Arassa Maritime

Turkmenistan
Taste
7
Aftertaste
7
Design
8
Price
10
8

the superior one

[40%, sampled in Turkmenistan]

Apparently I wasn’t quite done yet with this vodka brand. For even though the regular Arassa had been a disappointment, I still had this bottle of Arassa Maritime to test. Was it going to be equally bad? Or better? I wasn’t very optimistic, but I chose to give it a try anyway.

worrying recommendations

I had purchased both bottles on the same day in the same shop, where they had been recommended to me by the clerk. So I was wary: if that gentleman had liked the regular Arassa, what did that say about this one?

Also, I was irritated by the price: the regular Arassa had cost 20 manat, so I assumed that this Arassa Maritime edition would cost a bit more. But it didn’t. It cost exactly the same – 20 Manat. Another perfect score, sure, but it seemed arbitrary.

better bottle

The bottle was much prettier than that of the regular Arassa, though. It wasn’t as sophisticated as luxury brands like Belvedere or the Goose, sure, and the bottle cap did look a bit awkward. But I liked the subtle nautical theme with the jumping dolphin in the center. Also, it made the nice gurgling sound when you poured from it.

Arassa Maritime has a notion of mint

But let’s talk about the taste. First of all, Arassa Maritime only had a very faint smell. This is almost always a good sign, because it means that there aren’t that many impurities that managed to get past the filtering processes. The taste was good, too. It was much softer than that of the regular Arassa, much more refined and pleasant. Arassa Maritime is a smooth vodka.

The aftertaste was surprising as well. First it warmed the stomach, and then there was a nice, lasting aroma with a faint notion of mint.

Overall, this Arassa Maritime was surprisingly good, especially after the Arassa fiasco.