Diddy knows what’s up.

Ciroc (or more properly Cîroc) is a high-end vodka, one of the earlier grape-based vodkas, and now that Puff Daddy is behind it as a promoter, it’s probably sky’s-the-limit for the brand.

This French vodka is not just made from grapes but from “snap frost” grapes, which (I guess) means the grapes are harvested immediately after the first frost. (Search for “snap frost grapes” online and all you’ll come up with are stories about Ciroc vodka.) Distilled five times and bottled at 80 proof, it goes into a fancy bottle and then on to your stomach.

This is indeed a pretty good vodka, about on par with other grape-based vodkas though somewhat more medicinal than most. There’s a strong lemon tone after you cut through the antiseptic character, and some herbal, almost licorice, undertones in the glass, too. This is an interesting vodka for drinking straight, though ultimately I have a few other brands I prefer a little better; Ciroc’s oddly bitter finish makes it a little tricky.

B+ / $26 / cirocvodka.com (note: doesn’t work with Firefox)