# Opinions on Crystal Head Vodka? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** liquor-alcohol\ **Created:** [April 16, 2012, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973 "2012-04-16T17:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/21 "2012-04-16T18:56:41Z")
Are there any definitive blind taste tests for referral? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/22 "2012-04-16T19:05:37Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Are there any definitive blind taste tests for referral? The San Francisco World Spirits Competition I linked to is a blind tasting event. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/23 "2012-04-16T19:07:32Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I don’t want to have this come off as rude or snarky, but rather as how two people can see the same thing and have two totally opposite reactions. > > To me, the skull bottle itself seems so trailer-trashy and such an obvious marketing gimmick that even if the actual vodka itself was on par with Ketel One, Finlandia or Tito’s (a few of my favorites) and sold for $10 I will still be hesitant to buy it for fear of someone seeing me in line at the liquor store with such an adolescent looking product. I’m _very_ close to agreeing, but the mitigating factor is that the bottles for this are pretty well-designed. It’s still cheesy, but it has more of a “spiritualist” vibe than a “Hot Topic” vibe. Still gimmicky as heck, but…vodka is. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/24 "2012-04-16T19:36:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > The San Francisco World Spirits Competition I linked to is a blind tasting event. Is that a single run-through event? A good double-blind test would have multiple run-throughs to see if the same vodkas are popping up on top each time. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/25 "2012-04-16T19:36:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If you had really good vodka, why would you bother spending god-knows-how-much on that sort of packaging? To me, when you do that, you’re selling the bottle, not the liquor. [Have](http://www.dailyicon.net/magazine/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/acres01dailyicon.jpg) [you](http://0.tqn.com/d/cocktails/1/0/D/C/-/-/is_vodka.jpg) [seen](http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/01/c01b0eb8-57b3-5b9b-8432-1310932217ee/4f7b314923b32.image.jpg) [vodka](http://www.herecomestheguide.com/images/articles/CR4ImperialVodka.jpg) [bottles](http://therumhowlerblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/russian-soldier.jpg?w=325&h=456) [lately](http://www.liquorsnob.com/pictures/double_cross_vodka_bottles-thumb-250x188.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/26 "2012-04-16T19:39:28Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is that a single run-through event? A good double-blind test would have multiple run-throughs to see if the same vodkas are popping up on top each time. You didn’t say anything about it being double blind or with multiple run-throughs. You can read more about it [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirits_ratings). ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/27 "2012-04-16T19:46:02Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > My recollection is (and [wikipedia confirms](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Head_Vodka)) that Dan Aykroyd, hilarious comedian and apparently credulous [Spiritualist](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Aykroyd#Beliefs), is behind the vodka. It’s referencing the [crystal skulls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_skull) of paranormal fame, and the quartz “filtration” is more woo. I can’t say definitively whether filtering through quartz would have any real, measurable effect on the vodka, but my (admittedly limited) knowledge of how filtration works suggests that it would not. Pretty sure it works by filtering money out of people’s wallets into Dan Aykroyd’s pockets. Good for him, I guess. I won’t be buying a bottle until it comes with a usable mouth-hole, if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973/28 "2012-04-16T19:57:10Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You didn’t say anything about it being double blind or with multiple run-throughs. You can read more about it [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirits_ratings). I’ll see your link [and raise you one.](http://www.berkeleysprings.com/water/about.htm) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-crystal-head-vodka/618973.md?page=1)