I completely agree with your tasting notes. Russian Standard Vodka (original) is a very clean vodka. Perfect for martinis. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to my next martini with it. Also, this vodka is very transparent – perfect for mixers. I haven’t tried the others; Imperia and Platinum. I can’t imagine them being worth the extra cost. Also, I agree with Ben…there doesn’t seem to be as much pepper to this one as some of the others in the same price range. I just can’t see paying good money for a 750ml of either Stoli or Russian Standard. Get the 1.75 Liter for $25.00 and enjoy it a while.

This bottle is what got me loving vodka. This one right here. My second bottle, and the only one I’ll ever need.

Being that my preferred drink is a vodka soda with a twist of lime, Russian Standard is an awesome choice for a reasonably priced night out.. The lime twist easily enhances the clean taste and the club soda provides an enhancement that carries the slight bitterness of the vodka away on fizzy bubbles.

I have seen Russian Standard, Russian Platinum, and Imperia on the local liquor store shelves, and it always seems odd that the Platinum version is only about $2.00 more per fifth than Standard. I haven’t seen many Platinum reviews, but I am tempted to buy a bottle to compare it to Standard to determine if the distiller’s claim that silver filtration creates a smoother beverage. The much more expensive Imperia, on the other hand, seems to be made from a different recipe and uses quartz filtration instead. Crystal Head, which is amazingly smooth, utilizes quartz filtration, as well, so I am intrigued. A good-better-best Russian Standard vodka tasting flight could make for a very entertaining evening, indeed.

Is this review about the regular, gold or platinum version of Russian Standard? “Original” in the title means it refers to the regular one?
In that case, aren’t the gold and the platinum versions supposed to be better?

Awesome Vodka. Drink it on the rocks or up with a twist

This drink ruins lives.

I also love Tito’s but this vodka is so good it’s scary…
I only drink a shot right of the freezer when I,m in the mood, I love this Vodka.

Had this tonight, on the rocks, no olive or twist but I did have a cigar with it so my palate might have been a bit off.
Great vodka for the money, I wish I had known about this vodka before I bought my latest bottle, Titos, I would not have bothered but gone with this instead.
This was great! Can’t believe how nice it went down, I did not experience any bite or aftertaste, very good. I can see mixing it as I am sure it might be even better but I drink all my whisky and vodkas on the rocks or sometimes a vodka martini.
Just my .02 but this is worthy of a taste or two for those of you that really enjoy vodka, I can’t wait for when its time to get a new bottle of vodka.

My wife bought me a bottle of Russian Standard Original a few weeks ago. I had never heard of it previously. At the same time, she bought my Belvedere and a bottle of Kahlua.

Tried it first as a chilled shot. Not watered down by ice, chilled in the freezer for an hour. A bite? Yes. But not that bad.

Then tried it as a Black Russian. I like mine actually to be a brown Russian. I don’t like that much Kahlua. The mix worked very well. Then came the martini (not the same night!)Wife made it, using way too much vermouth. Not good. I made one with just 3 or 4 drops of M&R dry, and it was not bad at all. Yes, I prefer Belve, made with rye over Russian Standard made with wheat. But saving $10 a bottle is worth it for my everyday vodka.

And referencing the poster who drank half a bottle in one night. No headache or stomach pains the next morning is a good tribute to the quality of this vodka. And the fact I put it in the freezer and it just got cold – it did not freeze. I put a bottle of Smirnoff in the freezer and it was filled with ice the next day! So this really is quality vodka.

This is a very, very good vodka. I tend to think it’s slightly easier on you than the flagship of its line, Imperia, but both of them are better, in terms of purity, than Absolut, Belvedere, GG, etc. And I don’t mean it doesn’t burn a bit in your mouth, because it does; I think all Russian vodkas do. It’s just much easier on your innards once it gets there.

This vodka reminds me of sipping a “soft” vodka. It stings but soothes as I drink it. I really appreciated the lack of taste, as some premier vodkas remind me of drinking rubbing alcohol.

Russian Standard Vodka (have paid $26-29 for 1.75liters) is the smoothest vodka I have ever had in my life. After pouring a shot into a small shot glass,you can sniff the vodka and notice that there is little to no burning sensation in your nose. After downing the first shot you will not notice that alcohol of any kind was in your mouth until it hits your throat with a gentle burn. It just goes down like “water” or as the Russians say “Vada” Other noteable brands that I enjoy are: 2nd place= Cristal(Russian vodka),3rd place=Stolichnya(Russian vodka)

If you are on a limited budget and are looking for a cheap vodka ($13-14 for 750ml) then I would only buy Svedka.It is a Swedish vodka and it runs circles around any budget brand including Smirnoff(and any other paint-thinner-esque vodkas)LOL.
Svedka tricks one into believing that one is drinking an expensive brand of vodka without paying a premium price!

Russian Standard is pretty good for the price; mixes well and goes down smoothly. If you can afford to go up a notch (and can find it) though, try Imperia. Simply the best.

I love this stuff. I first bought it on a whim about a year ago, and I’ve gone back to it ever since. This is very, very good vodka, and it’s moderately priced (at least, it’s a lot less than Belvedere, Grey Goose, etc.).

I typically drink this straight, either as an ice-cold shot, or sipped cold. It has virtually no smell at all – it’s kind of uncanny, actually. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was water. It’s very smooth, and is one of the very few vodkas I can drink at room temperature without needing a chaser (although it’s still best served chilled). There is little burn, especially if you shoot it. Sipping it, there’s a minor burn, but what can you expect at 80 proof?

The flavor is one of the more complex of the vodkas I’ve tried. It manages to be silky smooth, and yet it carries a lot of subtle fruit overtones – citrus and grape stand out for me. There’s a faintly metallic quality in the flavor as well, but I don’t find that unpleasant personally. It does have an aftertaste as well, but it’s very neutral – not at all unpleasant.

It should also be noted that I have had very mild hangovers when I’ve limited myself to just this vodka, and some light beer. I’m not sure if this is just coincidence, but I’ve gotten pretty wasted off this stuff and woken up feeling much better than I should have.

Also – since the Russian Standard Platinum vodka isn’t listed on this site, I’ll add a few words about it as well. For sipping, I actually prefer the Russian Standard Original, as its flavor is more complex. The Platinum version isn’t a terribly interesting vodka for sipping, and it seems a bit sharper than the Original. But for shots, the Platinum is bar-none the smoothest vodka I’ve ever had. It’s like taking a shot of butter – no burn whatsoever, and a very clean flavor.

I give Russian Standard five stars, considering flavor as well as price. This vodka could definitely cost more than it does, and in my opinion it’s head and shoulders above a lot of the so-called “top shelf” (i.e. top price) vodkas.

Got a bottle of this bought by a friend for my birthday. Third vodka I’ve tried (the other two being Smirnoff Red Label and some horrific bottled foulness called Tzarevitch, Australian bottled, maybe distilled as well trash) and I must say I’m quite pleased. Maybe a couple of dollars more than the other two ($32 Aus) and definitely of a higher quality.

Just chiming in with some positive words for Russki Standart. It is a very palatable vodka and a quality product too. It does start with a bit of a bite but it goes down smooth. The consequences of over-indulgence are also minimal.

Consumed Russian style – at room temperature, in shot glasses, with sliced pickles, shallots, some salami, rye bread and other little snacks – it’s a real treat. It is very easy to drink until the bottle is empty, or until you and your friends have fallen asleep heads down on the table after lots of singing, eating and laughing.

After seeing the good reviews on here and seeing all the big billboards around advertising this lately, I had to try this one. I’ve tried it, and I’m impressed. It has some bite, for sure, but this is a very good Russian vodka for a very reasonable price. I’d say Robert’s review is spot on in the way I would describe it myself, same with the reviews of all the other vodkas I’ve tried on here so far. I have a feeling our taste in vodka is very similar. ;)

After some contemplation on how to make a better vodka martini, I decided to pick up a bottle of Russian Standard. The hope was that Russian vodka, which tends to have a strong flavor, could help to cover up the picked flavor of the cocktail’s vermouth.

The initial flavor is bittersweet; definitely not wimpy, but also not overbearing. As the sip coated my tongue, it seemed pretty smooth and easy to drink. The swallow did have a mild burn, but it lent a cooling effect to the drink that was pleasurable. There was a very mild peppery aftertaste, but it did not detract from the overall enjoyable experience. One thing that was noticeable, was that the vodka’s assertive flavor masked the somewhat unpleasant vermouth flavor in the the martini in a way that was almost as effective as gin, but without gin’s detracting juniper accent.

In drinking this vodka, I quickly realized the Russian connection: a strong bittersweet flavor that is smooth, but with a mild bite on swallowing. Compared to Stoli, Russian Standard has a more mellow and balanced flavor, is smoother, and has less bite, and is clearly the superior brand. Although Crystal Head’s nice flavor is a little less effective at masking the vermouth, I still prefer it due to its supreme smoothness and lack of bite. Tito’ Handmade’s totally neutral flavor does little to mask the vermouth so it makes a less tasty martini, but its Crystal Head-like smoothness and nearly Crystal Head-like minimal bite offers a slight advantage in a martini overall to Russian Standard’s excellent vodka. In the end, I would place it third, just barely behind Tito’s Handmade, in my list of rated vodkas.

I really like this Vodka . It has a bit of a smooth bite but goes down very well . I usually drink Svedka and now purchase Russian standard when i see it .

One strange note I have had several styes in one eye that lay dormant for a long time . Every time I drink R.S. they get red and slightly irritated . I still really like this vodka . I may try the Imperia soon as well .

I just drank a half a bottle of this stuff tonight. I love it! I usually drink 360, but I enjoy the bight and the grain after taste of this vodka. I actually liked it more than the Imperia that I tried last week. Too each is own!

I’m actually drinking Russian Standard right now mixed with a little Simply Lemonade. Makes for a very nice drink. Russian Standard is definitely among the list of vodkas I enjoy.

I’ve tried several vodkas most of them made here in the United States and being quite bitter with a burning sensation and not much of anything else.

Not the case with this vodka. This vodka is very smooth and has a nice aroma from the bottle that has a gentle note of wheat. I tried it at room temp as soon as I got home from the store. As I let it rest in my mouth it had a slight warming sensation and a gentle note of wheat. Once I swallowed it went down nicely with a little bit of warmth and very little bitterness. The flavor was nice with a touch of sweetness and notes of wheat and citrus. It had a very nice finish of sweet cedar, with navel orange and a touch of wheat that seemed to linger for a while.

In a mixed drink the flavor of the vodka was noticeable but not obtrusive like my experience with Grey Goose. It mixed very well with any mixer I used and added just a touch of wheat to the flavor along with the standard flavors you find with quality Russian vodka.

This vodka is so smooth I see why they call it Russia Standard and why Russia is THE PLACE to look for quality vodka. I could drink this all day, but that wouldn’t be healthy for me (LOL) so I’ll just keep it at 1 drink a day and at $16.50 per 750ml bottle I’ll keep this as my vodka of choice. Cheers to Russia for the technique of producing exquisite vodka.

Speak of the devil, I just tried this ($19.99 for 750mL). I liked it.

However, drinking it wasn’t enough. I had to get a bottle of Stoli ($22.99 for 750mL) as well and settle the dispute once and for all. Which Russian vodka wins for around $20? Well, the results were… inconslusive. (As always it seems for me.) Stoli had a more noticable peppery bitter flavor up-front and it stayed consistent on the way down. Not too much heat. Russian Standard seemed more muted until after the swallow. Some bitterness and very noticable warmth from it. I like both of them. I suppose if I want to notice the flavor more, I’d go with Stoli, and if I wanted the extra warm fuzzy feeling in my chest, RS. At over $1 a shot, I prefer to leave the mixing to less expensive brands. (Why… HELLO Sobieski!)