritage to the time of the Czars, tastes much like Stoli but with a higher quality. The bitter sweet flavors go down smooth and leave the same distinctive aftertaste. The difference in quality is noticeable, though, as Imperia has less of a sting and is slightly more sweet than bitter.

The Mixed Drink

I mixed Imperia with Sugar Free Rockstar. Imperia is an incredibly good mixer. It blends well with the mixer and is only slightly detectable on the way down.

Opinions

Once again, I was on my own with this review. Imperia is a great Russsian vodka. It's a good shooter and a great mixer. The bottle is sure to garner attention sitting on your shelf. If you like Russian vodkas, pick up a bottle if you get a chance. You won't be disappointed.

The Day After

Imperia makes claims on their site that they have fewer impurities than many other brand name vodkas and that this directly affects hangovers (or lack there of). After having a long night with the bottle of Imperia, at least in this instance, my hangover was very mild for the amount of alcohol I consumed.

Comments On Imperia

  1. Josh said on Nov 14, 2008 at 12:28 am...

    By far my favorite vodka to date. Hardly noticeable in whatever you mix it with (my favorite for it is a touch of tonic and a lime wedge) and great for shots. One of the few that hardly ever gives me a hangover in the morning.

    Reply to This

  2. stmrtn said on Apr 18, 2009 at 4:35 pm...

    Once again I tried a reviewed Vodka and was blown away by the taste. It is superb.
    I keep one good bottle in the freezer for a shot and this is as good as Tito's...
    Thanks again VodkaBuzz

    Reply to This

  3. Robert said on Apr 20, 2009 at 7:40 am...

    @stmrtn, the Russian Standard Original review should be up in about a month. It's the same vodka as Imperia, just lacking silver / quartz filtering. If you want to trying something as good, but cheaper, Russian Standard Original try that.

    Reply to This

  4. Wes said on Jun 15, 2009 at 5:32 pm...

    Great vodka. My local Trader Joes carries it in 1.75 liters for $29.99. That is equal $12.85 per 750ml. Beat that!! Very, very worth it.

    Reply to This

  5. Louis said on Jul 21, 2009 at 10:19 pm...

    Well I just got back from Costco and there was Imperia 750ml bottles for under $10 before tax. Will be picking up a few bottles first thing in the morning. Would have picked it up then but wanted to make sure this was a huge bargain.

    Reply to This

  6. Robert said on Jul 22, 2009 at 7:19 am...

    Under $10 per bottle is a GREAT bargain! That's a good 2-for-1. Stock up!

    Reply to This

  7. Mark said on Aug 14, 2009 at 9:24 pm...

    I agree with the other posts that allude to the minimal amount of head-knocking one experiences when waking up in the morning after a long night with this bottle. Imperia is so good you'll make a Bloody Mary first thing just for the taste of it....

    Reply to This

  8. Ed P. said on Sep 17, 2009 at 12:21 pm...

    Imperia: simply put, the best vodka I've ever tried.

    Reply to This

  9. gordy litster said on Apr 02, 2010 at 7:13 pm...

    I purchased Imperia Vodka at Costco, LaQuinta, California for $6.97, which I thought was a very good price. Costco no longer stocks Imperia. Would you be kind enough to tell me how I can buy more.......I would purchase minimum of three cases.
    Thanks,
    Gordy

    Reply to This

  10. JoSIZZLE said on Jul 06, 2010 at 1:06 pm...

    I purchased the biggest bottle of Imperia Russian Vodka for my 4th of July BBQ and it was a big hit... The taste is so smooth you forget you are drinking vodka

    Needless to say I let the Goose fly away and I'm now housing Imperia... ttyl

    Reply to This

  11. Mitchell said on Aug 25, 2010 at 8:38 pm...

    The best vodka I've found at any price. Imperia is one of only two vodkas I don't mix with anything. If you want a 'mixer' try a less-perfect vodka. Imperia is as good as it gets; drink it straight. My other 'no-mix' vodka is the low-priced Sobieski; it's clearly a step below Imperia, and yet it's better than 99% of the stuff out there.

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  12. bomber420 said on Sep 24, 2010 at 12:35 pm...

    Sobieski is probably what they filtered out of Imperia.One of the worst hangovers I ever had was from
    Sobieski.Nothing on the bottle anywhere on how many times it is distilled,probably once.

    Reply to This

  13. Red_Spartan said on Oct 19, 2010 at 7:17 pm...

    I wish I had words to describe the love I have for this superior vodka. I live in pennsylvania, and they only carry it for a few months out of the year, so when I have the money I actually pay the state store to import it for me. It is the best, most luxurious vodka ever made. I love russian vodkas, so obviously I'm gonna love the most smooth, tasty, best buzz ever supplied to the public. If you love vodka, consider yourself a connoisseur of anything premium vodka, then you will love Imperia. Of course I'm writing this as I'm enjoying Imperia, just after close to 3 months without it. Soon as I opened the bottle and consumed my first drink, I fell in love all over again.

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  14. taffyg2003 said on Jun 12, 2011 at 3:09 pm...

    I keep seeing this on the shelf in my local liquor store, and have considered trying it. Like some of the "cheaper" vodkas, this premium brand is also available in single serving 50 ml bottles. I am tempted to buy 2 of these miniature bottles in order to make a martini to see just how great this vodka is without investing an entire 750 ml bottle.

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  15. Bob Morris said on Jun 13, 2011 at 9:03 pm...

    Are you the Gordy Litster that I used to work with at General Adjustment Bureau in Rochester, NY?

    Reply to This

  16. Jonathan Marsh said on Jun 28, 2011 at 1:12 am...

    Jeez, I wish I had access to this ... I live in South Africa and have limited access to good vodka. My sister went to Russia a while back and got me a bottle of Russian Standard and that was amazing. I would love to try Imperia.

    Reply to This

  17. kayuh said on Sep 28, 2011 at 9:09 pm...

    Other than Ukrainian Khortytsa vodka, this is my favorite. Like Khortytsa, Imperia is a super sipping vodka at room temperature.

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  18. loudmouthmoose said on Nov 19, 2011 at 6:23 pm...

    The ONLY complaint I have about this vodka, is that I was drinking it in screwdriver mixed drinks, and ended up drinking more than I ought to have, simply because it mixed so well. I also found this to be a very attractive bottle for placement on the bar.

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  19. taffyg2003 said on Jan 25, 2012 at 4:23 pm...

    I should have purchased a couple of the single shot bottles when I had seen them last summer. I haven't seen them since, and I do not want to spend the premium on a 750ml bottle just to give it a try.

    Reply to This

  20. Robert said on Jan 25, 2012 at 6:16 pm...

    I don't think you'll be disappointed, if that helps ;)

    Reply to This

  21. taffyg2003 said on Jan 27, 2012 at 3:32 pm...

    I am sure that I will like it. It seems that the good Russian vodkas never fail to impress.

    Reply to This

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