This site’s first product review, Tequila Avion, has emerged on the radar of premium tequila due to its inclusion on HBO’s popular Entourage. The product placement is explained by the NY Post as a result of the long-standing friendship between an Avion founder and Doug Ellin, the main writer of Entourage. Suffice to say, it’s an effective and likely zero cost way to get an advertising campaign off the ground.
Tequila Avion Silver (80 proof, 100% efficiency)
For those not too familiar with the tequila-making process, silver is the first level for tequila, bottled shortly after distillation. Avion offers a reposado and añejo as well, which are aged in oak barrels and have a more yellow-ish hue. And to be clear: not all yellow-hues are the same. Jose Cuervo gold has added coloration, which has nothing to due with aging or oak.
In any case, I ended up with a bottle of silver, so that’s what I’ll be reviewing. Make no mistake: this is a premium tequila and the test of a premium tequila is whether it is pleasurable to drink on the rocks. I assure you that Cuervo, Sauza and El Jimador are not. Tequila Avion is.
Before heading out to the bar one night, I had a few friends to sample it with me. Their initial responses varied from “Holy sh*t, this is awesome” on the high end to “It’s OK, but a bit smoky for my taste” on the low end. Then I ran to a corner deli and got some limes. The change was demonstrable. Whatever edge existed was taken off by a small amount of fresh lime juice and the result is a winner, poised to compete with Patrón in the high-end tequila market. The bottle has changed since Entourage, as “foreshadowed” by Turtle. The sides have raised lettering “LLEGADA” and “SALIDA,” Spanish for arrival and exit, perhaps a nod to its founders’ background in the airline industry.
Hand-labeled -- kinda neat
Maybe I wasn’t such a large fan of its marketing interwoven with a major Entourage plot, but I am a fan of the beverage. Considering it’s efficiency and flavor, out of 5 stars, I give Tequila Avion Silver:
✭✭✭✭ 1/2
