Luksusowa - greatest vodka known to man at a Smirnoff price?

Monsta_AU

Monsta_AU

...can I interest you in some vintage blades?
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After a friend of mine bought some back from Poland years ago, finally I can get this stuff locally!

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You can pick this up at Dan Murphy's for about $36.99, Smirnoff Red is $35.99. There's no comparison between the two, Smirnoff tastes like paint stripper. You can't drink Smirnoff Red neat. Can't drink Smirnoff Red period. It's like the Jim Beam of the Vodka world.

Luksusowa is a proper Polish vodka in the true tradtion of Vodka. All the best vodkas in my opinion tend to be Polish, and have to be POTATO based and copper pot distilled. There is very little ethanol aroma, has a very creamy mouthfeel with a big potato vodka flavour then slides down the throat very smooth and just that warming sensation afterwards. No burn at all, and no hangovers either! While it is fine for mixing, you really want to use a quality orange juice or other non-carbonated mixer. Possibly the best Martini vodka on the planet.

I'm pretty particular about my Vodkas. Generally I only drink Zubrowka neat (that's for another thread) but that's only because I have not been able to get this!

If you like the odd vodka, my general recommendations are:

Mixing: Finlandia (Barley, 37.5%, $33. Very pure but slight ethanol characteristic) or Skyy ('Grains' or Wheat/Barley, 37.5%, $33. Very neutral but not as smooth as it could be). Special mention: Russian Standard Black.

Neat: Luksusowa (Potato, 40%, $37. Best all round vodka IMO) or Absolut Elyx (Wheat, 40%, $49-$60. Exceptional smoothness, but wheat vodka characteristics.)

Flavoured: Żubrówka (Potato with Bison Grass, 40%, $43. It's a must try) or Medos Honey Vodka (Wheat+ Rye and flvourings, 40%, $40, great as an dessert accompaniment).

Avoid: Stolichnaya (Not Russian distilled for markets outside of Russia, is Latvian now), Absolut (overpriced because of marketing, get Luksusowa which is a better product for less), Smirnoff (quality isn't there for $35, but black label is good on special).
 
I drank a lot of vodka while in Russia and on the Trans Mongolian Express (quite) a few years back. Russian vodka is very hit or miss. The good stuff is amazing, we accidentally gatecrashed a wedding in St Petersburg where the vodka was amazing. If I could remember what it was I would drink no other.

However, the majority of the stuff that was forced down my neck on the TME was vile, harsh, and like paintstripper. It didn't help that I was one of only two westerners on the train, and everyone else on the train wanted to drink with the foreigners. So we had a steady stream of vodka from around 10am onwards every day. It at least had the benefit of working like antifreeze when we had to go outside the train (a 70 degree temperature change).

I really have mixed feelings about that part of the trip. Hated it in some ways, loved it in others.
 
eggbert said:
I drank a lot of vodka while in Russia and on the Trans Mongolian Express (quite) a few years back. Russian vodka is very hit or miss. The good stuff is amazing, we accidentally gatecrashed a wedding in St Petersburg where the vodka was amazing. If I could remember what it was I would drink no other.
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That's the trouble with the Russian stuff - most of it is disgusting and the good stuff you end up too pissed to remember. And gatecrashing the wedding was probably good for everyone, they were too pissed to care, you got good vodka and were too pissed to care.

Safe to say that anything 'Russian' that is decent is either big money or simply marketing. The Russian Standard is not bad at all, Black Label could be your normal 'house' brand and the Gold Label is quite good but it is technically flavoured - it has Ginseng extract in it. The Gold is $39 at Dan's but more expensive elsewhere.

Grab yourself a bottle of the Luks, I am pretty sure that you will find it very pleasing. It's no Chopin but it is less than half the price ($80ish).
 
Razormonsta said:
The Gold is $39 at Dan's but more expensive elsewhere.

Grab yourself a bottle of the Luks, I am pretty sure that you will find it very pleasing. It's no Chopin but it is less than half the price ($80ish).
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Alas, my local Dan's is around 1800km away, and they don't deliver to he NT so I will probably just have to take your word on that. Maybe Vintage Cellars will be my salvation?
 
Might need to see if someone can send you a bottle up there

Might need to see if someone can send you a bottle up there.... I can't find any stockists in Darwin.

Uncle Dan needs to open a store there... or are they not allowed?
 
I don't know why they won't deliver here. I asked them on twitter, but they never replied.

I thought it might be because of the alcohol laws, but they have now been repealed, and it never stopped getwinesdirect from delivering here in the first place.
 
Have you tried the bison grass vodka with apple juice?
From memory that was rather pleasant if you need a mixer.
 
Many people like the Zubrowka with the cloudy apple juice which i don't mind at all. I prefer about 1:1:1 Dry Ginger, sparking apple juice with a fresh lime twist over ice.

Anyway, Zubrowka for another thread. The versatility of Luksusowa is its greatest asset - neat or mixed you only really need one vodka in the bar. I have never heard anyone say they preferred Smirnoff once they tried the Luks.
 
Oh good no. The Absoluts and Smirnoff's of this world are cooking vodka only.
Although several passes through a Brita fuller do improve them if you are a poor dirty student
 
Absolut is drinkable, and definitely a step up on the Smirnoff. It just is not worth $40 which it commands at most outlets, and quality has gone down in recent years. It is not as good as when I started drinking it when I was 18.

Their 'Elyx' premium branding is astonishingly good, especially at Uncle Dan' prices of $48. Much like the Smirnoff Black copper pot still variety is also drinkable, and especially if you see it $40 or under.

The Luksusowa at $36.99 craps over both of them.
 
I've never liked vodka, but I have a Polish mate whose birthday is coming up. Thanks for the tip RM, I'll prod my buddy to give us a taste after he gets it.
 
I currently have gifted Ciroc (french, made of grapes) , and a flavoured Abosolut (lemon I think) but will keep an eye out for Luksusowa when we need a refill.

I've tried Żubrówka before, and it was ok to my tastes, but I know Mrs Egg wouldn't like it so I probably won't buy it again in the near future.
 
that's a catchy ad.
I was planning on beers over Christmas but maybe the vodka is due a turn on the bar.
 
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