Comments On Taaka

1. Erin said on Aug 12, 2008 at 1:33 pm...

   You always say that the bad shooters are "decent [with] mixers". Well, usually you do. Maybe we just have some really overpowering mixers, and the vodkas aren't that great in a cocktail after all! We really need to start using a consistent mixer. I vote that we stock up on Welch's Guava Pineapple.

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2. Jason said on Sep 08, 2008 at 9:40 am...

   Who the hell shoots vodka!???

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3. Tim said on Nov 13, 2008 at 6:39 pm...

   How is Taaka for cooking. Pasta sauces etc? I guess I'll find out because I Just bought a bottle specifically for that. It was the Cheapest Vodka I could find.

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4. fred webster said on Dec 21, 2008 at 12:01 pm...

   I think you kave a great prodcut. I have been using it for quite awhile. The price is right too. Keep on dooing it. MERRY CHRISTMAS

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5. Rob said on Jan 16, 2009 at 7:50 pm...

   Drinking shots is no way to enjoy a premium brand liquor, in my opinion. A better way to test Taaka would be to serve it as you would a martini. That, afterall, is how many gins and vodkas are used.
   
   I will be doing a taste test review on this. Look for it soon, here:
   http://productreviewratings.com

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6. Robert said on Jan 16, 2009 at 8:48 pm...

   @Rob Two things:
   
   1. Calling Taaka a premium brand vodka is absurd. I don't mean to be harsh, but we're talking about a bottom shelf vodka here.
   
   2. When I say I do a shot, I really mean I'm drinking the vodka straight with no mixer. I don't just throw it back. I keep the vodka in my mouth and try to experience it, tasting any subtle flavors or effects. A shot for a review on this site is really like drinking a martini with no olives and no vermouth.
   
   That said, good luck with your review. Taaka is pretty bad no matter how you drink it.

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7. iamclayscholes said on Feb 20, 2009 at 8:11 am...

   this is the best vodka vs value available.
   it's better than most vodkas priced quadruple the price or more.
   try it.
   amazing.
   
   
   cs.

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8. iamclayscholes said on Feb 20, 2009 at 8:19 am...

   better than:
   sky
   sobeski
   svedka
   smirnoff
   
   they're all at least 4 or 5 times more epensive.
   
   cs.

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9. Lym said on Apr 03, 2009 at 7:33 am...

   I bought Taaka last week. I mixed it with orange juice and also Cranberry Juice w/ gingerale. Both were very good. I'd buy it again.

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10. Patrick said on Apr 23, 2009 at 5:04 pm...

    Goodness gracious. I drank half a bottle of this at the Raiders_Jets game last year and it produced the absolute worst hangover I've ever had. My hangover started BEFORE the next morning, more or less around 11pm. This stuff is abysmal. I honestly think my friend hates us for bringing this bottle for us to drink. I told him that I will go to our annual Raiders game next year if he absolutely promises to NOT bring Takka. He agreed. I will be bringing Grey Goose or Ketel.

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11. Robert said on Apr 23, 2009 at 5:25 pm...

    @Patrick, Taaka is one of the top 5 worst vodkas we've reviewed. I'm happy to know you won't put yourself through that experience again. If you don't want to blow a lot of cash, Sobieski or Svedka shouldn't run more than $15 for a 750 mL and are great vodkas. Tito's Handmade Vodka should be around $20 for a 750 mL and it is great. Reviews for those are on the sit if you run a search.
    
    Also, sorry for the confusion with not providing good messaging. I saw you tried to post this a few times but it was waiting for approval. I'll try to fix that bug soon.

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12. Ryan said on Apr 29, 2009 at 7:56 pm...

    I am drinking taaka mixed with cranberry juice as I type this, so I apoligize in advance for any typos. I love taaka. Not because it is quality vodka, but because of the memories it brings with it. It is very affordable, and brings back memories of being 15 and guzzling pint bottles of the stuff with friends. Yaay taaka.

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13. Robert said on Apr 30, 2009 at 7:34 am...

    @Rich, I get the nostalgia thing. Mine would be Skyy, though. There was a lot of Aristocrat getting passed around when I was in college, but I'd rather drink nothing than drink any more of that. However, I was 20 before I started drinking. So, my money constraints were different.

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14. mu0p said on May 16, 2009 at 10:09 pm...

    I must say that taaka is one of my favorite budget vodkas around, for $3.16 I get the medium sized bottle, and just mix in a little water and im good to go, a lot of people complain about the bitter taste, but I think its just right, and for $3.16 I cant complain. Cheers

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15. Robert said on May 17, 2009 at 11:31 am...

    @mu0p, you mix the vodka down with water? Do you drink it straight after that or mix it? What kind of water do you use? I've never heard of doing this before to make cheap vodka palatable. Have you tried the Brita filters to improve the quality? I've done it before and it actually did improve the vodka a little, but not enough that it was worth the time (and money on the filters) to be worth paying a bit less for me. You may find it useful, though, if you tend to go with the low end.
    
    Also, my favorite bottom shelf so far is Don Cossack 100. The 50% alcohol makes it a lot easier to drink than the other 40% bottom shelf vodkas. I haven't tried Don Cossack's 40% version to compare, though.

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16. mu0p said on May 17, 2009 at 1:44 pm...

    Yea i just do about 1/4 and sometimes 1/2 vodka then the rest water and some ice and drink it like that, occasionally ill throw a lime in there too... And I use just any water, from tap to bottled.. I drink all my vodka this way, from cheap to expensive, but the top shelf vodkas ill put alot less water or maybe none at all and just drink on the rocks. To me its the best mixer for vodka around, I've been drinking my vodka like this for about 5 years. A lot of people think right away that its the worst drink ever, but when I give them a sip, and they say "Hey, actually this isn't to bad". I haven't tried filters yet, but im going to give that a go since water is my main mixer for vodka, and im also going to go pick up that vodka you mentioned and see how that goes, and ill tell you how I liked it. Cheers

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17. scwoodCO said on Jul 08, 2009 at 9:48 pm...

    I am no vodka expert but Costco Liquor carries it so I gave it a try. At $8.99 for a 1.75 liter bottle (in Colorado) it was a great deal and also in plastic bottle which is what you need for river trips. I have never been one to drink vodka straight and I didn't start with Taaka. My experience is that the Costco buyers don't mess around with stuff that is totally crap and I mixed Taaka with a variety of juices and think its OK and a very good deal. I also tried the 1.75l bottle of Smirnoff at Costco for 2x the price and with mixer can't much tell the difference

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18. Robert said on Jul 10, 2009 at 1:53 pm...

    Given your circumstances (being on a river trip, mixing the vodka, and keeping it cheap), Taaka isn't a bad choice. There are certainly worse vodkas. Next time you go on that sort of trip and need a big bottle of bottom shelf vodka, see if you can find anything that is 100 proof (50% ABV). The extra alcohol will make it taste better and you get more alcohol content (which translates to having to put less vodka in your drink, or getting drunker on the same amount). I thought Don Cossack 100 was really good for a bottom shelf.

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19. Hollen said on Jul 25, 2009 at 12:42 pm...

    i had a taste test with friends with 4 value priced vodkas and 4 higher end more expensive vodkas. Taaka was the worst in every case, straight, mixed, and shot. 5 out of my 8 friends wouldnt even try it straight after the shot burned like a flame going down our throats and into our bellies. I found all lower priced vodkas to be of much better quality ie Pinnacle, Sobieski, and even Ruskova. Simply stated I will and would not serve Taaka at a party or to my girlfriends at all.
    
    Hollen

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20. hollenj said on Jul 25, 2009 at 12:55 pm...

    i am clayscholes who has posts listed below must work for Taaka vodka. Seriously honey un pinch your nose, purchase some taste buds, and be real. If you want to drown Taaka with strong mixers fine, but to compare it to Skyy, Svedka, etc you shouldnt be blogging at all about vodka. Taaka is 6 bucks for a reason, VALUE, VALUE, VALUE. I am not a fan of Svedka, Skyy, or any others you listed but they are in a completely different sratusphere from Taaka. Like somebody stated below it takes him back to a time when he was 15 looking to get drunk with no money

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21. Robert said on Jul 26, 2009 at 9:02 am...

    I think, even at $6, Taaka isn't much of a value. I think mouthwash is probably a better value.

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22. scwoodCO said on Jul 26, 2009 at 9:12 pm...

    I stand corrected. There was some left from our river trip on the San Juan and tonight for the heck of it I took a swig right from the plastic bottle. It was a truly terrible experience.

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23. Robert said on Jul 27, 2009 at 9:38 am...

    Eeek! That's harsh. I hope it was cold, at least! I'm glad you came around, but not glad that you had to do it that way.

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24. Rob said on Aug 18, 2009 at 2:25 pm...

    Pretty honest and forthright, but you forgot to mention what kind of Martini Taaka makes. I've found that if done properly, Taaka makes a very respectable martini.
    
    http://productreviewratings.com/2009/01/taaka-vs-russian-vodka-brands/

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25. etk_dyl said on Aug 30, 2009 at 3:34 pm...

    Taaka vodka is quite possibly the greatest ever distilled;

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26. APOP said on Oct 11, 2009 at 7:22 pm...

    real men.

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27. Adam said on Oct 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm...

    I think you get a value for your money. Of course you may love some of swedish like absolute or skaay but you have to pay abot 50% more. Amoung a chip vodka I foud it worthy to consider.

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28. Robert said on Oct 26, 2009 at 7:28 am...

    Try Don Cossack 100. It's about the same price and is way better than Taaka. Plus, it's 100 proof. More band for your buck.

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29. Rob & Friends said on Oct 30, 2009 at 4:59 pm...

    We all drink this on a weekly basis and its great. Smooth taste and no harsh aftertaste. We mix and shoot doesn't matter. Probably one of the easiest vodkas we have ever put down. Gets the god damn job done.

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30. Love Taaka said on Jan 03, 2010 at 7:59 pm...

    I definitely love this stuff. It's cheap, gets me drunk. Tastes like the inner thigh of a barn-yard animal. Definitely worth the price

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31. Robert said on Jan 03, 2010 at 8:29 pm...

    I can't argue with that!

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32. Frederick Cole said on Jan 25, 2010 at 2:13 pm...

    Im an avid consumer of Taaka Vodka, I cant stand to mix it with anything..straight on the rocks!! It's definately the REAL bang for your buck!! Literaly.

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33. Matt The Karaoke Guy said on Mar 04, 2010 at 12:01 am...

    This review is "somewhat" biased. It sounds to me like this guy is used to drinking somewhat expensive vodka such as Grey Goose, Ketel One, etc. And while all the facts are there I find a few of those facts just a little tedious, meaning he repeated himself more than he had to about one product, and stated true and valid examples of what his "boys" thought about it, but to give a true opinion or write anything about anything while reviewing a product online means taking the average person you don't know so THEY DON'T GIVE YOU AN OPINION THEY BASE ON BY YOUR OWN DECISION. If I drank 2 buck chuck, I'm sure we all know what that is... Charles Shaw, and told my boys I didn't like it, they would taste it and probably feel the same way about it, if not worse. This more or less boils down to personal opinion. I looked this up tonight before I even had a sip of Taaka because I hate cheap alcohol. Taaka in my opinion is probably THE BEST vodka out there for the price. And what's funny is that of all cheap vodka's out there, the author uses Aristocrat Royal which is one of the best mixers for jungle juice out there! Maybe next time mention something a lot less desirable like "White Wolf" or something that can at least hang with your bullshit, fag review. Taaka I think is the best value vodka for the money. If they raised prices, I would definitely not buy it. It's good for the price, but not great for the hang over. Definitely try it if you're low on money and can't afford a bottle of Grey Goose like Moneybags, the monopoly guy vodka snob who wrote the review above. Jesus... you can't blog or write reviews if you don't know what you're talking about.

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34. Robert said on Mar 04, 2010 at 9:01 am...

    @Matt you probably shouldn't comment if you don't know what you're talking about, either. Why are you getting your panties in a wad over vodka as horrible as Taaka? My first inclination was to delete your comment (rather than have to approve it) because it seemed more like a personal attack, but I'm too vexed to decide if it actually is or you just don't know how to make a valid argument for the vodka on the merits (or lack thereof) of the vodka.
    
    My review: If you want to "drink on a budget" and you are mixing, give Taaka a try.
    
    Your "review": Definitely try it if you're low on money and can't afford a bottle of Grey Goose[.]
    
    Sounds like we came to the same conclusion with different words in front of it. For the record, I don't like Grey Goose. In fact, the only bottle I've purchased was the one for the review.

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35. Dave said on Mar 24, 2010 at 6:37 pm...

    I do like my vodka mixed. TAAKA is great no matter what I've used as a mixer. Great with grapefruit juice. For the price I don't think any other can compare. Keep distilling your grain vodka and I'll keep buying at this great price' Taaka in my language means "that kind"
    

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36. Will said on Apr 13, 2010 at 3:05 pm...

    This stuff is $8 for a handle in Columbia, South Carolina so naturally its the drink of choice for all Freshman at USC.
    
    Unless you carry your worldly possessions in a bandana on a stick, this cleaning fluid is used solely to get blacked out with by mixing with an energy drink before hitting the bars. Absolutely the worst tasting liquor I have ever tried, hands down.

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37. Jim said on Apr 17, 2010 at 11:57 am...

    Taaka makes a great fuzzy navel...........you betcha

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38. zoe condra said on Jun 06, 2010 at 8:32 pm...

    This shit was way better then karkov!!!!!!!!

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39. Rob said on Jun 21, 2010 at 2:10 pm...

    Taaka is definitely not a good vodka to drink straight. However, it makes a reasonable martini, if you like it dirty. Olive juice does a great job of taming that bitterness that hits the mid to back section of your tongue and lingers unpleasantly.
    http://productreviewratings.com/2009/01/taaka-vs-russian-vodka-brands/

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40. K. said on Jul 14, 2010 at 1:15 pm...

    In all fairness, this vodka is not bad at all when chilled. I've tried many of the lower end vodkas and would rank this above most. As for moderately priced vodka, Taaka scores well above Smirnoff and Absolut. I experienced no after taste or burn with the shot, and it mixed great with juices, energy drinks, and Arizona Peach Tea. I would compare it to Sobieski, Svedka or Tenure in terms of quality. Definitely one i'll pick up again as i'm a law student on a budget.

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41. Jadin said on Jul 25, 2010 at 8:09 am...

    I'm drinkin it right now and it's definitely nasty! Worst vodka I've ever had. If you guys want to try a cheap vodka because you're on a budget (this dude right here) then I totally recommend VIP Select. I bought it at Albertson's but I don't know if it's a common brand or not, because I don't see it around other liquor stores. Anyway have fun everyone :>

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42. Jarami said on Jul 30, 2010 at 8:17 pm...

    I understand that some people take their vodka very serious. The hardcore shaken not stirred martini drinkers and those vodka conisoures sure it may not be the cream of the crop. But for someone drinking on a buddget as stated before and for the quantity for the price the quality works. Im pissed I didnt discover taaka earlier. Sometime you just need a buzz and dont want to pay armendell pricess for it so I give taaka three thumbs up besides its like all great things in the world, american. LOL

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43. Zoo said on Aug 01, 2010 at 12:33 pm...

    Laughing out loud! That was too sick and very halarious!

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44. zoocar said on Aug 01, 2010 at 12:50 pm...

    Amazed at this Vodka for it's smoothness.
    
    With the description of vodka on Wikipedia as needing to have no color and no taste to qualify as vodka, this is as close to being purely clear in flavor that I have tasted in the lower priced vodkas. And, rivals much higher priced labels.
    
    Have a few ounces left since I found it working hurricane Ike two years ago in Houston. Actually been treasuring it while I have gone through over a dozen 1.75s since ..mostly for making Kahlua. Looking forward to visiting a friend in Austin where it is also sold and though I live in a motor home with limited space I will surely create room for two cases!
    
    ...may I never have to horde trailing ounces again.
    
    

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45. zoocar said on Aug 01, 2010 at 4:12 pm...

    Rob,
    
    Thank you for the link.
    
    This is an honest review that I enjoyed reading. Some here like Taaka very much and others place it at the bottom of hell. I think one of two things may be the reason.
    
    1) Lower priced goods most certainly can lack quality control and let poor batches slide out the door where premium ones need to protect a premium name. Perhaps some have simply had poor batches while others have been more lucky.
    
    2) Many in our society get a thrill out of trashing just about anything for any reason and easily overstate flaws of 10% to make them appear to be more like 60-80%. This is common and always a lame attempt at a temporary ego boost. When people can only trash, over sharing at least some respect and balance I usually disregard their opinion.
    
    Once, long ago, my cheap ego cover was blown while telling a girlfriend off and she simply replied to my 100% negative rant with, "Now say something nice." Wow, I saw it right then. She had me. Nothing is all bad and when people rant in an all negative way, they are simply working an agenda. Everything has value, nothing, is "all bad".
    
    Taaka is not "shit" as some would want you to believe. For bottom shelf, it is my favorite. I do not test taste test cold, but at room temp where taste buds remain alive and nothing is hidden. I am mostly a hand crafted Ale drinker and do not waste my time with anything that is not bottle conditioned. Sierra Nevada Torpedo is a current favorite. This being said, even Bud can taste somewhat palatable at 30 degrees on a 110 degree day.
    
    If you only want to make love to a woman in the dark, so be it. But keeping her covered until the lights go out is like vodka from the freezer. Lights on, how sweet does she remain? I wish upon no woman a paunch as mine! ..but lets not let "chill" or mitigate the truth.
    
    When it comes to vodka, I make and drink a lot of home made Kahlua. How more masked can you get?! You would think heavy amounts of coffee, sugar and vanilla would mask almost anything. Well, even with this it just so happens that each ingredient counts to add up to a sum total. I have found that using organic sugar (from WalMart) mixed with about equal proportions of brown makes a big difference in depth and smoothness while brewed coffee is simply too smooth and there is an important edge that comes from instant and probably why so many recipes call for instant.
    
    I have killed many friends with home made White Russians (...OK, they did resume life the next day) This mix over rocks with a splash of 1/2 & 1/2 and bumping them with some extra vodka, they often describe as smooth as a milk shake, and has been many of their near to last words for the night.
    
    Mix:
    2 1/2 C water; 2/3 C instant coffee; and 1 C of quality sugar until it is all dissolved in slightly boiling water. Add to a mix of about a Tablespoon or so of vanilla in a 1.75 liter bottle filled half way with vodka. Shake and consume with out need for delay. (there was this whole needless vanilla bean wait a month recipe years back)
    
    In any mix of any drink or food, all ingredients count and have an effect. But just as your honest review and description portrays, these differences can be minuscule.
    
    With bulk (bottom shelf) vodka being used for creating home made Kahlua there is a big difference with how stoned you can get a friend with the vodka you use. (note; this is not a date r@pe thing, I just smile at facilitating all friends who are on a self chosen preordained path!)
    
    I have not tried Robert's suggestion of Don Cossack 100. I appreciate his suggestion and will look for it in my travels around the country; always open to a fun, tasty, and at least somewhat economical high!
    
    Most vodka I have tried has very defined limits, and bitter tastes come to forefront when the alcohol envelope is pushed to the extreme.
    
    I do not find this problem with Taaka.
    
    "Buzz on, buzz off"
    -Chen Wangting, Shaolin Master 1580–1660

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46. jackson feely said on Aug 04, 2010 at 5:04 pm...

    A wonderful distill. With a note of winterberries and a smooth down note. best enjoyed on a cube, or shaved (ice). charming. enjoyable.

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