Review: Magic Moments Remix Raspberry (Flavoured Vodka)  86/100
a review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Published October 04, 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’, 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. This, of course, is the review for the Magic Moments Remix Raspberry Flavoured Vodka.

(Here is a link to the Magic Moments North America Website.)

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 which means this is a 100 % Indian flavoured Vodka. 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  9/10

When I opened the Magic Moments Remix Raspberry for the first time I had five friends over to sample the spirit with me. I poured a half ounce sample of the flavoured remix into small glasses for each of us to try, and listened to my tasting group for reactions. 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.

In the Mouth 51/60

Our impressions continued to be very positive as we sipped on the Raspberry Remix. There seems to be the right amount of tart raspberry flavour in combination with the right amount of sweetness such that this is easy to sip and enjoy. I listened to the tasting group, and there was not anyone who was not enjoying the flavour. In fact, I was asked a number of times about when the flavoured remix would be available for retail.

I always like to make a few cocktails during the review process, as in my locale anyway, most spirits are purchased for the purpose of mixing rather than for sipping. I decided that a Raspberry Cosmopolitan would be a great starting cocktail. I mixed a couple up using my regular cosmopolitan recipe replacing the Vodka in the recipe with the Raspberry Remix. The resulting drink was enthusiastically endorsed by my guests.

In the Throat 13/15

The smoothness of the underlying triple distilled vodka used in the production of the Raspberry Remix is very apparent in the finish. There is only a hint of light burn in my throat as I swallow, and the underlying sweetness of the flavoured vodka ensures the raspberry flavoured finish is long and satisfying.

The Afterburn 8.5/10

I love raspberries. I have a garden in the back yard and every year I enjoy grazing on the fresh raspberries. I eat them by themselves, and I enjoy them over ice cream. I even make my own raspberry syrup for cocktails. I am impressed with the Magic Moment Remix Raspberry because the raspberry flavour tastes exactly the way it should. The amount of sweetness is just right and I detect no hints of anything artificial. Radico Khaitan continues to impress me with their Remix Flavoured Vodkas.

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 Recipes

Raspberry Cosmopolitan

2 oz Magic Moment Remix Raspberry
1 oz Magic Moments Remix Orange
1 oz Lime juice
1 oz Cranberry juice
Ice

Frozen Raspberry for Garnish

Shake all the ingredients over ice
Strain into a cocktail glass
Garnish with a frozen Raspberry

Enjoy!

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You may (loosely) interpret my scores 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 for cocktails only.
80-84  We begin to enjoy this spirit neat, although cocktails are still preferable.
85-89  Excellent! Neat, with ice or in cocktails!
90-94  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 – 80 Bronze Medal (Recommended only as a mixer)
81 – 89 Silver Medal (Recommended for shots and mixing cocktails)
90 – 95 Gold Medal (Highly Recommended for Vodka Shots and Sublime Cocktails)
95.5+ Platinum Award (Highest Recommendation)