This is such a great exploration into a question consumers may not even consider! I love vodka and I have strong opinions about which ones I like, and your article made me think more deeply about why I prefer some vodkas over others when they're arguably pretty darn similar. My favorite vodka is made by Crater Lake Spirits here in Oregon. Their website says their unflavored vodka is filtered ten times (note they say filtered, not distilled, and I'm not familiar with which part of the production process involved filtering). One of their marketing techniques I roll my eyes at is their "gluten free" branding...all vodka is gluten free unless flavored with something contained gluten. Nevertheless, their reserve vodka - supposedly filtered 100 times for excellent smoothness - is astonishingly good. It doesn't surprise me at all their unflavored vodkas are award-winning. Something about that smoothness and the taste quality, completely inoffensive, is just perfect for mixing drinks or taking shots! I often find that "cheap" vodka can come off a bit like a cleaning chemical in aroma and flavor, whereas Crater Lake is perfectly smooth. I can't wait to investigate this phenomenon more and try to identify real vs. supposed differences between cheap and expensive vodkas!