All the vodkas chosen are easily obtainable and are judged on the Pryzhov approval scale of one to five for the inclusive qualities of smoothness, taste and value.
Absolut 100 makes more sense as a product name in America than in the UK where the proof is halved.
Bottle & label: Maintaining the Absolut tradition, but the bottle is totally black.
Tasting notes: Like all Absolut vodkas, it is reliably smooth as well as being strong with a pleasant, fruity and spicy kick.
Best use: It can be used as a mixer or served straight on ice.
Pryzhov approval:
Only the heart of the distillation is used, a factor which contributes to the small batches of fifteen bottles made from a copper-pot still. As well as their vodkas, the company makes gin and offers a service for fruit farmers to convert their produce into spirits of their choice. The company’s other vodkas include Coffee Bean Vodka and English Spirit Seasonal Fruit Vodka (both 37% proof), with the latter depending on what fresh picked fruit is available. Its advertising language is strongly “artisanal”.
Bottle & label: The bottle shape is reminiscent of Absolut. Crisp, clear labelling, with a flag of St. George, marks it out as an unmistakably English product.
Tasting notes: Notes of soft, warm honey and a hint of lemon make for a very clean taste. It also has a light, bready flavour.
Best use: It makes for an excellent mixer because of the high proof and is very acceptable served on ice or very cold.
Pryzhov approval: 
Glen’s is almost a joke to many, as it has no pretensions whatsoever and makes no claims for itself except for being “exciting”.
Bottle & label: It is one of the cheapest vodkas on the market and not the worst.
Tasting notes: Its quality has astonished at least one vodka expert in blind tastings. When drunk neat, it does have a noticeable, but not aggressive, burn, which is enjoyed by some vodka drinkers. It also has a hot, citric quality when swallowed.
Best use: It is the perfect base for a concentrated fruit-flavoured mixer and for homemade herbal or fruit infusions.
Pryzhov approval:
Produced in the Picardy region of France where cognac reigns, it is now one of the stars in the vodka world. It is said that Grey Goose inspired the creation of other “ultra-premium” vodkas.
Bottle & label: Each bottle is hand-made and is frosted with geese and cool mountains as well as the French tricolour.
Tasting notes: Extra smooth and dense in the mouth, Grey Goose has hints of wheat and dark chocolate.
Best use: It makes for an excellent mixer and is safe on ice.
Pryzhov approval:
It would be easy to become sentimental about this vodka, as it purports to be made from the original recipe used in 1430 by Isidor, the monk who might be described as the father of Russian vodka. Modern technology has refined away the 15th-century impurities using artesian-well water, special grain spirit and traditional copper vats.
Bottle & label: The highly distinctive, longnecked-carafe shape is based on 18th-century vodka flasks. The slightly austere label is decorated with Isidor’s name.
Tasting notes: This smooth, glowing spirit is slightly musky and has hints of warm pepper and honey.
Best use: It is better straight on ice than when used as a mixer.
Pryzhov approval:
Using the same recipe since 1928, Luksusowa easily surpasses many more highly-promoted brands made from potato for all-round quality.
Bottle & label: If the content was judged by the look of the bottle, the vodka would be deemed rather lacklustre, but the brand is immediately distinctive courtesy of its red and white lettering.
Tasting notes: A rich, soft and creamy vodka, Luksusowa has a mellow sweetness, which remains after it is swallowed.
Best use: It can be used as a mixer, but the subtle flavours excel when drunk with ice.
Pryzhov approval: 
More a nastokya than a vodka, the brand is a well-known classic. Water and port wine are added to the spirit, which is infused with spices and herbs including pepper, angelica, aniseed and juniper. Traditionally drunk in cold weather, it has a rich amber colour.
Bottle & label: Although the bottle has a plain shape, the label has elements of Soviet poster art as well as shades of orange, gold and brown. The presence of a duck on the label reinforces the hunter motif.
Tasting notes: Honey and pepper notes combine with a lingering taste of ginger to leave a hot, but not burning, sensation.
Best use: Delicious when sipped on its own.
Pryzhov approval:
The vodka is infused with red and black peppers and cubeb berries (Java pepper) and is a rather vivid red in the glass.
Bottle & label: The plain bottle is redolent of the Soviet period, while the large red peppers on the label leave the temperature of the vodka in no doubt.
Tasting notes: Initially very hot and slightly bitter, it settles very quickly to leave a warm feeling.
Best use: The spirit is good when drunk neat, chilled or with ice. Although it is unlikely to be as hot as Peter the Great’s favourite peppered vodka, it has a bite which makes it a good base for a Bloody Mary.
Pryzhov approval:
Siwucha is a curious but successful attempt to recreate a type of vodka drunk in Russia and Poland between the two world wars. The choice of name reflects Slavic humour – in Polish and Russian it means “moonshine” or even “rotgut”. Made from rye and barley, it is one of the few vodkas to be aged in oak, and the distinctive taste is created by the inclusion of sloe.
Bottle & label: The old method of sealing vodka with a cork and wax is used here, and the label for the half-litre bottle is correspondingly old-fashioned in appearance.
Tasting notes: Warm, sweet and gentle, the spirit has subtle hints of fruit.
Best use: Siwucha is best enjoyed neat and at room temperature, but does not suffer from being slightly chilled.
Pryzhov approval:
This vodka contains Smirnoff No 21, which has been infused with blueberries, resulting in a distinct and unusual flavour.
Tasting notes: Although slightly harsh and tingly after swallowing, the citrus taste makes the drink extremely refreshing.
Best use: This vodka can be drunk neat with ice or with a plain mixer such as lemonade.
Pryzhov approval:
Stolichnaya is made from Kalingrad water and filtered using traditional Russian methods. Elderly émigré Russians are fervent in their praise of Stolichnaya, insisting that it tastes of the vodka they remember in their homeland.
Bottle & label: Bottles adorned with the old-fashioned label featuring the hideous Hotel Moskva of Stalin’s day can still be found, but a series of colourful new designs by Yuri Gorbachev has brought the bottle into the present day.
Tasting notes: A momentarily hot sensation is followed by lemon and bread flavours when drinking this silky vodka.
Best use: Stolichnaya is extremely versatile and can be drunk neat or used as a mixer.
Pryzhov approval:
Utkins UK5 is the world’s first organic vodka to be made completely from rye. Although the rye comes from a German farm, which has been organic for over 30 years, the spirit is produced in Kent. Organic products do not use artificial insecticides or herbicides, and UK5 relies on the purity of the material used before the distilling process, which eliminates the need for purification by carbon filtration.
Bottle & label: The traditional bottle shape is combined with the silver and blue label, which has the Prince of Wales feathers that denote Prince Charles’ seal of approval.
Tasting notes: This cool and smooth vodka is creamy and has a flavour reminiscent of baking bread flavour.
Best use: The vodka is excellent when drunk neat with ice but can also be used to make raspberry-flavoured nalivka.
Pryzhov approval:
Like the English Spirit Vodka, only the heart of the distillation is used to create Zorokovich 1917. Although the vodka is produced on a small scale, it is not made in a copper still.
Bottle & label: The traditional bottle shape features black swallows and a tie-on tag that suggests age and maturity.
Tasting notes: Hints of aniseed and baking bread combine with suggestions of spice and nutmeg to leave a warm and pleasant aftertaste.
Best use: The spirit is very good when prepared neat on ice and also makes a good base for a Bloody Mary.
Pryzhov approval: