Beluga Transatlantic Racing Vodka

Rating: 15/23 Nose: Not much on the nose. It isn't sweet. If anything, it might be a tad briny and dry earthy. Palate: I consider Beluga to be very approachable with a rich sweetness. That is not what this is. My first impression is fishiness with a bit of brine. This actually tastes like the sea! What a strange experience this is. It isn't as strong tasting as Kirkland's French vodka, but it is odd (or perhaps "funky", to be less offensive). There's some oiliness coming out of the fish, but it's also just a bit like stale cooking oil. This is still kind of a sweet vodka though. The flavor here strongly suggests that the vodka is intentionally crafted to be unusual, whereas others (including Kirkland French to some extent) just taste like the distiller didn't make very clean cuts. This burns less than regular Beluga and the more I taste the two side-by-side, the more the regular Beluga's similarity to this becomes apparent. Finish: Oily. The fishiness is diminished but still present. I do get a bit of brine. There's faint sweetness, but not much. The burn does linger. - Conclusion - I feel like this is something I'm either going to come to love or really struggle to get off of my shelf. It's completely bizarre and extremely challenging. Its existence feels like madness. This is smoother, but significantly funkier than regular Beluga. It's a clean, fishy, ocean flavor. Bizarre. The profile isn't as clean as Kirkland's French vodka either, nor is it as sweet. This is funkier somehow, with more oil and bitterness. I really just don't know what to make of it. It is decently smooth though. Sort of like Absolut Elyx, I'm starting to appreciate the odd quality of this vodka, despite it being quite situational. Between the two, I would likely choose Absolut Elyx because its sweet mustiness seems more generally applicable. This tastes more like it's attempting to be an Islay version of vodka - not peaty, but actively challenging. I will definitely need to re-review this one at some point.

A double-filtered vodka from Siberia, Russia, purified through quartz sand and a special silver filter. After combining the malted spirit with softened, filtered artesian water, the mixture undergoes further purification. It's filtered twice through a 10.5-meter birch charcoal column and once through a special cotton filter. It starts with barley and citrus sweetness, followed by a bit of honey and spice, then finishes quickly. July 2017

I honestly didn't notice much difference between the standard and transatlantic Beluga editions. Both are excellent.

Absolutely superb, the best in the tasting lineup. Abundant chocolate notes with a velvety smooth texture.

It's decent and smooth, but still has a strong alcohol flavor.

Among the smoothest vodkas I've had the pleasure of enjoying.