CÎROC Mango Flavoured Vodka Review

A year or two ago people were saying that the trend for flavoured vodkas had probably hit its peak, with crazy tastes like bacon and tobacco (not together, of course) reaching the limit. But no. Then we had cannabis-flavoured vodkas, influenced by the easing of the pot laws in places like Colorado.

And here we are, down the line, and two of the latest arrivals to review are a marmalade flavour from Chase and a mango flavour from CÎROC. Now CÎROC has been around since 2003 and didn’t get to be one of the most successful vodka companies in the world (and endorsed by P. Diddy) by getting things wrong too often. So if they’re still bringing out flavoured vodkas – and they are – it’s because they know the public wants them.

I’ve already reviewed and enjoyed an infused mango vodka and I wish I had some of that Infuse Vodka mango infusion left so that I could do a direct side-by-side comparison with the new one from CÎROC, which follows on from two other recent tropical fruit flavours in pineapple and grapefruit (which I haven’t tried). They’re all made in CÎROC’s traditional way, from French grapes, and the mango flavour is distilled five times.

Infusion or Flavoured?

One thing to point out is that this mango vodka is an infusion rather than using artificial flavourings. Drinks companies tend to use the word flavoured, and you need to know whether they mean artificial or real flavours. Thankfully with CÎROC it’s real. The company uses Carabao mangos, which come from the Philippines and are reputed to be the sweetest in the world. Well, if you want a sweet flavour why not go the whole hog?

The sweetness certainly hits you on the nose, in a very pleasant way, that distinctive mango scent. Similarly, tasting it gives you a good hit of tropical fruity citrus sweetness. There’s no attempt to be subtle here, and the vodka’s none the worse for that. I wouldn’t want to sip too much of it, and that’s why CÎROC recommend you use it as a mixer in cocktails, or as a simple vodka and tonic drink. I tried that and it produces a refreshing variation on the old V&T. I wish there was some sunny weather around, as that’s when it would be perfect, as a long drink on a warm day… but it also helped cheer up a wet November evening.