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extacy1375 t1_j69v26p wrote

Reply to comment by Antman013 in eli5: Why does cheap alcohol taste worse than nicer alcohol? by Chase_The_Dream

Would multiple distills make a better tasting vodka? Example would be Tito's (6x) compared to Kettle One (3x).

IMO, Tito's is way better.

I understand one is by corn the other is by wheat. Dont know if that makes a difference.

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sweetnumb t1_j6b3cwn wrote

I know this doesn't really answer your question. But if you filter cheap vodka through like a Brita water filter a few times it'll begin to taste a lot more like expensive vodka.

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jayhawk618 t1_j6bkqjf wrote

We did this in college. I don't know how much of it is placebo, but we did it for a year or so and thought it worked.

Heads up to anyone contemplating this - it makes your filter taste like booze. If you're going to do this, set one filter aside just for vodka and don't use it for water.

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DrDarkeCNY t1_j6cxi02 wrote

MYTHBUSTERS did this to test the theory - they claimed it was "Busted" because filtration doesn't make bottom-shelf vodka taste as good as top-shelf, but filtering it five times through a Brita/Pur type filter does make it taste better to both a vodka "expert" and to Jamie Hyneman. (Kari Byron picked the unfiltered bottom-shelf "control" as second-best and top-shelf as worst, to everyone's amusement!)

Sorry for the crappy copy, but since Discovery Channel now owns WB they're charging for copies of MYTHBUSTERS....

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extacy1375 t1_j6denxy wrote

That was a great video to watch.

They made a great point. It cheaper to buy the top shelf vodka than to run it thru the britta filters. Those filters can be expensive. Especially when using it only once 6x.

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tranding t1_j6bgdba wrote

Yes this is the point I came here to make as well. Smirnoff to grey goose 'taste' after Brita filtering.

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extacy1375 t1_j6b6ecg wrote

I always read about it....never tried.

I dont like any alcohol... especially non clear ones. Unless in a mixed drink. Tito's I can drink straight....without making that face....lol

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Antman013 t1_j69zljp wrote

Grain makes a difference. Number of distillations is a marketing tool, just as Tito's "made in Texas" nonsense is a marketing tool. They truck it in from Indiana (iirc), run it through their own still once, and this is what allows them to claim it's "Texas made".

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The reason I say that "number of distillations" is just marketing is in the way a column still works. There are plates all the way to the top of a column still which catch the condensate. Technically, each one of these plates can be considered a separate "distillation". So, a column still with 30 plates could legally claim to be "30X distilled)". Not that I have heard of any of them doing that. But no, running it through your column still more than once is not going to significantly improve the spirit. If you didn't get it right the first time, it's not going to get much better afterwards

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hikeonpast t1_j6a62z2 wrote

Disagree on both claims.

  1. Number of distillations absolutely makes a difference when it comes to high quality vodka. While you are absolutely correct that high reflux columns with lots of plates increases ABV (thus purity) of the resulting distillate, multiple distillation runs result in fewer cogeners in the final product, thus less discernible odor/flavor.

  2. Grain makes no difference in vodka if properly (multiply) distilled. You can make vodka from grain, potatos, rice, seaweed, grape juice - anything that can be fermented to produce ethanol. Vodka by definition has no discernible taste or smell. It is very very close to just ethanol and water.

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Antman013 t1_j6a7429 wrote

Don't argue with me . . . my opinion is informed by conversations with a PhD who happens to be the Master Blender for J.P. Wiser's in Windsor. Take it up with him.

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Mayor__Defacto t1_j6aemkw wrote

I think this guy is confusing a column/continuous still with a pot still. That’s all I can think of. There’s no point to recycling through a column still, while with a pot still you have to distill it multiple times purely to achieve the proper concentration.

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Scottzilla90 t1_j6bfnev wrote

Yes, more distillation tends to make vodka taste purer as does charcoal filtration (the Brita method).

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FreeJazzForUkraine t1_j6d5biu wrote

Legally, the cheapest stuff and titos should taste the same because of Vodka regulations. Probably doesn't but it should.

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TheMace808 t1_j6e0ogr wrote

Vodka’s definition in a lot of places is just a certain alcohol percentage, doesn’t matter where it comes from as if you concentrate the alcohol that much it most of the aromatics and flavor gets pulled out

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Mayor__Defacto t1_j6aedva wrote

Number of distillations is a stylistic choice on the part of the manufacturer; many of the top rated spirits are made on continuous stills rather than pot stills and thus are “only distilled once”.

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