This is just not good to me. I’ve have it several times and it is bitter and overrated. People buy it because they fall for that old “if it cost more it must be better” scam. If you want some great vodka try Sobieski or Svedka.

If you have any Costcos in your area, their Kirkland Signature brand is reportedly the equivalent of Grey Goose, distilled in the same place, same country, same water, ingredients, etc.

I just don’t like this stuff. I’ve had it several times and its just average and definitely not worth the money.

The review on Grey Goose is spot on, it is by no means a bad vodka, but it’s definitely overrated. It’s smooth but gets fairly bitter. It’s bested by lesser priced vodkas such as Tito’s, Russian Standard, Sobieski, etc. Not worth it!

While I do agree that there is a lot of hype and that’s what’s made its commercially successful I still do think it’s a great product for my needs. Sure it’s expensive at $120, for a 75cl bottle in my city, but I find myself going back to it often despite being a youngster with no income. I solely drink vodka in cocktails and my most commonly consumed mix is that of ginger ale, vodka and some lime ,just cause how easy it is to make and for the appealing taste to me, and for this Grey goose is tremendous. Its extremely smooth and more or less imperceptible. Being young, I tend to gulp down my drinks very quickly and grey goose makes me feel like I’m drinking chilled ginger ale with no alcohol in it. It leaves no burn and gives you a good feeling a little later which is all I want from my vodka. Admittedly its popularity today is largely from the enormous hype and there might be more unique vodkas out there that pique your interest a bit more but if all you’re doing is drinking mixes at a party Grey goose is should satisfy you. Despite the heavy price tag, I find myself coming back to grey goose as often as I can for parties and I recommend it to anyone looking for a very smooth vodka, perfect for parties, and who has no issues with the price.

Not terrible, but overrated, especially for the price.

Not bad, not great either, but definitely not worth the price. A smooth, but bitter shot, and not a very good mixer. I wouldn’t turn down a free shot at a party, but I have better things to spend my money on.

Regardless of its origins, I though GG was pretty good, definitely smooth & fairly sweet. Beyond that there isn’t much, and it certainly isn’t worth the price. I’m glad I learned this at a tasting, as opposed to buying a bottle!

I would classify myself as a regular drinker, on average 2 times a week, I am not a light weight I can drink shots of tequilla with absolutely no side effects. I recently had 3 shots of grey goose vodka and I can’t remember a thing. I am a 41 year old women and I weigh about 136 pounds. Has this ever happened to anyone else, I am concerned that maybe someone put something in my drink.

Meh….it’s vodka….quite average vodka…

I’ve had better (hell, Sobieski kicks the crap out of this stuff…I’ve had worse (I mean hell, I’ve had Taaka, if that tells you anything!)

If I’m doing a French vodka, I’d rather have Esme.

But finally, a reviewer that agrees that this is one of the most overrated spirits on the fact of the Earth…Thank you, I thought it was me….

When somebody tells me they only drink GG, I’m pretty sure I die just a little bit on the inside…

Also, I love ellipses..

I received a bottle of Grey Goose for Christmas. I was so looking forward to trying it, I never had it before but I knew its ‘reputation’ and I knew it was double the price of what I normally drink.

Wow, what a total disappointment! No flavour, no mouth feel, harsh aftertaste, and a bad head the following day. It is very very poor.

Grey Goose seems to typify the current trend for overpriced, overrated, premium ‘craft’ spirits that millenials are lapping up like starving puppies.

The person who bought it for me knows I love vodka and thought this would be a real treat, I don’t have the heart to tell them they could have saved half what they spent.

I like Grey Goose for the fact that it makes a great mixer. I did the Simply Orange screwdriver, but also added blueberry lemonade and a shot of Absolut Citron. The sweet/bitter ratio is smooth and really I feel it’s best with most citrus drinks/juices. It also seems to have a more energizing buzz, even with just shots. It is a bit overpriced, but the Cherry and Orange varieties are uniquely good.

Maybe it’s different for other ppl, but it’s about $30-35 for a fifth, and about 7-10 shots will have me feeling good, plus it leaves me still competent so I don’t make dumb ass decisions, and I can pay $18-20 for a pint and enjoy that to myself. But very smooth, Cherry Noir is good, Lemon smells like Pinesol and probably taste like it, I really want to try Orange and Pear

Just a response to TAFFYG2003’s post

TAFFYG2003
I have had about a year and a half to try lots of vodkas to experiment and enjoy. All of this got started when I discovered that Bacardi rum was not too highly regarded in the rum drinker’s world. Out of curiosity, I then decided to research how my much enjoyed Grey Goose (served in a classic martini) stacked up. Much to my surprise, according to this forum and several other sources, it was generally considered an overpriced good quality vodka. Since then, I have tried over two dozen other vodkas, most of which I have rated higher in comparison to Grey Goose.

The last two times that I ordered a martini while dinning out, I decided to give Grey Goose a try again. Guess what; it was quite good. In fact, it was better than I had remembered. The cocktail was smooth, very tasty, had little burn, and even had a mild and pleasant bittersweet aftertaste! Both of these Grey Goose martinis were very good, and were served at a different restaurant, so it wasn’t just the luck of getting a special bartender. I had previously ranked Grey Goose near the bottom of my list with an middling 3 stars rating, but now I am going to re-rate it somewhere in the middle of my star riddled vodka list with 4 stars. Did Grey Goose’s recipe change in the last year or so? I highly doubt it. Has my judgment of what makes vodka pleasurable changed? Perhaps, yes. In turn, I have come to realize that I do like Grey Goose, at least in a martini cocktail. Are there better vodkas? Absolutely! Are there better vodkas that are less expensive? Sure. But, after all of this time, I have found that I can enjoy a Grey Goose martini, even if some other really good vodkas are on the menu.

Cheers!

REPLY Published March 16, 2011 5:17 pm

BILL
Hi,
I started to read these reviews after my girlfriend asked me to pick up a bottle of Grey Goose for her and I chose a different brand recommended by a very knowledgeable manager at a very larger liquor retailer. She broke my chops so I decided to do some checking and found this site. What I do know (from my son’s girlfriend who is a professional bartender) that a LOT of bars refill PREMIUM bottles with lesser quality quaffs. You may have actually not been drinking G.G. at all but a lower priced and possibly better tasting vodka.

REPLY Published March 16, 2014 10:10 am

As usual, I care not at all what anyone else thinks: I like Grey Goose. It is overpriced, and for that reason I prefer Reyka (which isn’t even on this site–why not?).

Two-dimensional shit. Useful for cleaning wounds. One step above well vodka.

Utterly vile. The price is just part of the marketing, this is one of the worst vodkas I’ve had (to be fair, I have not bought anything in a plastic bottle or that comes in the gallon, like Philips).

Bitter and burns on the way down.

The only successful part of this vodka is the marketing campaign; making anyone think this was drinkable deserves an award (and a solid slap across the face).

In an effort to stick with a vodka that I know that actually makes a decent martini, when out to dinner the last two times I ordered Grey Goose. To my surprise, both restaurants were “out of “Grey Goose”. Is this just an unsual coincidence, or is there a supply or distribution problem? Hurricane Sandy ravaged the region about a month ago, so maybe there is a link to these two incidents.

Hands-down the best vodka on the planet! This stuff isn’t bitter whatsoever, mixes well with cranberry juice (my favorite) and doesn’t give you that bad of a hangover. How can you people honestly say it’s bitter? And for those of you claiming “it tastes bad,” you’re fucking retarded! The best vodka’s in the world have absolutely NO FLAVOR! This one I will continuously drink regardless of some ignorant reviews on a website.

I don’t know all of the vodka connoisseur lingo to describe how I feel about the taste of Grey Goose, but I can tell you that I don’t like care much for it. It is a bit overrated and it does not mix well at all. My brother argues that it is smooth like Ciroc. It’s not. Ciroc is one of the few vodkas that I can drink on the rocks.

I generally agree that Grey Goose is over priced and is only a middle of the road vodka. However, I do find that it does make a very good martini. I am stating this with the backdrop of having compared it to about two dozen other vodkas that are highly rated by this site. That said, I will never buy another bottle of Grey Goose, but would happily order a Grey Goose martini at a bar if only Absolut, Smirnoff, or well vodka are the other options.

I’d been buying Grey Goose for awhile now but I was a little disappointed. I favored it slightly over Rain, which is probably a better value. But after reading some of the reviews here I went out and tried Titos (way, way better than Goose or Rain for martinis a little dirty with olives). From now on, the Goose is out. It’s just a bad value and it tends to give me a headache.

Having had this vodka touted to me by others as a great vodka, I have to say the only thing I found to be “premium” about it, was the price. While not a terrible vodka, the taste is more along the lines of a middle-shelfer vodka that, due to the France reference, got placed on the top shelf without any real merit. I found Grey Goose to be extremely bitter for a top-shelf vodka.

I came here to research Grey Goose vodka; my quest was successful. I learned two things: Grey Goose is a sham, and its cost is exorbitant. However, my sweet sister knows neither of these things, so when her husband of 52 wedding anniversaries passed yesterday I asked her what very special thing I could get for her to provide solace. She requested a bottle of Grey Goose vodka. I am going to buy it for her. I am not faulting your admirable and commendable critique; rather I hope she never stumbles onto this page. Because if she believes this fake vodka will ease the pain of her loss better than any other vodka, then it will – and that is all that matters.

Took a bartending course and read an article rating the iron content of grey goose is high compared to its competition. finlandia ranked highest in purity level of vodkas compared. I’m not a vodka fan by any means but i steer clear of grey goose when making mixed drinks and educate everyone of its poor quality, pretentiousness, and marketing tactics. Advertised to the rich, from france, and overpriced makes you THINK its the best.
good article. hard to find anything that shows grey goose for what it is online.
nothing wrong with liking it. Just make sure your taste buds arent tasting the hype or price-

@Chris and Robert, being a vodka martini drinker, my take on Grey Goose may be a little different form yours. There is something uniquely pleasant about the flavor that Grey Goose imparts to a martini. That said, its other characteristics are good, though not top notch. My overall impression of this vodka is that, other than in a martini, it is only a good vodka that is overpriced as a great one.

I think you’re being a little harsh on Goose, but I do agree, it’s exceptionally overpriced and definitely overrated.

I feel it’s one of the smoothest vodkas I’ve ever had, but it’s nearly tasteless. Too Smooth.

I am a big vodka drinker but haven’t tried nearly as many as I would like. I will say off the top of my head though I would easily take Van Gogh, Stoli, Zyr, Crystal Head, and Kettle One over Goose.

I would take Goose over Tito’s or Veil or Ciroc though it’s close. I really enjoy Tito’s but I feel like it’s legend has grown to where it kind of carries a just quite good vodka into some folklore of an elite vodka with middling pricing. It’s a lot rougher then people like to admit. Has a serious burn especially shooting it neat and although I don’t mind it so much, people seem to lie to themselves and say it’s exceptionally smooth. Ciroc I feel is really good in a unique way, not an everyday sipper but solid. I was drinking it years before P Diddy started advertising for it. I will agree though, it’s rough on the way down.

I would definitely take it over Absolute, Belvedere, Hangar 1, or Skyy in a heartbeat, but I guess that’s not necessarily saying much.

Bang for the buck, Grey Goose is a ripoff, I would agree, but as a vodka period, not taking price into consideration at all I think it stands up nicely with any of the above mentioned i have had.

All the vodkas I listed I have sampled extensively over the years, not just one taste, more like a minimum of multiple fifths of each.

I’ve had other vodkas, but most aren’t really worth mention with Goose and the others, such as Svedka which is solid for the price for sure and then stuff like Smirnoff which is just awful.

Hopefully the next few months I’ll try some new ones on here, especially Russian Standard, Sobeiski and National.

Actually on a final note, I had Van Gogh Blue which was very good, but I honestly found the regular Van Gogh better.

I totally agree with this. I was out with a friend and fellow vodka lover one night for his birthday and he really wanted a shot of vodka. At the time we were both under the misconception that Goose was the best choice out there (he drinks Vox now and I drink Svedka). We had the shot and we were both pretty disappointed. It was more bitter than I thought it would be and I was immediately looking for a chaser just to get the after taste out of my mouth. I wasn’t worth my money and I could’ve probably been ok with just buying a shot from the wells. I’d agree that I’ve had worse i.e. Smirnoff, Phillips, or Karkov, but its not worth the tag.

It always seems that people are bashing Grey Goose because of its label on society. After trying well over 20 different medium to high shelf vodkas, I do find that Grey Goose leaves a great aftertaste (what is probably described as the bitterness). If you could take the “price and pretentiousness” out of the equation, you would enjoy it for what it is. I won’t say that it’s the best out there, but it definitely is in my top 10.

It doesn’t really matter if Grey Goose was created by an American or where it’s imported from. It’s a great vodka, one of my favorites. It mixes best with cranberry juice but is so smooth there’s no need to use a mixer. I’m also unsure of where everyone else is buying it but it’s available from $21-24 for 750ml around the Chicagoland area, that’s hardly expensive.

I have to say I’m somewhat disappointed with how this vodka was rated. First of all let me say that I am, while new to the vodka degustation scene, an avid vodka fan, and have tasted only a few yet very different vodkas.

I’m not here to say that Grey Goose is an amazing vodka, it’s not. It’s good, some (me amongst them) would say it’s very good, and while there are more interesting vodkas out there at a more affordable price, Grey Goose is still better than many. However in your review you (correctly) argue that a lot of it’s fame comes from advertising hype, and that it is therefore (in my opinion, highly) overpriced, shouldn’t it therefore get a 1 star for bang for the buck?

My personal opinion of this vodka is that it is definitely smooth and therefore worth a taste for those who are new to enjoying nice vodka as opposed to simply mixing it with whatever will hide the taste and drinking as many as possible. It has the strong feel of vodka without any of the chemical harshness that you will find in cheap brands and leaves you with an open mind as to what flavour variants are available when moving on to other vodkas. For that reason I would give it a 4/5 rating, 1/5 value for money, and 3/5 overall score. If someone offers you a taster, go for it, but don’t get yourself a bottle unless you’re getting it duty free (as I did).

Worth a quick side mention, the best bang for the buck good tasting vodka I’ve come across so far has got to be Smirnoff Black Label, it’s got a considerably hint of spices which lingers after you drink it, delightful!

Over rated!

I agree with your review, its definitely OK when you drink it on the rocks not excellent though since it doesnt “burn” at all, so if you are not used to the taste of vodka and don´t mind spending a couple of bucks try it. I personally hated it with mixed drinks I could hardly taste it and usually I pour enough vodka on my drinks.

Since I have read this and it might influence my opinion I am now out but I plan to do an experiment of my own on Grey Goose. For my graduation my parents and a few friends are coming down. I plan to serve them half shots of at least 3 different vodkas (unknown to them what vodka each is) and ask them to rate each one with one of them being grey goose. I am thinking Sobieski would be one good one to put against it being of a much lower price range and I am undecided on the third. I considered Tito’s but I want to use a more well-known vodka to put it up against as I am curious to see how the comparison results. Suggestions on what third vodka to use as well as what to serve between to clean the palette are welcome. :)

I love grey goose vodka and and definately am inspired by the fact that it’s made in France…. once you have grey goose you can’t have anything else. Grey goose gives me a happy buzz, it give me a natural buzz, but the only thing is that it’s a little harsh when you drink it….but it is alcohol so what can you expect….. grey goose is the only vodka I will ever drink no matter what… they should call it happy goose or even crazzy goose loll. It’s my #1 vodka!!!! It should be yours too!!!!

It is not a favorite and I don’t buy it anymore unless certain guests that like it are coming over. There is just too much going on flavor-wise. What are those aftertastes anyway??? I’m a little scared.

I am relatively new to vodka drinking, and usually drink it in vodka martinis straight up with olives. Occasionally, I have a small shot, or a vodka tonic. Regardless, Grey Goose was the first “good” vodka that I was introduced to a few years ago. I had little experience, so that I was very impressed how smooth it was in a martini compared to any other I had previously.

I discovered this forum when I was curious how Grey Goose really stacked up to other vodkas, and was a little surprised to find out that I apparently had gotten caught up in Grey Goose’s marketing “scam”, and that there were many other vodkas superior to it. That said, I still like Grey Goose, but I have had some others that were recommended on this forum that I now feel are, in fact, superior to the Goose, after all. I have also come to realize that the way a martini is prepared can make a big difference, too. So far, the best vodka martini that I have had has been made with Grey Goose at a restaurant with a heralded “martini bar”.

I plan to try some of the well reviewed vodkas and post my impressions as I experiment. Cheers!

I grabbed some of this since I had Chopin and Belvedere on hand, and it seemed too good of an opportunity to have a battle of expensive vodkas, with some cheaper ones (Svedka and Sobieski) thrown into the mix. I tried it versus Belvedere. Both were good, but I found Belvedere to be a little more refined/mellow with less residual afterburn and bitterness. Svedka seemed about the same quality as Grey Goose to me. (Although I wouldn’t say they taste exactly the same.) Overall, I came away feeling that if I had to spend $30 for 750mL, I’d pick Belvedere over Grey Goose and Chopin. I also came away with the opinion that there are cheaper vodkas that can do just as well. Overall, I feel it is over-rated for the price, but not bad. My friend tried the same stuff I did, and he really couldn’t give an answer on which he liked the most between Svedka, Grey Goose or Belvedere.

To say that I absolutely HATE this vodka would be an extreme misunderstatement. Obviously the fools who think this is a great vodka really do not know vodka at all. This crap is HARSH to say the least. It has a considerable burn, and a horrid aftertaste. Not to mention leaving one with one of the worst hangovers humanly possible – it rates at the very bottom in quality on the vodka scale. It is also extremely overpriced. Some of these grey goose fanatics should really try some higher quality lower priced vodkas such as svedka, skyy, and ketel one – they are far superior to what this “french” company will ever be capable of producing.

My twin brother likes this stuff. I mean…its ok. It has a very strong scent of sterilizing alcohol that you would experience in a hospital. That taste is middle of the road at best. It has a very warm sensation. As I let it rest in my mouth it starts to tingle my tongue similar to experiencing tongue bite from smoking a pipe too fast. Once I swallow it gets even warmer…I mean…my breathe literally feels like if I held my Zippo in front of my mouth I would breath flames. In a mixed drink it’s…ok. There’s a bitter component to it and that sterilizing alcohol note comes through in the flavor as well. I have tasted other Vodkas that have better followings and cost a quarter to a fifth of the price. This is not to say that this Vodka sucks, it’s just not for me, others may like it though.

Grey Goose is definitely the Target of the Vodka world; very expensive but has a decent taste. I’d recommend this Vodka as a last resort without delving into the world of 5 Vodka or other cheap brands sold at Wal-Mart.

The first experience I had with Grey Goose was at a Casino-on-a-boat and it hit the spot well there; I finally got a chance to really test a bottle when I was in the middle of a poker-tournament and ran out of other brands. With 15 minutes until the tournament was to re-start, I ran to Wal-Mart (I detest Wal-Mart, btw), and was disappointed to find that the best they had to offer was Grey Goose. For lack of a better choice, I picked up a bottle and made it back within 10 seconds of the start of the tournament.

I was pleased, although, with the taste of this vodka. It didn’t have much of a flavor, but was smooth and acceptable none-the-less. I personally liked it much more that Svedka, but I agree that the price tag leads to purchasing another bottle as unacceptable if there are any other options available.

Good to see other people realize what a ripoff this crap is. It’s not that its a bad vodka, but there’s dozens of better brands for the same price and less. Anyone who thinks this is one of, if not the best, isn’t a real vodka drinker.

I have to set this situation up.

I had my first taste of whiskey that I can remember when I was 7. Ever since thats what I have been drawn too. One day I just happen to decide to buy a bottle of vodka, someone in the store told me Grey Goose was decent so I picked it up. Bought a shaker, mixed it up and enjoyed it. I have a hard time believing I fell into some time of marketing technique when I never really cared about vodka, and thought it tasted like rubbing alcohol before Grey Goose. If anything, the taste on the front as soon as it hits your tongue is enjoyable. Thanks to Grey Goose, I started enjoying vodka and venturing out into other tastes.

Having said that, I respectfully disagree. Some people look for different things in their drinks, I enjoy something with a little more flavor. Not sugary, or super sweet but flavor. Grey Goose does that for me in the vodka. Some people may enjoy a clean and zero favor on the tongue, such as 360 which I also recommend.

Maybe I will change my review after I finish my 1.75 of 360, who knows…

That is very true, I just felt like you went to an extreme to trash it, as if it was point blank bad vodka. It’s a very good vodka, it’s just way overpriced.

It’s like buying a Mercedes C Class when you could have went with a fully loaded Nissan Maxima or Infiniti G37 or Caddy CTS and got what amounts to a much better bang for your back and probably better overall car.

Sure the C Class is a ripoff in general and not something I would personally spend my money on if I could afford one, but it doesn’t make it an actual bad car.

I guess that does cater into the pretentious nature Goose tends to elicit or the I’m buying the best smokescreen to those like me with champagne tastes and malt liquor pockets, just of the uniformed variety.

for me, it was a “gateway” vodka. I’m still brand new to the vodka world but I seem to be enjoying it rather then the occasional beer or shot of “insert random alcohol here”. I still drink Goose on occasion while I’m out but that is only due to my inexperience with other vodkas and also partly due to the selection at some places.

It was smooth and that is what drew me to it originally. I have found better Vodkas at cheaper prices since (one of my Favorites being Esme, that is unfortunately not reviewed here yet).

So yeah, I’m still a newbie and have yet to try some of the stuff Recommended here. Fav so far is Crystal Head and I love Esme and Ketel One. Still have the occasional Goose while out for dinner though.

I haven’t had every vodka listed here (I am working on it :P) but so far, Grey Goose is by far the best Vodka I have had.

I’ve tried Belvedere and I thought that was gross. Svedka is my favorite cheap vodka and Grey Goose is the best. Svedka gives me a hangover though. A $13 bottle of vodka called Sobieski? If you’re going to go cheap just buy Skol in a giant plastic bottle. GROSS! I’ve never had it but no way I’ll waste $13 to just go try it. I’ll just go flush the money down the toilet. Absolut is pretty good and is my 2nd choice after the Goose. Tito’s vodka?? That just sounds gross. I’ve never heard of it and never seen it in a store. Speaking of Grey Goose it’s on sale at Pick N Save, time to go get a few 750’s! DEUCES!