By
George Brozowski
It's
absolutely amazing the way in which
we develop our sense of taste and then how we evolve to like
and dislike certain flavors and foods. I'm willing to bet
that the whole process starts with mom's milk and proceeds
through those pureed, bottled baby foods that are shoved down
our collective throats. That progresses to bits of solid food
where some are touted as being good for you and must be eaten
and others that are just sweet and yummy and that you would
really rather eat. By the time we hit our teenage years and
have developed a serious attitude and a rebellious streak
that encompasses everything and everyone and we either really
hate our parents or are ashamed of them the only things that
taste good are mac and cheese, cheeseburgers, fries, pizzas
and very sweet drinks of any sort.
It
seems that when we finally become young adults our tastes
open up a bit and we begin to experiment with all sorts of
weird stuff like Jagermeister, cherry liqueur, beets, kinky
sex, fois gras, truffles, and overly caffeinated drinks. I
do believe that by the time we hit 30 our taste buds just
might finally be fully developed and we might actually come
to appreciate all the wonders available on this planet for
drinking and eating as well as all the other methods of ingesting
pleasurable experiences.
However
there will always be things we will find unpalatable no matter
our level of experience and sophistication. In my particular
case one of my dreaded nemeses is Brussels sprouts. I truly
believe that God created these little green turds as joke
on all of mankind. Every time someone eats a Brussels sprout
God rolls over in his cloud and lets out a thunderous laugh.
Another thing I have never really come to grips with is coconut.
I always avoid chocolates that have coconut in them.
I've
tried coconut numerous ways and have always come away from
the experience feeling that this just might be another form
of the Brussels sprout. Now, before anyone gets their panties
in a wad let me quote the almighty French Gastronomes who
say "chacun a son gout" to each their own taste.
And let me further add to all you Brussels sprout and coconut
aficionados, Bon Appétit.
All
that being said all I really wanted to do was to clear the
air about my ambivalence towards coconut before I reviewed
Svedka Coconut Flavored Vodka. It's hard
to come into these tastings without some preconceived notion,
love or hate. I do my best to set them aside but I can guarantee
you that if some fool distiller out there ever makes Brussels
sprout vodka or Brussels sprout brandy they better keep that
crap away from me because I WILL rip them a new one.
I
really can't wait to see if this taste test turns into a rant
or a rave but with a clear conscience and an open mind and
open mouth here goes. The bottle is white with gold accents
and the Svedka Brand is spelled out in a
greenish yellow color as is the word COLADA. The aroma coming
from the bottle reminds me of a coconut creamsicle and is
syrupy and very inviting. I pick up a really nice and natural
coconut scent backed by a fruity pineapple sweetness wafted
by tropical trade winds and followed by a hint of the vodka.
It is actually quite intriguing. In the glass the coconut
and the pineapple and the sweetness fall together and present
a solid and interesting nose with a tiny bit of alcohol back.
My palate is very surprised by the mellowness of the drink
even straight up, it is smooth and sweet and oh so coconutty.
And I actually really like the coconut taste that Svedka presents
here, it is not overwhelming, it is not artificial, it is
very natural and well balanced and I really surprise myself
by having to say I like it, I mean I really like it. On the
rocks it expands its taste profile and becomes just that much
better. I stopped with tasting it on the rocks because I saw
no point in mixing anything else with it as it stood alone
quite beautifully. The finish is long and smooth and sweet
just like I guessed it would be. Well I'll be go to hell,
this is not a rant but a rave, I like it. It's 75 proof and
at around $13.00 to $14.00 per 750 ml bottle it's a steal.
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
www.svedka.com/