(ironic) nostalgia card
This is a review of Back In USSR vodka from Moldova. I sampled it in Germany in 2014. It’s clear, 40% alcohol, produced by Enteh, and I thought it was surprisingly good.
The first thing that struck me about this one was its name and design: Back In USSR vodka – with a hammer and a sickle. Was this supposed to cater to some sort of political nostalgia? Or was it a humorous cultural reference?
Another detail that I found interesting was the lack of Russian or Moldovan words on the bottle. It was all in English.
from Chisinau
It took me a while to find Back To USSR vodka online, but I eventually did. And I found out that it was a product of a company called Enteh in Chisinau, Moldova:
I couldn’t find much in terms of information or PR materials. The company had been around for a few decades, and they made Back In USSR vodka from wheat, softened water, and sugar. And that was it.
what the bottle says
There was a interesting little text on the back of the bottle, though:
Throughout the seven decades’ existence of «The XX Century Atlantis»,
which occupied 1/6 of the Planet and vanished in the abyss of History,
the mankind was many a time horrified by it and applauded to the mighty Power.
It was the country of dictators and powerful army,
the country of prominent culture and science,
the country that defeated fascism and led the way into Space.
There is no common way to treat History – it can be worshipped and born
in mind forever, consigned to oblivion and hatred, however the Motherland
of many generations has been the country whose name was the USSR.
Dark stuff.
Back In USSR vodka is a surprise
So how did Back In USSR vodka taste? In one word: awesome. It was very smooth and a bit sweet on the tongue, and it went down almost as if it were water. The aftertaste was rich and aromatic with a hint of vanilla.
I was torn on the bottle design. I would have hated it if it had been an uncritical homage to the Soviet Union. But it didn’t seem to be meant that way, so it was okay. And the price of 13€ for 700ml was great.
I highly recommend this vodka!