I'm not usually a big drinker of vodka, especially infused or flavored varieties, but the other night my curiosity got the better of me and I asked my favorite bartender to pour me a sample of Effen Black Cherry Vodka.  In appearance, it looked exactly like one would imagine: colorless, transparent, and very much like water.  The aroma, however, was shockingly filled with cherry.  At first I wanted to say that it smelled like Cherry Coke, but almost immediately it brought to mind the wonderful feeling of biting into a fresh cherry, right off the tree.  I was eager to taste it.

It's hot, of course, being 80 proof, and it tastes strongly of real cherries.  There's a sour flavor, perhaps some sort of acidity from the alcohol, but it can't mask the cherry completely, and the sweet, fruit flavors linger pleasantly in the aftertaste.  I tried it alongside another well-known brand's cherry vodka, and Effen easily won.  The other was saccharine, sugary, and fake.  Effen tastes like the real thing, and so for your next cherry-flavored drink, I'd advise giving it a try.