Curio Cocoa Nib Vodka
Smooth and surprisingly savoury vodka that captures the authentic, earthy essence of pure cocoa nibs, delivering a rich, dry taste with a sophisticated dark chocolate finish.
Type
Country
Producer
Featured Flavours
Alcohol %
40%
Serving Size
- 25ml
Suggested with
In Cocktails
Curio Cocoa Nib Vodka
Distilled on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, Curio Cocoa Nib Vodka is an artisanal spirit that masterfully captures the authentic essence of pure cacao. It stands apart from sweet, confectionery-like liqueurs, offering instead a sophisticated, nuanced, and intriguingly savoury exploration of chocolate. This is a vodka designed for the discerning palate, where the true, deep character of the cocoa bean is the undisputed star.
The experience begins with an aroma that is both surprising and captivating. Eschewing overt sweetness, the nose is greeted with the rich, earthy, and slightly bitter scent of high-quality dark chocolate and roasted cocoa nibs. It’s a dry and dusty fragrance, reminiscent of opening a tin of premium cocoa powder, with underlying hints of toasted nuts, a whisper of coffee, and a subtle, clean note from the potato-based vodka. This refined bouquet promises an authentic taste experience, far removed from the world of sugary chocolate flavourings.
Upon the first sip, the vodka reveals its true complexity. The texture is exceptionally smooth and velvety, a hallmark of its triple-distilled potato spirit base. The initial flavour is a bold and unambiguous note of pure, dark cacao. It’s a taste that is more savoury than sweet, with a satisfying bitterness and an earthy depth that speaks to the quality of the Peruvian cocoa nibs used in its infusion. This dominant chocolate character is beautifully balanced by subtle undertones of dark-roast coffee, a touch of vanilla, and a gentle, peppery warmth from the spirit itself that emerges mid-palate.
The finish is remarkably clean, long, and satisfying. The rich cocoa flavour lingers pleasantly, slowly fading to a dry, slightly spicy aftertaste with a final whisper of dark chocolate bitterness. It’s a clean and elegant conclusion that leaves the palate refreshed rather than cloyed. This sophisticated profile makes Curio Cocoa Nib Vodka exceptionally versatile—perfect for sipping neat, adding a complex and luxurious depth to an Espresso Martini, or creating an inventive, grown-up twist on a classic White Russian.
The story of Curio Spirits begins with its founders, William and Rubina Tyler-Street, who established their artisanal distillery in Mullion, Cornwall, in 2014. With a background in the wine and spirits industry and a passion for experimenting with botanicals, they set out to create a range of spirits that truly captured the essence of their coastal surroundings. Their initial focus was on gin, using locally foraged ingredients like rock samphire to create their signature products.
Building on their success and reputation for quality, they expanded their range to include innovative vodkas. The Curio Cocoa Nib Vodka was conceived as a departure from the artificially sweet and often overpowering flavoured vodkas that dominated the market. The inspiration was to create a “grown-up” chocolate spirit that was authentic, sophisticated, and true to the flavour of the cocoa bean itself.
To achieve this, they sourced high-quality, ethically produced cocoa nibs from Peru and infused them into their own triple-distilled potato vodka. The choice of a potato base, using Cornish potatoes, was deliberate, as it provides a smoother, creamier, and more viscous mouthfeel than grain-based spirits, creating the perfect canvas for the rich, savoury notes of the cacao. This meticulous process resulted in a spirit that reflects the distillery’s core ethos: crafting exceptional, flavour-led products using the finest natural ingredients.
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Curio: Curious by nature and Curio by name, the genre-redefining range from Cornwall includes age-old ingredients such as rock samphire and cardamom to create tipples that are curiously attractive and flavoursome with every sip.
Curio is inspired by fragrant botanicals and natural ingredients that reflect our culture, heritage and locality.
We, William and Rubina Tyler-Street, became curious about setting up a bespoke spirits brand in 2012. With production based in Lizard Peninsula, deep in west Cornwall. Through years of hard work and dedication, the journey to creating our delicious craft spirits led to us celebrating our first products take to the optics in December 2014.
We strive to create spirituous beverages to keep on satisfying the Curios consumer.
Our signature Wild Coast Gin, (formerly Rock Samphire Gin), came first, then the Peruvian Cocoa Nib Vodka and then Cardamom vodka.
