Review: Magic Moments Remix Orange Flavoured Vodka  86/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Published October 11, 2012

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’,  Green Apple, Lemon, Orange, Chocolate, Raspberry, and Ginger and Lemongrass. 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. Going through the additional information they sent me, I learned that the base spirit for each remix Vodka is distilled from long grain rice, and that all flavours for this product are considered natural. Here is a link to the Magic Moments Website where you wish you can learn more.

This of course is the review for the Magic Moment Remix Orange (Flavoured Vodka).

In the Bottle 4.5/5

All of the Magic Moments Remix flavours arrive in the same stylish frosted bottle which has the label printed directly onto the bottle itself. A clear window in the frosting on the front of the bottle allows a graphic which is printed on the backside of the bottle to show through. The graphic is of young people dancing or perhaps ‘clubbing’ and having fun. The way the bottle and graphics are designed makes it sort of appear like the persons are dancing within the bottle.

The back of the bottle provides some nice ancillary information about the remix, including that it is distilled, blended, and bottled by Radico Khaitan at the Rampur Distillery. There is also a list of ingredients which tells me that the product is made from vodka, sugar and flavouring. As indicated earlier I have been told that all flavours for this product are natural, and the vodka is a triple distilled long grain rice vodka.

The bottle is topped by a plastic cap which when opened reveals a plastic diffuser. I dislike diffusers as the they have a tendency to clog up preventing an even pour when I am measuring out my amounts for cocktails. But that is really the only negative in an overall presentation that has me well pleased.

In the Glass  8.5/10

When I opened the Magic Moments Remix Orange for the first time I had five friends over to sample the spirit with me. When I poured the flavoured vodka into small glasses for each of us to try, we all had a very similar reaction. 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.

In the Mouth 52/60

When each of us took our first sips we were all impressed. Like I have noticed in previously sampled Magic Moments Remix flavours, there is an underlying smoothness to this spirit which makes it easy to sip. The flavour matches the nose very well with a mellow candied orange flavour accented with a little spicy orange zest.  Each of my friends at my Saturday evening tasting quickly drained their samples and were quite eager to try a cocktail.

Based upon the clean orange flavour and light sweetness, I decided a laid back cocktail mixing with lime and soda was a natural way to go, so I fixed up a long drink which I called the Orange Blossom Breeze. The recipe was a huge hit with everyone, and I suspect this orange flavour will work very well in all manner of cocktails. (The Remix Orange will also well as a substitute for in any recipe which calls for an Orange Liqueur .)

In the Throat 12.5/15

The orange flavour remains consistent through the finish. There is a nice kick of spiciness that lingers in the throat after the swallow, and it is that lingering spiciness which I am sure makes the flavoured vodka so good in my cocktail.

The Afterburn 8.5/10

I continue to be impressed by the Magic Moments Remix Flavours. In the case of this orange flavoured vodka, I really appreciated the mellow, laid back quality that the spirit possesses. There is just the right amount of orange flavour and just the right amount of spicy zest. All five of my friends who sampled the spirit with me loved this Remix, and I suspect we will be revisiting this bottle sooner rather than later.

You may read some of my other Liqueur and Favoured Spirit Reviews (click the link) if you wish to have some comparative reviews.

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Suggested Recipe

The Orange Blossom Breeze

1 1/2 oz Magic Moment Remix Orange
1  oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
Ice
Soda
Mint for Garnish

Fill a rocks glass with large ice cubes
Add the flavoured vodka and the lime juice
Complete with soda
Garnish with Mint
Enjoy!

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My Final Score is out of 100 and you may (loosely) interpret that score as follows:

0-25     A spirit with a rating this low would actually kill you.
26-49   Depending upon your fortitude you might actually survive this.
50 -59  You are safe to drink this…but you shouldn’t.
60-69   Substandard swill which you may offer to people you do not want to see again.
70-74    Now we have a fair mixing spirit.  Accept this but make sure it is mixed into a cocktail.
75-79    You may begin to serve this to friends, again probably still cocktail territory.
80-84    We begin to enjoy this spirit neat or on the rocks. (I will still primarily mix cocktails)
85-89    Excellent for sipping or for mixing!
90-94    Definitely a primary sipping spirit, in fact you may want to hoard this for yourself.
95-97.5 The Cream of the Crop
98+       I haven’t met this bottle yet…but I want to.

Very loosely we may put my scores into terms that you may be familiar with on a Gold, Silver, and  Bronze medal  scale as follows:

70 – 79.5    Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
80 – 89.5     Silver Medal (Recommended for sipping and or a high quality mixer)
90 – 95         Gold Medal (Highly recommended for sipping and for sublime cocktails.)
95.5+            Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)