Crystal Head

Okay, so unless you are Russian and or buying very cheap vodka, we all know, as much as we might hate to admit it, that it is very difficult to distinguish one vodka from another. I should probably make it clear at this point that we of course are not discussing flavoured or macerated vodkas, ie vodkas which have been infused with the flavour of a herb of fruit etc, simply Vodka, in its most neutral of forms. 

The vast majority of people, when drinking at home, will drink vodka as a mixed drink. But why? As we all know, vodka is a neutrally tasting spirit; I could mix some with coke or cranberry juice and it would taste more of the mixer than it would of the spirit. This leads me to ask the question, why bother spending lots of time and money choosing a bottle of vodka if you can hardly taste the difference between it and its rivals? As I mentioned before, this theory doesn’t work for the extremely cheap brands, like Glen’s, which tend to taste like battery acid however it is drunk. 

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I am talking about more expensively priced ‘premium vodkas’. I personally would rather spend £16 on a bottle of Absolut, which I can happily drink neat when frozen, versus an equally as drinkable bottle of Ciroc. I personally believe the only differences are the marketing techniques applied and the celebrity endorsements acquired. When you see videos of Jay and Diddy dancing around in clubs, surrounded by a clutch of gangsta honeys, with two magnums of Goose up in ‘they’ hands, you know that having a bottle of **insert relevant fashionable vodka here** is probably the best way to go to impress your friends.

‘HOW is this a review?’ I hear you screaming over your keyboard. Okay, calm down. I am getting to it, the preamble is a vital part of my system; the fluffing which leads to the climax.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Crystal Head Vodka. Crystal Head is the brain child of Dan Akroyd, creator of Ghost Busters, and is a quadruple distilled and 7 times filtered ultra-premium vodka. Like its expensive counterparts, it is an incredibly clean and very drinkable vodka which serves exactly the same function; you can mix it or add it to cocktails and you won’t taste it… However, there is one key and defining feature. Crystal Head looks extremely badass.  The skull bottle design, which is based upon the Aztec crystal skulls found in the early 20th century, and manufacture was undertaken in Milan and because of its "unsurpassed design and complexity," it took around two years to complete. In my opinion, vodka is vodka. What makes Crystal Head Vodka different is the time spent on designing a truly beautiful decanter which can be re-used when you have finished the vodka.

In conclusion, there is no shying away from the fact that Vodka is an essential spirit to be kept in your home bar; there is always that friend that doesn’t drink Gin or Whisky  and there are times when you might fancy a vodka martini or a Bloody Mary. If you are on a budget, as I said before, stick to Absolut/Russian Standard because as far as I am concerned there is no difference with vodkas costing double the price. However, if you are one of those people who feel it necessary to spend exorbitant amounts on vodka, ask yourself this; every time you look towards your spirit cupboard/bar, would you rather see a feminine, slender necked bottle of Belvedere or a menacing crystal skull staring back at you, daring you to take a shot?  I know which I prefer.

Rating : 8/10 

Average price : £44.95