Picked up on a recent trip. This is not technically vodka, but Spirytus - uncut, 192 proof raw alcohol. I am reviewing it on its own because I am insane. The smell is almost nonexistent, with just the slightest hint of alcohol and nothing else. Dear god, don't do this. The tiniest of sips exploded in my mouth, to the point that I could actually *feel* it racing through my tastebuds and into my bloodstream. The taste is actually quite good, with notes from everything to raw lemon juice at the start, a habanero pepper that is literally on fire for most of it, and a finish like licking $10,000 silk rubbed down in butter. Instead of causing tissue damage for the shot, I added an equal portion of purified water first to cut it down to something like the proof of a normal vodka. Still not enough water, as it went down like lava - but a very flavorful one, with flavor notes of buckwheat and creme brulee showing up unannounced alongside just a hint of the lemon and butter from before. It still went down as smooth as a top-shelf premium vodka, but only if that vodka had actual flames gouting out of it. Don't drink this. This is not a beverage, it is a chemical. There should be a MSDS for this, or at the very least a warning label. Still, used properly (base spirit for your own nalewkas, cordials, and infusions), this is a pretty decent spirytus, and WAY better than american corn-based "neutral spirits".
Reviewer: Sam W.