Dan Akroyd's Crystal Head Vodka

Johnny's ancestor, Genghis Lager

Crystal Head Vodka, $50
Dan Akroyd you magnificent son of a bitch! Now, thanks to you, I can drink from a skull, just as my ancestors did! Or just as mystic space aliens did. Or something. 

Their web site explains their inspiration: 13 (or 7?) Chrystal Skulls from antiquity (maybe). Then it gets a bit mystical. At the bottom of this post is a video of Dan Akroyd cheerfully bellowing about the occult and his vodka. You cannot tell if he is kidding.

Included is a promising description of their vodka: "Our beverage consists of the proprietary mash and the deep glacial aquifer Newfoundland water – and that’s it!… It is thrice filtered through charcoal and then thrice filtered through Herkimer diamonds…"

I can't sort out the Herkimer diamonds bit, but whatever: I was lucky enough to find the gift-pack with two smaller drinking skulls, so, let's drink from the skull! 

Ecto-brain, electric with merriment!

First of all, it comes with a cork -an honest-to-god plastic cork. Oh well. But! Firster of all, it comes in a freaking skull. It could taste like isopropyl and I would still buy it. 

I gave it a sniff, and it smells like isopropyl. Not a good start. But, I am richer three glass skulls. So I have that going for me, which is nice. The taste, happily, is light, bright and smooth, but it burns the tongue and throat a little. The mouth feel is a bit watery.

An ice cube took some of the edge off, improved the mouthfeel and brought out a slightly flowery taste. Not bad. In the interest of fairness: another taste. A bit of a one-note vodka, I'm afraid, but the burn is all but gone on the third sip. In the interest of science: another taste. Still a one-note vodka, but some people like that. I think. Not my friends from Poland, Germany or Russia, though. 

Look, it comes down to this: There are more affordable vodkas with more flavor and nuance on the market, but this one:

A) comes exactly as described; crisp and made from simple, pure ingredients, 

B) comes with a sense of fun, and conversation-starting mystical speculations, 

C) COMES IN A FREAKING SKULL! 

Price: $50

Rating: 4.5 out of 7 Crystal Heads for taste; 7 out of 7 Crystal Heads for style. Make of that what you will.

Dan Akroyd has this to say about it: