Product: Absolut Kurant Vodka Producer: Absolut Approximate Retail Value: $20/750 ML Category: Vodka Country of Origin: Sweden Reviewer: SexHerald Staff The F Words: Flavor – Round, sweet, and slightly tart. Feel – Clean but a little heavy for a vodka. Finish – Smooth, with a pleasant aftertaste.

Rating:

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the yearly Absolut service industry party at Chicago’s Union Station. Drinks were free, promotional items were available in great quantity and spectacle abounded. There were, to my surprise and delight, a flock of extravagant drag queens parading about each representing one flavor from the Absolut Vodka family.

I must have gotten sidetracked before Miss Kurant made her appearance, but I would have been honored to shake her hand. Absolut Kurant is a doll of a vodka, and for being moderately priced, it delivers complex flavor, adequate smoothness and a drinking experience slightly different than that of its contemporaries.

Now, I am not a vodka lady. Maybe it’s the few bad experiences I had in high school or the fact that the only vodka you can taste is often the lousiest vodka, but it usually hasn’t been my booze of choice. Absolut Kurant, though, is an exception to this rule. It is an extremely flavorful fruit vodka and so pungent that you can smell fresh currants even before your lips touch the glass.

The boozy flavor of the vodka is fairly well-hidden beneath the sweet, round flavor of ripe fruit. Unlike vodkas with raspberry or strawberry flavoring, Absolut Kurant offers a more complex array of flavors: It is slightly tart like apple vodka without being weak like many lemon vodkas. And, although, it is extremely sweet, I wouldn’t classify Absolut Kurant as overly sugary. It does leave a mild aftertaste, but it’s pleasant and almost immediately fades away.

Absolut suggests several martinis for Kurant, most of which contain the usual mixture of citruses, cranberry juice and lime. I myself would be inclined toward their Blackberry Bellini - Absolut Kurant and blackberry puree – or even their odd milk-based cocktail, the Kurant Catnip. I have yet to find the recipe, but this slightly tart berry-flavored vodka could also contribute to a really excellent, slightly different chocolate martini.

Absolut Kurant is versatile and slightly unusual with a sweetness that allows it to partner with a wide variety of ingredients. Its round, deep flavor, paired with the natural smoothness of Absolut Vodka, makes it an eminently drinkable vodka.