sweet fire
This is a review of Stopochkin vodka from Uzbekistan. I sampled it in Uzbekistan in 2017. It’s clear, 40% alcohol, and it was surprisingly good.
We’ve only had one Uzbek vodka on here before, and that one was Qalampir, a pepper vodka that turned out to be pretty bad. So I decided to try a few more. This one is called Stopochkin (Стопочкинъ), and it seems to be pretty rare. At least there was not much on the internet about it.
ground glass
So about the price. Yeah, the price, the price. I’m seriously thinking about changing the way I’m rating these brands, because vodka is just too cheap all over Central Asia. It just doesn’t seem fair. Also, a lot of countries in that region have volatile currencies, so there is a lot of fluctuation in the prices that I am giving you here.
But anyway, Stopochkin was about 4€ for 500ml, so it’s another perfect ten.
The bottle design is okay. Again it’s making use of ground glass, just like Shohona Platinum, and again it’s nice, but it feels a bit uninspired.
Stopochkin has a nice aftertaste
I tried this stuff while I was outside, but even there it somehow managed to emit a strong and fiery smell. This was a bad sign. So I was surprised when the taste seemed fine at first. Stopochkin had a smooth feel, and it was easy in the mouth. On the way down the throat, however, it started fighting. It had a taste of fire.
The aftertaste was, again, a surprise: it was soft, sweet, and lasting. Stopochkin made for a nice warm feeling in the stomach, and it was quite aromatic.