Avión Reserva 44 Extra Añejo

Finally cracked this after scoring it for a very fair price at my local Costco. I say fair because of the quality found within this fancy bottle. The aroma, at first, reminded me of other tequilas I've had with its potent agave presence. But it opened up after a bit to a more complex assessment. Aside from the said agave, I received a vegetal/grassy, woody, and citrus zest essence. Palate was simpler yet didn't detract from the enjoyable drinking experience. Oak and agave up front that transitioned to a white peppery finish. Utterly and dangerously smooth. Somewhat oily from the onset that dried the mouth later. Couldn't really point out any weaknesses. Definitely highly recommend to seasoned and beginner tequila drinkers alike.

boozy creme brulee caramel nose. Taste is like a dry, rum like hard to pin down strong spirit. Don't get much agave vegetal flavor or smoke, more like a grassy cognac. My first high end extra anejo, so my palate is still learning. Good but lacking in agave character/soul, amorphous generic strong rummy spirit flavor to me. I wish it would commit to being either more agave vegetal, or go more caramel sweet spirit, but it rides the fence, which makes it less interesting.

So Tequila is not usually my sip of choice, but my lovely wife enjoys it so I have to find something we can share. Hence my dive into the pricey sippers. The nose on this has a hint of agave, but not the strong off putting scent on younger bottles. On the tongue this is pleasantly sweet sugar notes with a slight burn on the edge. The finish is mild and sweet like the dram itself. I am not a convert, but this is an excellent pour.

44 is the alleged amount of tasting notes revealed by this extra anejo. In reality, it’s a classic and straightforward extra anejo with well rounded notes. The only complaint is that they all blend together and the tequila doesn’t develop over its time in the mouth. Pleasantly avoids almost any smoke and peat, a sign of quality in such heavily handled extra anejos.

Let sit for about a minute. 👀: Pale goldish on first look, thin legs on the shot glass; 👃: Typical tequila grassy notes, very vegetal, smells warm, sweet honey with butterscotch; 👅: Very smooth, once again the sweet honey, tastes like you're licking a sugar cube; 🏁: Short, not lingering; grassiness disappears, but the sweetness does last. Beautiful.

This gets a four just for flavor profile. Strong vanilla, a great sipper. Where it fails is in its use of additives to achieve that profile. Still, for someone crossing to agave from bourbons this will be your gateway drug.