Zyr is one of my all time favorites.
I wasn’t aware that Zyr was limited to select states/cities, but that might explain my surprise at the price you paid for it.
I’ve never spent more than $25 for a bottle. It can almost always be found on sale at one of the towns liquor stores for less than $20 per fifth. At that price there is no better vodka. In my opinion it also beats Grey Goose, Belvedere, Level, and Van Gogh. Which all start at $35 per fifth. It has nearly no burn going down and a minimal aftertaste. Plus, you aren’t paying extra for a name or drink sponsored by celebrities.

I went to my favorite restaurant/martini bar for the first time in at least a year last night, and I had a chance to compare a Tito’s and Zyr martini up with olives. The last time I was there was before I had discovered this forum and didn’t know too much about vodka. I was a die hard Grey Goose fan at the time, and had what had been the tastiest martini ever to that point. Even with some of the better vodkas that I have had since, this bar had made such a great martini that I still recall that Grey Goose martini as being one of the best I had ever had. That said, I really enjoyed last night’s martinis, and had a chance to see just how great a vodka martini could be and how influential the vodka used could be.

First, I had a Zyr martini. The aroma was stunningly sweet and non-alcoholic, with the first sip providing a similar taste sensation. In fact, the flavor was so intense that I thought that maybe a tiny amount of Gin had been added to enhance the sweetness and crispness. Next, I noticed that the martini was very smooth and had essentially no burn when swallowed. Even after drinking most of the cocktail, the surprising sensations persisted and reinforced my initial impression. This was probably the very best martini I’d ever had! Even the Crystal Head martinis that I’ve had, though a bit smoother, could not match the intensity of the flavor and enjoyment of this drink. Since this bar does not carry Crystal Head, I could only imagine how amazing they could prepare a martini with that outstanding vodka.

Next, I had a martini made with Tito’s. I thought that would be an interesting comparison due to the unusual neutrality and smoothness of that brand vodka. By comparison, the aroma was a bit muted and more alcoholic in nature. The flavor of the sip was also muted, and even a bit bitter in a way that reminded me subtly of burnt rubber. This surprised me, because I recall Tito’s having such a neutral flavor in the vodka martinis I had made at home in the past. Finally, I was extremely impressed with the virtual lack of any burn on the swallow. It was even smoother than the Zyr martini. However, it was not nearly as tasty, and had the somewhat unpleasant bitter flavor comparatively. In the end, I would give the nod to the Zyr martini by a fairly large margin. I would also applaud this bar’s staff for knowing how to prepare the tastiest vodka martinis that I’ve ever had. I give them a huge thumbs up! I only wish that they would add Crystal Head to their bar shelves.

This is the BEST russian vodka on the market. I disagree with your rating. This vodka puts all other to shame, and I have tried them all……….
Maybe you should try drinking it again!!

A couple of people I know have said good things about this one, so I tried it. Very clean and smooth going down, very mild burn. However, I did not like the aftertaste. There are other top-shelf vodkas I’d choose over this one, like Chopin.

I also had Zyr for the first time in Vegas while I was living there. I was having dinner one night at Red Square in Mandalay Bay having dinner with some friends and we tried a few of their vodka flights. This was one of twelve vodkas I sampled that night and quickly became my favorite. We sat at the bar for a while before eating for some drinks and caviar. I ordered a flight containing Zyr at the recommendation of the bartender. Everything was good, but this was the one that really stood out. When we went to our table to eat, I ended up ordering a Zyr with 3 ice cubes and a twist of lemon, which is how I always drink my vodka.

Also, I have to recommend the Roquefort Fillet Mignon as well. I’ve eaten there many times and find myself coming back to that quite often. It’s the best entree on the menu there IMO.