Ready To Drink (RTD) Review – Smirnoff ICE Double Black

Today I will be reviewing Smirnoff ICE Double Black. I purchased the RTD from my local Liquorland store. It is an RTD which means it is a mixture of spirits and soft drink that is ready to drink without having to prepare it. It is produced using Smirnoff vodka and a tangy citrus flavoured soda. Being an RTD they are meant for larger consumption compared to wine and spirits, so it has alcohol content similar to beer with an average of 5%, but Smirnoff ICE Double Black is aimed at a higher percentage of 6.5%, so you can drink less but be drinking more. The tasting was from an aluminium can.

The Appearance:

The idea of the RTD is to drink it straight from the can as there is no need for preparation, but I decided to pour it into a glass. When pouring the drink into the glass, it had a crisp clear lemonade style look to it. It has a constant bubble and has to sit down for a while before the fizz will slow down.

The Smell:

The RTD has a clean citrusy smell, which was not overpowered by a smell of vodka.

The Taste:

When first tasting the RTD I assumed with the higher alcohol content compared to the regular RTD’s that it would have a strong vodka taste to it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It had a strong sweet taste, which was almost too strong, but you could barely taste the vodka.

Drinkability:

This is definitely a drinkable RTD, even though it has a strong citrusy taste, but I would see this as being used to combat the stronger vodka content. It has a clean crisp taste and smell which helps to give you an easy drinking experience.

Overall I have tasted many RTD’s and this one is definitely one of the best I have had. To have such strong alcohol content and keep a sweet taste that you can keep drinking without noticing seems to achieve the goal of what they are looking to do with this drink. This would be excellent for people who don’t like the taste of alcohol, but what to drink with their friends and have a good night out. I give the Smirnoff ICE Double Black a 5 out of 5 “Thumbs Up”!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and if you are looking for drinking alcohol but without having the strong taste of alcohol, I would defiantly recommend you try Smirnoff ICE Double Black next time you go out.

-Gabe



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