By
George Brozowski
Let
me start this article with both a rant and a rave.
First the rave; I have recently noticed that distillers of
virtually every kind of spirit are actually getting much better
at producing a better product. I mean they are creating smoother
and tastier and more complex spirits than they ever have.
They are truly mastering the art and science of distillation.
Now the rant; Then these same enlightened people take their
products to places where no one should go.
Take the example of Grey Goose Vodka, one of my all time favorites.
Their simple and straightforward vodka is delightful in every
respect and you would have thought that would have been good
enough, but no. Now they have a handful of flavors some of
which are quite good and some of which never should have seen
the light of day. Other vodka producers now carry lines of
over 25 flavored vodkas most of which are truly horrible.
In
this particular case tequila has always come in three traditional
varieties; silver or Blanco, the white un-aged type, Reposado
which literally means rested and aged a minimum of two months
but less than a year and Anejo aged a minimum of one year
but less than three years. These three categories were expanded
in 2006 to include a fourth, Extra Anejo which is aged a minimum
of three years.
You
may notice that the only difference between these types is
the length of ageing and not flavoring or any other form of
hocus pocus. This has kept the tequila category simple and
true to its origins. Well all that has begun to change. Now
there are Agave Nectar Liqueurs and even Avion, of all people,
has come out with espresso tequila, where will it all end?
Don't
get me wrong, I really like Avion Tequila and have said so
in print. Check out my raves of their Avion
Anejo and Avion
Silver. Those are both superb tequilas and I am
glad they finally sent me their Reposado to taste drive. I
think I won't jump to conclusions and be objective and hold
out my opinion and hope for the best about their espresso
tequila until after I've tried it.
Well
then, let's get to it. The Avion Reposado
is a very pale golden color and straight in the bottle has
the very distinct aroma of roasted agave, hints of oak and
vanilla and no alcohol fumes to distract from the nose. In
the snifter the nose mellows and softens a bit with the agave
front and center followed by faint citrus notes and a touch
of the oak. On the palate this tequila is quite gentle and
warm and slightly oily and really lets you taste the agave
but it is in no way overpowering. Following the agave are
the citrus and vanilla and hints of caramel and a touch of
oak. It gently warms the mouth without being aggressive or
harsh. The finish is short and sweet and smooth leaving the
slightest tingle. This is very, very nice tequila. For about
$40.00 per 750 ml bottle you are getting a super premium tequila
that is well worth it. Whatever you do don't make margaritas
with this stuff, it's just too good by itself to dilute in
a cocktail.
With
great trepidation and, in the immortal words of the great
author extraordinaire Hunter S. Thompson, with "fear
and loathing", I turn to the Avion espresso liqueur
to see what kind of fame or folly Avion's founder, Ken Austin,
has wrought.
The
bottle is a dark coffee colored brown with contrasting white
lettering. In the bottle all I can smell is the espresso,
an inviting espresso aroma, none the less, with a hint of
sweetness and so little agave that it is almost not discernible.
However, it definitely smells like a liqueur and is very reminiscent
of Kahlua. In the snifter the espresso scent and sweet chocolate
flavor come forward followed by the slightest nuance of agave.
On the palate the sweetness and espresso really come forward
even more followed by chocolate and vanilla. Finally in the
finish the agave comes forward and I can really taste it and
it is delicious. Needless to say the finish is smooth and
sweet and lasts a while. On the rocks the sweetness backs
off leaving the espresso and chocolate forward and you know
what, I'd pour this over vanilla ice cream and be in 7th heaven.
OMG, I like this stuff!! Good job Ken! At around $20.00 per
750 ml bottle this espresso liqueur won't break the bank and
would make a fine addition to any bar. Buy it and play with
it and see what taste treats you can come up with.
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
www.tequilaavion.com
