YUK. This vodka is for high schoolers at best or inexperienced drinkers who don’t know any better. It has a harsh taste – not smooth at all – and you can taste the bitterness no matter what you mix it with. Even in the flavored varieties you can’t get past the bad taste. Plus it gives you a horrid hangover. I recommend svedka skyy or ketel one instead – give them a try for a better quality vodka.

Has a buttery sweet burn flavour, which is not a true vodka. With this Absolut you can taste all the crap that’s left behind and going to make your head hurt in the morning. You pay for advertising not quality. Good vodka has no impurities and there’s not much hangover. It doesn’t have to be expensive to be good.

It’s been a long time since I’ve had Absolut, but I was quite surprised by the negative reviews here.

So I recently tried it again in an impromptu head-to-head against Stolichnaya (one of the “old” bottles that still claim it to be a product of Russia, not Latvia). And as it should be for a serious tasting, I sipped small quantities at a little less than room temperature.

Frankly, I liked it. It’s not an entirely “transparent” vodka, but I never understood the idea of vodkas being taste-free ethanol and water anyway. Absolut has a bit more burn than Stolichnaya and a slightly more bitter aftertaste, but both effects are quite short-lived (I’ve had my share of Eastern European moonshine spirits, so I know what a *real* burn is like…). Absolut’s got its own character that I would describe as slightly “sparkling”, and that includes both sweet and bitter notes. In fact, I found Stolichnaya to be fairly dull in this comparison, but that’s probably what makes it a better choice for a well-chilled Vodka Martini.

Marketing hype? Sure. Overpriced? Well, it’s not that expensive where I am. A good vodka? I do think so.

Absolut is a mid-range vodka in my opinion. When chilled, I find it has a neutral body with medium bite, and although the burn becomes slightly unpleasant on the swallow it doesn’t linger. Would be good if it were cheaper, but it can’t justify it’s premium price.

Bought it overseas ($11/ 1L was too good to pass up), and tried at room temperature. Mixed, it was an acceptable vodka. Straight (I never put my vodkas in the freezer) was highly disappointing. Palatable at first with a harsh afterburn… way too much for a vodka this expensive. Stick to better, cheaper vodkas.

I think Absolut isnt a bad vodka but there are definitly better ones but it is good vodka to mix it with other things.

I don’t like it, I don’t like the scent, now I’m someone who can down straight Caribbean rum and tequila without wanting to throw up. 3 swigs and I thought the taste and smell would make me puke. I do think it is fair to mention that I like my vodka with very little flavor and to have a good burn that’s not too unpleasant but not too muted, because I like to drink it straight and mix it, my favorite thing to mix with being sparkling peach water. I thought it would be good seeing as the bottle looked nice, but the smell is what really killed me. I’d much rather drink Tito’s or New Amsterdam but that’s because of the lack of flavor and also the burn is great.

works for me–many years–I drink strictly black Russians and have no problem with absolut

An effective long standing marketing dynamic put this brand on the map, and top shelves for decades. It’s not terrible, quite flavorful actually, but not smoothe at room temp. Mixes great with OJ served cold. But boldness unmasked. Fetches about 20 for the fifth in NY, and competes with Stoli in price and notoriety. Every bar stocks them, likely next to one another. Definitely iconic though.

I have read all reviews before drinking this bottle. I am writing this review while i am drunk from absolute. It tastes better than most vodkas. Its effect is like skyblue or stoli. Drink like real men bitches

I prefer my vodka neat. But Absolut is terrible. I am not saying this to mindlessly go along with anyone else, or for any other reason. I honestly find the taste horrific. It tastes like someone took vodka and added urine and butter to it.

I used it in a Bloody Caesar (Vodka, Clamato juice, Tabasco & Worcestershire sauce w/ salt&pepper rim) and I mix strong, even still the taste was still rather good. It was slightly below room temperature the first time I used it. I’ve had Caesar’s made strong with other Vodka’s (Smirnoff mostly and Grey Goose once or twice) and I found the taste was almost overpowering when it was made as strong as I make it myself. At least once with Smirnoff I couldn’t finish the drink. I’m definitely sticking by Absolut for Caesar’s in the future.

This vodka is not good at all. I used to “enjoy” it because, when I lived at home, it’s all my parents bought. Since then, I have ventured into more refined vodkas. Spirits such at belvedere Intense and Kettle one, though obviously in a different price range, make Absolut take like rams piss. It tastes too grainy and way too bitter. The only way to even tolerate this is to freeze it which takes away most of the flavor so what is the point. Buck up and buy a more enjoyable vodka.

I like Absolut and I will no doubt drink it if it is offered to me; however, I would never spend my money on a bottle or buy a shot at a bar. While it’s a good vodka, it’s not much better than many less expensive vodkas. Save your money and buy Grey Goose or Ketel One if you want to spend this much on liquor. All in all, it’s just not worth the money.

I have to say: I really don’t mind it.It’s got a cool bottle: it freezes and pours well. It’s SMOOTH. People who like strong tea and coffee, enjoy “bitter” tastes as part of the experience. So the fact there bitter grain flavor, it adds interest to the drink. I am not a fan of artificial added flavors, but this is part of the traditional drink before it was easy to distill a drink X many times until it’s 199 proof. The cheapest 750ml vodka here is 19.50$ I am willing to spend 23.50$ for absolute. Since drinks relate to experiences and memories, I’d have to say it’s one of my favorites. I’ve had many good times with it.

After having a decent, though undistinguished, Belvedere martini while out with my wife last night, I was curious to try one made with the ubiquitous Absolute for comparison. Based on the reviews that I had read on this forum and from some friend’s opinions over the years, I was not expecting much.

The aroma, along with the initial flavor of the sip, was somewhat nutty; this was very different from any other vodka I had tasted. I was not sure that I liked this, but it definitely got my attention. Then, as the martini flowed to the back of my tongue as I was beginning to swallow, I noticed how surprisingly smooth it was! Wow, what a pleasant vodka, I thought. Then reality kicked in, and the vodka began to burn strongly after the swallow followed by a disturbing peppery aftertaste that lingered long afterwards. I found this roller-coaster-like taste experience with every sip of the martini. Yuck! Never again.

Absolute is by a wide margin my least favorite vodka to date, and its eighth place ranking on my list of eight vodkas so far will likely fall as I continue to taste test other more distinguished options.

I think this vodka is ABSLEOUTLY horrible! the shot, it starts bitter, and ends even more bitter! , and it have its on special taste that i just cant stand,

even when i mix it out good, i still taste the horrible taste, that i cant taste in any other vodka’s, but in this one, its just horrible, i abseloulty hate this vodka, i would never ever buy this again.

Clean Nose, smell is interestingly fragrant, does taste a bit bitter by itself, but, that saying, just a heavy splash or two of purified water, and only a few ice cubes, well, in my opinion, you have a wonderful vodka cocktail that goes down smoothly. Quite delightful and pleasing. Tried this vodka years ago and was disappointed. Only recently gave it a second try and am glad I did.

Sound like a bunch of Vodka snobs on here!! ;-)

Absolut Vodka is decent quality European vodka for the price IMO.

I bought 2 gallons of this stuff, I hate the taste but never get a hangover from it so its a double edged sword for this rubbing alcohol. There is only one way that I love the taste, it’s when I mix it with pure lime concentrate, %65 lime %45 vodka

Plastic like. That’s the best way I know how to describe Absolut Vodka. There are so many better ones for less money:
Ruskova, Svedka to name a couple:

My take on Svedka: http://productreviewratings.com/2010/05/svedka-vodka-review/

If you’re going for a flavoured vodka, definitely Absolut. There aren’t really any other options with a wide range, and some of the ones they offer actually do taste really good (raspberry with peach/apple/orange juice, pink lemonade with sprite, and a few other combos).

In general mixed drinks, it’s iffy, but not bad. Taking shots, it works just fine, pretty smooth and not hard to shoot at all. Warm and a little bitter, but an ok vodka all around.

To me this is run-of-the-mill. I tried small samples of six vodkas tonight, and this one most closely resembled rubbing alcohol on the nose. The taste was OK, but nothing special. There are certainly far better values out there.

The only thing I can say about this vodka are bad things and most you already mentioned it. Its BAD, bitter taste on the rocks and even with mixed drinks! It always gives me a killer hangover! Their advertising might be very cool but their vodka tastes very bad.

Yucky. burns going down, tastes funky.

Ive got the Absolut Raspberry Vodka,
40% still. Smells heavenly but the taste straight from the bottle is rather “eurghhh”,
Then again i’ve never frozen/chilled vodka which i may do now to see if the taste improves.
Mixes okay with coke.
Can anyone recommend a budget vodka decent for shotting?

.HaiiTomm

You are being generous on this rubbing alcohol vodka. really three stars ! and you gave x rated vodka 3 stars and vox 2 stars. vox is better than absolut so why you rated vox less than absolut ! I definitely desagree with this review . i think you should rated it 1 star. and this is why .
the first vodka i had was absolut because it was popular and my friends drink it ( not shots just mixing) . I tried shot of this vodka and it was like rubbing alcohol very burn and bitterness . Yuk! it was hell when shoting it.
So I hated vodka because I thought all vodkas will burn like absolut until I tried ketel one which changed my mind about vodka.

Way too expensive. This vodka is an old gem. Once perceived to be one of the best ever has been smashed by medium priced vodkas. Alot of oil on this vodka and terrible burn. Great to clean my garage floor with but will only enter my mouth for to taste against other vodkas…never to be swallowed.