Liquor Reviews

[ThisIsNot]

I have decided to start another off-topic thread regarding my reviews of liquor. I am 25 years old so I am of the legal drinking age in the U.S. I am also not advocating drunk driving or underage drinking. In fact, I have a family member who was arrested twice for DWI's and I testified in court against them.

Now that I got that buzzkill out of the way, I want to describe the reviews. I will be reviewing the liquor in terms of taste, how well it blends with other liquors, and how well it mixes with other drinks (ie Pepsi, lemon juice, etc.). These reviews will not focus on getting drunk but I will mention their potency. Again, these are for taste and not people who want to get drunk. These reviews are not for those type of people.

My first review will be of Crystal Head Vodka.



History:
This is the vodka that actor Dan Aykroyd promotes, he also owns the company that imports it from Newfoundland (into Canada) to the U.S. There was a lot of internet buzz surrounding Crystal Head Vodka as Aykroyd released a viral video on YouTube. Many people thought that it was fake and nothing more than a prank. That was until it showed up in stores across the U.S. a few weeks ago. The line itself is not very old so the name isn't established (unlike Gray Goose or Blavod Black Vodka) but I think that it is going to spread.

Bottle/Packaging:
The main draw of this vodka is its bottle. It is a glass skull that is supposedly made in the image of one of the 13 crystal skulls around the world. It also comes in a white box that is very attractive. The box has three photos of the bottle, a dedication on the top of the box, and a little bit about the crystal skulls on the back. It is simple yet gets the job done. The bottle is the best part of this though. It is very nice, thick, and you could tell that they paid special attention to detail. This is one of the best bottles I have seen for the price. My favorite bottle is a glass shotgun that is filled with tequila. I see it at the liquor store every time I go but I really don't want to spend $250 on it. 10/10

Taste/Appearance:
Crystal Head Vodka is very smooth. It isn't the smoothest vodka I have ever had but it is definitely better than Blavod, Gray Goose, and pretty much all other vodkas in the $50-$75 price range. It is triple filtered through diamonds but I don't know if that makes a difference or not. The taste is clean with no bitter undertone. I am actually not a vodka person but I was able to drink this with a squirt of lime and on ice. Very, very smooth. I would put this above Kettle One and Belvedere as well. The vodka is also crystal clear as it should be. A glass filled with small ice cubes, a lime on the side, and filled with this vodka looks very appealing.

It also blends well with other liquors. I mixed it with Disaronno for a surprisingly smooth drink. I further mixed it with Jager, regular Mountain Dew, the red game fuel edition of Mountain Dew, and even some of the real True Blood beverage (it is basically an orange soda). It mixed well with everything and never overpowered the drink. I even made a martini and it wasn't too strong despite containing two shots of the vodka. This is a liquor that people can mix for others if they don't like harsh alcohol tastes. 10/10

Value For The Price:
This is where people may think twice about buying Crystal Head Vodka. The local store priced it at $49.99 which is rather steep. However, you have to consider what you are getting with that purchase. The bottle is one of the most unique and attractive ones out there. It stands out despite being filled with a clear liquor. Everyone who walked by the bottle would pick it up, look at it, see the price, and then carefully set it down. They all wanted it just for the bottle. The nice surprise is that the liquor inside of the bottle is also very good. I don't know if it commands a $50 price tag but, once you factor in the bottle, it makes things easier. So yes, I think that this purchase is really a value but things could have been better. 8/10

Final Verdict:
This is easily one of the best vodkas that I have ever had. The attractive packaging/bottle and the smooth taste make it a must buy for connoisseurs who are looking for something to sip on after dinner. It blends well with pretty much everything out there and never overpowers the main drink. People can drink it straight up but it mixes well with Mountain Dew (it is called Swamp Waters) and Disaronno (that is a Godmother). The Fang Banger (True Blood + vodka) was also very good. All-in-all, I think that this is a must buy for collectors and someone who is looking for a smooth liquor that won't overpower them. The empty bottle can then be used as decoration and will make a nice addition to anyone's mini-bar. The lights under each shelf in my mini bar make the bottle glow (it is now about half-full). 10/10

LOL, I grew up in Newfoundland. Skinned rabbits hanging in the market, powdered milk mix, applesauce in a can, all the cod fish you can catch. Ice hockey, moose in the streets, and oil heaters. My favorite story is about a man who scorched his socks by standing on a stove hugging the pipe to stay warm. Lots of fun.

The water harveted from ice is supposed to be pesticide free.

Buy the head and fill it with cheaper Smirnoff. It's like putting a thief in your mouth to rob your brain.

[ThisIsNot]

Putting Smirnoff in this bottle would be insulting as Crystal Head Vodka is much smoother (and more expensive). That would be like buying a 2010 V8 Chevy Comaro and replacing the engine with one from a 1972 Ford Pinto. You still get the flashy car but it will be greatly underpowered.

Smirnoff is like the cheap stuff that comes in plastic bottles (where a 1.5L bottle is $10) compared against Crystal Head Vodka. I enjoy Smirnoff but Crystal Head is higher quality. I always need a chaser when having Smirnoff straight up yet I didn't need one for Crystal Head.

[ARamard]

Netjunkie, why not recommend he put Screech in that bottle? You forgetting ye roots me son?

Originally Posted by ARamard

Netjunkie...You forgetting ye roots me son?

ROFL I wonder what the glass skull would look like with that in there.


Rum and Vodka, a libation which is said to have the "power to wake the dead," is a ghost tale in a tumbler. It's an Everyman enduring a sudden and fatal fall from grace.

Found this for TINman.

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 oz pomegranate vodka
* 1 oz coconut rum
* 1 oz crème de almond
* 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
* dash of lime juice
* maraschino cherry for garnish

Preparation:

1. Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake well.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Drop a maraschino cherry in the glass for a garnish.

This will go with all those blood movies.

[ThisIsNot]

I have a friend with an empty skull head (it was a fun yet foggy weekend last week) and he filled it with Jager. That made it look really, really, really strange. I told him that he should have put a cloudy gray-pink liquid in there so that it would look like liquid brains whenever he poured anything out of it.

I was able to make another drink yesterday with this vodka. I don't know what it was called but you take one shot of Jager, one shot of vodka, one shot of Goldschlager, and one shot of Rumplemintz. You shake it without ice (this works so long as you refrigerate each bottle beforehand) and pour it into one of those large shot glasses. It was surprisingly smooth and the vodka blended in. The combination of black liquorish and mint didn't work too well with me. I had to sip on a diet Dr. Pepper for about 15 minutes in order for my taste buds and stomach to calm down. I will say this though; that shot really calmed me down. I don't think I ever want to have one of those again (I think it is called "instant suicide" or some such nonsense). The whole point behind those types of shots is to get drunk.

I don't like to drink alcoholic beverages to get drunk. I like drinking them for the taste (I really enjoy beer) and to get kind of calm. It will feel like the stress from the week just melts away while sitting down and enjoying a well mixed Godfather or Godmother.