Absolut Elyx

Sweden

the copper

This is a review of Absolut Elyx vodka from Sweden. I sampled it in Germany in 2017. It’s clear, 42.3% alcohol, owned by Pernod Ricard, and I thought it had a great aftertaste.

A while ago I got an email from a guy called Jeremie. “Do you want to try some new vodka?” he asked me. Sure, I said. A little later I received a bottle in the mail. It was called Absolut Elyx vodka, and it looked a bit different from the other Absolut bottle designs.

expensive stuff

I was surprised to find out that Absolut Elyx vodka didn’t just have a product page on the official website of Absolut. It also had its own dedicated website. And not only that, it had its own store called the Absolut Elyx Boutique, a place where people could not only buy vodka but also ridiculously expensive items like a COPPER PEACOCK LIMITED EDITION for 300 euros.

There was a lot of talk about luxury. How this vodka was created from ingredients coming from only one particular place in Sweden. How a VINTAGE COPPER COLUMN STILL FROM 1921 was involved in the process. And about how master distiller Krisper Asplund personally tasted every batch. It reminded me of Minskaya, Tito’s Handmade, Ketel One, or Rutte, all of which mention their master distillers by name.

Apart from that, Absolut Elyx vodka also had a Facebook page with almost 45,000 followers and an Instagram account that had amassed 150,000+ followers.

[online search from April 11th 2022]

My takeaway from all of this was that the Absolut brand is really trying very hard to establish Absolut Elyx vodka as their luxury flagship. They market it as THE WORLD’S FIRST TRUE LUXURY VODKA, which is a pretty bold statement, considering that there are brands like Beluga and Kauffman out there.

Also, they have recently redesigned the bottle.

in Prague

Okay, back to our review of Absolut Elyx vodka. Here I am in a hotel in Prague, listening to Rancid. They have this song “Old Friend” that I really like. It’s about heartbreak. The bottle that Jeremie sent over is here with me. There are no shot glasses in this hotel room, but I have a regular water glass, and I also have some walnuts.

I always drink my vodka neat and at room temperature. Besides that, I usually try to have some light snacks along with it. Today these walnuts will have to do. Shot. Walnut. Shot. Walnut.

handcrafted

The bottle design is okay. I guess they didn’t dare to deviate too much from the regular Absolut branding, and they wanted to use clear glass, but they added some copper-colored stripes onto it because of the VINTAGE COPPER COLUMN STILL FROM 1921 that they use.

I think overall it’s an okay design, not great but not bad either. I’m glad they gave it a makeover.

What about the price, though? I looked it up online: 35€ for 700ml. That’s pretty steep indeed, but still not too high.

Now the Misfits are on – “All Hell Breaks Lose”.

Absolut Elyx vodka wins in the aftertaste

First, the taste: Absolut Elyx vodka is sweet, that’s the first thing I noticed. But it’s not particularly smooth. It’s a bit hot in the mouth, and it burns on its way down the throat. This might not be what you’d expect from a “luxury” vodka, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

If a vodka isn’t smooth, then the aftertaste has to be right, which in this case it is. Absolut Elyx vodka doesn’t slide down easily like a sip of cold water, but then it sits in your stomach and makes you feel warm from within. That’s when the aftertaste kicks in, and it’s sweet and gentle and lasting and fun.

Did I taste the copper, though? I don’t think so.

room for improvement

All things considered, I think it’s good that they ditched the Absolut bottle design and went for something more bold. I think the price is okay, but for a real luxury vodka, Absolut Elyx vodka lacks a little bit in the smoothness department.

I liked it, though.