Found in the Map Room 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue |
Absolut has chosen its market.
Posted on 04/28/2012 8:32:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It has been 25-odd years since Absolut Peppar and Citron entered the American market, and since then, the flavored-vodka business keeps growing, now representing a quarter of the vodka market. Lemon, cranberry, grapefruit, pear, dragonfruit -- the entire fruit aisle is now being turned into 'tinis. (Though SFoodie is a brown-spirits kind of guy, we will admit to a guilty liking for Absolut Ruby Red, and drink the Alameda-produced Hangar One lime and citron vodkas quite readily.)
As success grows, so does the temptation for distillers to indulge in risk-taking behaviors. Three years ago, vodka companies were still marketing the illusion that they were infusing natural essences into mega-filtered spirits. No more! Vodka has come to out-schnapps schnapps. Pinnacle -- just acquired by the makers of Jim Beam for hundreds of millions of dollars -- has flooded the aisles with vodkas that supposedly taste like cookie dough, gummi (bear), and cake. This past November, Smirnoff released whipped cream and fluffy marshmallow vodkas, and campaign billboards featuring Amber Rose are inescapable. And earlier this month, another daredevil infused-vodka producer, Van Gogh (yeah, the company's Dutch), released Peanut Butter & Jelly.
For SFoodie, news of the PB&J vodka was the last straw. We decided: These extreme vodkas needed to be tasted.*
We requested samples of the most un-naturally flavored vodkas from their producers, and conducted a taste test at the SFoodie International Test Kitchen, aka our desk. Each vodka was tasted within a few seconds of pouring it over over ice. Following are the notes from the tasting panel we convened:
Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka
Smells like: The first hit screams toasted-marshmallow Jelly Belly, followed by vanilla candle. After that comes the impression of sniffing packets of non-dairy creamer blended with cream cheese. In other words, not unpleasant for those of us raised on Peeps and Marshmallow Fluff sundaes.
Tastes like: Sweet. Really sweet. More of a liqueur than a vodka, really -- it has a heavy body, and doesn't need to be diluted or cut with mixers to cover up the spiritous bite. "I could sip this all day," one panel member comments. SFoodie doesn't necessarily agree, preferring to stay sober until lunch, but we can see his point.
Pinnacle Cake Vodka
Smells like: Grain alcohol that someone has stirred together with cheap vanilla icing from a Safeway cupcake. Actually, it doesn't smell like much else -- the cakiness of the cake vodka is faint, and we can't imagine that the flavor of vodka would stand up to mixers. No caketinis for SFoodie, even if the bride-to-be is forcing them on us.
Tastes like: Sweetness hits the tongue first, but it dissipates almost immediately, followed by a strident alcohol heat and bitterness. Within two seconds, all that is left is an acrid, chemical prickliness. Several gulps of ice water are required to flush away the sensation.
Pinnacle Cotton Candy Vodka
Smells like: Raspberry Kool-Aid. No, wait, cherry Kool-Aid, mixed with Nerds and Franken Berry cereal. After a few sniffs, SFoodie does get a whiff of cotton candy, which quickly morphs into mandarin-flavored diet "sparkling water."
Tastes like: The time we got drunk on plastic-bottle vodka and warm Kool-Aid in college, and watched our friends vomit technicolor liquids into the trashcan in the hall. Followed by more of that acrid, off-gassy cheap-vodka flavor. Mm...sippin' on butane and juice.
Too true.
Just did a vodka cake shot with “alcohol-infused” whipped cream on top of it. Yummy:)
White cake?
Yellow cake vodka? That’ll put hair on your chest.
ROTFL. Oh yes. Hair on my chest is exactly what I’ve always desired. NOT!
Found in the Map Room 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue |
Absolut has chosen its market.
Of course, in the real world, you actually have to work in order to keep your country.
Didn’t you have some of this in Singapore?
We requested samples of the most un-naturally flavored vodkas from their producers, and conducted a taste test at the SFoodie International Test Kitchen, aka our desk. Each vodka was tasted within a few seconds of pouring it over over ice. Following are the notes from the tasting panel we convened:
...
Tastes like: Sweet. Really sweet. More of a liqueur than a vodka, really -- it has a heavy body, and doesn't need to be diluted or cut with mixers to cover up the spiritous bite. "I could sip this all day," one panel member comments. SFoodie doesn't necessarily agree, preferring to stay sober until lunch, but we can see his point.
Now taking bets that SFoodie works at the DMV or other CA Gubbmint agency.
“Cake Vodka is awesome..”
May I ask if flavored vodka is suppose to be used in some sort of mixed drink or do you take a clean shot? (meaning that you enjoy both vodka taste and what is added?)
Also Tel Aviv and Brooklyn
I would say like a mix of white cake and yellow cake. It is unbelievably good (I've only had the Pinnacle).
I've tried some of their other flavored vodkas and I wouldn't recommend them. The cake one is the only decent one.
The most horrendous vodka is the gummy bear flavored, leaves a horrible after taste.
The answer is both. I prefer taking it straight because it is flavorful and not as strong as some other vodkas but it still is 70 proof so ya can't drink it like a beer.
Sometimes Pinnacle will put on drink recipes on the bottle but you can always google Pinnacle Cake Vodka recipes and I'm sure you will find a TON!!!
As far as other brands I've only had the various Absolut flavors but they aren't as goofy as Cake, Gummy Bear, Cookie Dough or Bacon. I can't even think what that would taste like!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.