Today we make a long overdue journey back to Lidl to sample their fine Vodka Rachmaninoff.
Vodka Rachmaninoff comes in two varities: 37.5% for £9.99 and 40% for £10.99. I decided to spend the extra £1 and reclaim the missing 2.5% which is rightfully mine. Maybe some time I will compare them both and see if there’s any noticeable difference.
Up next: Tchaikovsky’s Peppermint Schnapps
Vodka Rachmaninoff is presumably named after the Russian composer, which is kind of weird since is it made in Germany. I’m sure Mr Rachmaninoff would be very pleased to know his name lives on through cheap supermarket brand vodka and underage drinking parties. I was hoping the bottle would have more of Lidl’s silly cocktail recipes, but unfortunately the label is quite bare, meaning I don’t get to make shitty jokes about it. I remember the label having a different design at one point, but I don’t think it was very funny either.
Vodka Rachmaninoff is a clear, colourless liquid, which is great. In fact it’s my ideal appearance of vodka. The smell however, is not. This vodka resembles a mix of permanent marker, shoe polish and petrol fumes. It isn’t even the usual ethanol smell of cheap vodka, it smells like it was made in a bathtub somewhere. The taste is really weird. It’s quite a sugary drink, and while I wouldn’t call it “smooth”, it doesn’t have the harsh burn I was expecting. The smell isn’t anything like the taste, which is really confusing. Drinking more Rachmaninoff makes it taste better, but as the taste refines, the burn starts to develop. Soon the vodka begins to taste more normal, however it it still much more sweet than any vodka I have ever tasted. Rachmaninoff definitely isn’t a vodka you want to sip at, but luckily it mixes quite well and in a Screwdriver it tastes like any other cheap vodka.
Rachmaninoff is quite a unique vodka, but that doesn’t mean it’s good. Fortunately it is pretty cheap and I doubt you’re going to find a 40% strength vodka any cheaper. You can easily mix Vodka Rachmaninoff with your mixer of choice and focus on getting drunk without having to worry about the really weird taste, or you can probably huff it and get high off the fumes.
Booze Review rating: 7/10 deliciouses
