Vodka Only Vodka Drinks, Cocktails, and Reviews
Initial Thoughts:
Ketel One is slowly becoming the affordable premium alternative to Grey Goose. The attractive and robust bottle gives off a feeling of being a strong and respectable vodka. People will tell you to never judge a book by it’s cover. But when you are walking down that vodka aisle in the store, you can’t help but be impressed by some over others. When I look at Ketel One, a positive impression is definitely made.
I was already confident that this was going to be a decent liquor. Many friends and colleagues of mine enjoy this brand and I didn’t have any fear that I was going to be dissatisfied. However, anytime you are about to take that first shot, the only thing you can think of is the burn. Shooting alcohol is always a mission, and despite Ketel One’s positive reputation, I was still a little nervous going in.
The Shot:
My goal is to record myself take a shot of every vodka brand that I review. Why? Well, nothing describes the pain/joy of taking a shot then looking at a persons face while he does it! So before I describe the shot, go ahead and press play to observe my immediate reaction.
Ketel One Facts
Average Price:$21-25 per 750 ml
Distilled From: 100% wheat in copper pot tills, filtered over loose charcoal, and rests in tiled lined tanks until it’s ready
Percent Alcohol: 40%
Produced By: Nolet Distillery in Schiedam, the Netherlands.
Website: KetelOne.com
That was my first video ever for Vodka Only, I promise to liven it up a bit in the future! But as for the shot, you can see that I took it fairly easy. I did have it in the freezer and this will definitely make any vodka shot go down easy. For the future, I think I will just keep the vodka in fridge; this will give it a more realistic temperature of when you leave a bottle of vodka out while socializing, or when a bartender just pours you a cool shot.
I was very happy with how easy this went down. I may have actually been a little surprised. It finished very clean with not much of a bite at all. You’ll still feel it in the throat, but for an 80-proof liquor, it finished very well. If asked to take a shot of Ketel One in the future, I won’t hesitate to accept.
Shooting Grade: B+
The Mixed Drink:
Grading for the mixed drink is hard, mainly because there are so many options to choose from. For all my reviews, I am going to keep it simple with a Cape Cod as my highball of choice. If you want me to comment on any other mixed drinks for this particular vodka brand, please comment down below and I will try to mix it up in the future.
I mixed 1.5 ounces of Ketel One with about 4 ounces of cranberry juice and mixed thoroughly to make my Cape Cod. My initial reaction is that it mixes fairly well. Vodka’s are flavorless, odorless, and colorless by definition, so what you taste in the vodka is the burning of the alcohol and the bitterness comes from the little particulates that didn’t get removed through the distilleries filtering process. When it comes to Ketel One, they seemed to have figured it out because my mixed drink was right on par.
What you are looking for in the vodka for a mixed drink is, how does the alcohol help the cocktail? A lot of people’s definition of a good mixed drink is one where you can’t taste the alcohol. I disagree. I feel that a good mixed drink is one where I can taste a decent amount of alcohol without have a bitter or nasty taste in the back of my throat. Ketel One shined through perfectly in my Cape Cod, accenting the drink, but not leaving me with any nasty tastes in my mouth. Next time you order your favorite highball at a bar or restaurant, give Ketel One a shot.
Mixed Drink Grade: A-
Conclusion:
Ketel One definitely lived up to the hype and impressed me in both a mixed drink and a shot. Marketing is huge in the alcohol industry and it is important to know which brand earned their notoriety through the media or the quality of their product. Ketel One has passed the test and should be ordered by vodka lovers everywhere.
Final Grade: A-
Kettle on is good, but Wayyyyy over rated.
Especially when it comes to price, there are less expensive vodkas that are just as good or better.
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