Russian Standard Original Vodka Review

This neutral-flavored vodka works well as a blank state for cocktails, and its viscous body stands up to meats and heavier dishes.

Tasting Notes

Color: Clear 

Nose: Minimal aromatics, except for a nearly imperceptible sweetness from the grain base

Palate: Clean, mildly sweet from its wheat base, and surprisingly peppery on the palate, this vodka also hits the tongue with an almost unctuous, oily texture. 

Finish: The lingering sensation is all about the peppery notes and the alcohol. The unctuousness dissipates and the finish is very dry and clean. 

Our Review

Russian Standard’s billionaire owner, Roustam Tariko, also founded an insurance company and a bank, and owns his own Boeing 737. The vodka his company created in the late 1990s seems like it has a particular traditional focus: To be served cold and with food. It is silky and almost voluptuous in the mouth, and makes a nice primer for meats, a variety of pickled foods, and other traditional Russian dishes. Its barely perceptible aromatics mean that while it doesn’t necessarily complement any dishes, it certainly doesn’t compete or clash with them, either. 

Chill it down and give it a shot (pun absolutely intended). Of course, mixing this vodka in cocktails is entirely fine, too. It makes an excellent complement for soda in highballs (like the ubiquitous Vodka Soda) or juice-centric cocktails, and its soft viscosity would add even more velvety texture to drinks using cream or eggs.