Review: Luksusowa Wisniowa (Cherry Vodka)

I was surprised when I received the press materials for Luksusowa Wisniowa (the cherry flavoured version). I discovered that the Vodka Liqueur which carries the Luksusowa name may not in fact use the potato based Luksusowa Vodka as its base spirit. Instead, Luksusowa Wisniowa (according to the press materials given to me anyway) is a cherry flavoured vodka made from real cherry fruit and the finest grain spirit.

Irregardless, of how the spirit was produced, the deep reddish tones of the spirit and its lovely cherry flavour make it a perfect flavoured Vodka for Valentines Day Cocktails, which is why I have chosen today to publish my review:

Your may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

Secret Admirer

“… In the breezes above the glass I notice quite a bit of spice in the air and the scent of a lightly sweet hard cherry candy. The spice reminds me of cardamom or ginger and seems to give the aroma a light effervescence which was rather unexpected. Hints of menthol arise, and although I am not really sure, I seem to receive an impression of Ruby Port wine in those breezes …”

Of course I have a few of those Valentines cocktails as well:

Oh My Valentine!

The Secret Admirer

The Year in Vodka

There are subtle aromas and flavours which can be appreciated when Vodka is sipped or when it is consumed as a shot. As well, when served with good food, vodka has the ability to enhance the gastronomic experience by cleansing the palate between bites allowing you to taste each morsel more completely. When I review Vodka on my website, I try very hard to convey my appreciation of these subtle nuances of pleasure which Vodka can provoke. I think I am doing something right, because my Vodka reviews are amongst the most popular on my website.

This Year I have separated the Vodka Awards from the Tequila and Gin Awards to give them more prominence. All spirit samples which I receive to review on my website are automatically considered for my awards. I do my review, and then I set aside the remainder of the spirit for the end of the year judging. This year, for the first time ever, I also received additional industry samples specifically for these awards.

Here are the recipients of my 2012 Rum Howler Awards for Excellence in the Production of Vodka. These Awards are for the best Vodka Spirits I encountered in the year 2012:

The 2012 Rum Howler Awards – The Year in Vodka

Budmo!

Review: Magic Moment Remix Chocolate Flavoured Vodka

The Magic Moments Remix Flavoured Vodkas are triple distilled grain spirits from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) The flagship product, M2 Magic Moments Vodka was launched in November of 2005, and it quickly became India’s fastest growing deluxe vodka. Since then, the company has also introduced 6 new vodka flavors or ‘remixes’,  Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Ginger and Lemongrass. the consistent quality of all of these remix flavours has led to winning awards at both the International Spirits Challenge and Monde Selection Award 2011.

This is the final review in my series of the Magic Moments Brand, thus far I have found the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remix flavour to be very much to my liking. Here is an excerpt from my review of the Magic Moment Remix Chocolate:

“… When I brought the glass to my nose I could smell nice chocolate notes above the glass. The smell reminded me of a dark semi-sweet chocolate bar with hints of shredded coconut embedded within. The aroma is nice… “

You may read my full review here:

I have included a couple of nice recipes with the review, I hope you enjoy them.

Cheers!

Review: Magic Moment Remix Lemon Flavoured Vodka

This is my fifth review of the new Magic Moments Remix flavours from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.)  The Magic Moments brand was launched in Canada this year and the Company has also introduced 6 vodka flavors or ‘remixes’, each bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume. These remix flavours are, Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Lemongrass and Ginger. These flavoured Vodkas have been well received in other parts of the world and if you have been reading my previous reviews you will know that I have been impressed by their quality as well.

AA Impex Ltd. (here is a link to the Magic Moments North America Website) has recently began to distribute the Vodka and the Remix flavours across Canada. As part of their media campaign I was sent samples of each spirit and my reviews have roughly coincided with the launching of the brand.

Here is an excerpt from the latest review, the Magic Moments Remix Lemon Flavoured Vodka:

“… Sipping on the spirit is very pleasant. The lemon flavour is lightly sweet and not aggressive at all. The palate is heated by grain spices in a pleasant way, and the overall effect of the spice and the lemon reminds me of lemon drop candies; (although not a s sharp nor as sweet as those candies can be)…. “

Here is a link to the full review which contains two excellent recipes, Pleasantville, and the Lemon Sky Soldier.

Please enjoy the review!

Review: Magic Moments Remix Orange Flavoured Vodka

This is my fourth review of the new Magic Moments Remix flavours from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.)  The Magic Moments brand was launched in Canada this year and the Company has also 6 new vodka flavors or ‘remixes’, each bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume. These remix flavours are, Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Lemongrass and Ginger. These flavoured Vodkas have been well received in other parts of the world  as all of these remix flavours have been recent award winners at the International Spirits Challenge and Monde Selection Award 2011.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remixes from India into Canada. They sent me samples of each spirit such that they could be reviewed here on my website.  (Here is a link to the Magic Moments North America Website.)

Here is an excerpt from my review for the Magic Moments Remix Orange Flavoured Vodka.

“… The Orange Remix displays a nice mellow aroma of orange candy drops which smells very pleasant in the glass. It is a light aroma with mild accents of spiciness (and perhaps just a touch of mint rising into the breezes as well). I compared the aroma to Triple Sec afterwards, and found the Magic Moments to be far less penetrating and more subdued. So far this flavoured spirit appears to be very approachable… “

Here is a link to the full review:

I included a nice cocktail at the end of the review, the The Orange Blossom Breeze.

Please enjoy my review, and the delicious cocktail which concludes the review.

Review: Magic Moments Remix Raspberry Flavoured Vodka

Magic Moments Remix Flavoured Vodkas are triple distilled grain spirits from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) The Magic Moments brand was launched in November of 2005, and quickly became India’s fastest growing deluxe vodka brand, and since then the company has also introduced 6 new vodka flavors or ‘remixes’, each bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume. These remix flavours are, Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Lemongrass and Ginger. All of these remix flavours have been recent award winners at the International Spirits Challenge and Monde Selection Award 2011.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remixes from India into Canada. They sent me samples of each spirit such that they could be reviewed here on my website.  (Here is a link to the Magic Moments North America Website.)

Here is an excerpt from my review for the Magic Moments Remix Raspberry Flavoured Vodka.

“… The nose, of course, displays a very obvious raspberry scent. The scent is sweet or ‘candied’ and there is perhaps just a touch of menthol in the aroma as well. It is a very nice expression that had my tasting group (and myself) very enthusiastic about taking a sip… “

Here is a link to the full review:

I included a nice Cosmopolitan style cocktail at the end of the review, the Raspberry Cosmopolitan.

Please enjoy my review, and the delicious cocktail which concludes the review.

Review: Magic Moments Remix Green Apple Flavoured Vodka

Yesterday, I introduced the Magic Moments Remix Flavoured Vodkas which are triple distilled grain spirits from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask), one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) I was sent a sample of each remix flavour earlier in the summer and asked if I could review each flavour on my website to published approximately as the line-up was launched across Canada.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remixes from India into Canada. The information I received indicates that the flavoured Remix Vodkas are distilled from 100 % rice grain and that only natural ingredients are used to produce the Remix Flavours. Today’s review is the Magic Moments Remix Green Apple Flavoured Vodka. Like all of the Remix flavours I was sent, it is bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… As soon as I opened the bottle I could detect a distinct green apple scent. My friends Connie and Lukasz who were with me for my first tasting practically squealed with delight when they brought the glasses to their noses as they each love the aroma and the taste of green apple. The spirit is crystal clear, and that wonderful green apple aroma just never stops. There is a light hint of sweetness to the aroma and all three of us could not wait to bring our glasses up to our mouths to take a sip… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Of course I constructed a couple of nice cocktails with this new flavour, a Green Apple Darby, and a Green Apple and Tonic.

Please enjoy the review and my new cocktails!

Review: Magic Moments Remix Lemongrass and Ginger Flavoured Vodka

Magic Moments Remix Flavoured Vodkas are triple distilled grain spirits from Radico Khaitan Ltd. (Radio Cask) who is one of India’s oldest and largest liquor manufacturers. (Radico Khaitan was formerly known as the Rampur Distillery which was established in 1943.) The Magic Moments brand was launched in November of 2005, and quickly became India’s fastest growing deluxe vodka brand, and since then the company has also introduced 6 new vodka flavors or ‘remixes’, each bottled at 37.5 % alcohol by volume. These remix flavours are, Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Lemongrass and Ginger. All of these remix flavours have been recent award winners at the International Spirits Challenge and Monde Selection Award 2011. Here is a link to the Magic Moments Website where you wish you can learn more.

AA Impex Ltd. has recently began to import the Magic Moments Vodka and the Remixes from India into Canada. They sent me samples of each spirit such that they could be reviewed here on my website. This, of course, is the review for the Magic Moments Remix Lemongrass and Ginger Flavoured Vodka.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… Once poured, the flavoured vodka displays a very obvious lemon scent. I liken this scent to the smell of lemon drop candies.  There is a bit of an herbaceous tinge to the aroma, similar to what I have likened in the past to sweetgrass. I suspect these are the grassy overtones of lemongrass and the pungent spiciness of ginger… “

Here is a link to the full review:

Of course I made a few cocktails with this wonderful remix, one suggested by the Importer called Oriental Ale, and my cocktail called the Meadowland Breeze.

Please enjoy this review and the cocktails that follow, Cheers!

Review: Zubrowka (Bison Grass) Vodka

Zubrowka or ‘Bison Grass’ Vodka is an original Polish Vodka distilled at the Polmos Bialystok Distillery located 200 km northeast of Warsaw. In this region of the world, Vodka(or at least a spirit similar to Vodka) has been flavoured with Bison Grass for over 600 years. The Bison grass (Hierochloe odorata or Herchloe Australis) grows in the Białowieża Forest (which lies in Northern Poland and Belarus), although distinct varieties of this herbal grass grow in other locations as well including North America where the plant has been known as ‘Sweetgrass’ or ‘Holy Grass’.

I should mention that received a bottle of Zubrowka Vodka from Ashley Calapatia, who is with the PR agency representing Zubrowka Vodka in Canada. I was requested to provide a review of the spirit here on my website, and here is an excerpt from that review:

“… The vodka carries a light herbal aroma in the glass but identification of any particular scent was remarkably difficult. Descriptors like vanilla, sage, thyme, rosemary and cinnamon were tossed back and forth amongst us, but I think it is somewhat safer to say we discerned a lightly pungent herbal quality on both the nose and the palate that was quite different from what any of us had encountered before….”

My full review may be read here:

Cheers!!

Review: Pristina Espresso Flavoured Vodka

Four of us were gathered around my kitchen table sampling four flavoured Vodkas and two new rums on a lazy Sunday afternoon a couple months ago. The line up of flavoured Vodkas included Alchemia’s Chocolate Infused Vodka and their Ginger Flavoured Vodka. We also had the Birch Special from Nemiroff.  And the two rums were great, Panamonte’s Panama Red 108, and Atlantico’s Private Cask Rum. If you follow the links you can read all the reviews; but, I did save the last review from that lazy Sunday afternoon flight of spirits for the one which surprised me (in a most delightful way) the most. The Pristina Espresso Flavoured Vodka towered over the rest in that informal tasting session, and it is time for me to provide a review.

As a bit of background information, the Pristina Espresso Flavoured Vodka was introduced to the Western Canadian market in 2009 by Highwood Distillers. The product is produced from Highwood’s own quadruple distilled, triple filtered, wheat vodka (called Pristina Vodka), and flavoured with the extracted oils from real espresso coffee beans (and inverted sugar from Taber, Alberta). A final filtration is completed after the flavoring process is complete to ensure spirit clarity and removal of any suspended particles. The result of Highwood’s care and attention to detail is evident in the final spirit.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…I wish that I would have had a video camera rolling when I poured those first shot glasses of Pristina Espresso on that lazy Sunday afternoon with three of my friends. The reactions each of them had as they raised the glass to their noses to take a sniff was absolutely priceless. It was a look of shock, mingled with joy and excitement, and that look was the same on all of the faces (probably my face as well)…”

You may read the full review here:

Please enjoy the review and the suggested recipe that follows!