Moskovskaya Vodka Original

In 2012, a roommate brought this bottle home after a family member gifted it and never opened it. As students, we immediately started shooting this new spirit and found it to be terrible. A spill actually removed the varnish from our table. We kept returning to this vile concoction, feeling that each shot shaved a year off our lives. It still haunts our group, eight years later, compelling us to take a shot together every full moon, sacrificing a year per drink until we banish this awful spirit from our planet. We are the patrons the world requires. "Initial impression: Yuck Second impression: What the hell? Not only will it strip your table, it does exactly what Russia intended and creates internal conflict in your stomach. Zero stars, may the heavens have pity on your soul, for this vodka will not.

Moskovskaya vodka used to be a classic in the USSR but has been toned down. The aroma is like neutral mountain air with a trace of wheat and pepper. It tastes of sweet vanilla at first, finishing with mild pepper and spice. It doesn't work well as a mixer and is only mediocre neat.

The label on my bottle indicates it's produced in Latvia and bottled in Estonia, not Russia. It's smooth, with the characteristic notes of a good quality grain vodka. Considering the price, it's excellent value.

Minus two stars if possible. May disaster befall anyone who consumes this. It stripped the varnish off my table.

A solid, inexpensive vodka that makes its presence felt in mixed drinks and is palatable enough to sip on its own.

A slight peppery note, exceptionally smooth. The best vodka for its price.