Aviation is an American gin, its production began in 2006. It is produced by House Spirits Distillery in Portland, Oregon. Aviation’s popularity and sales grew dramatically after actor Ryan Reynolds bought a stake in it. Aviation appeared in several commercials and also in films after the acquisition. Reynolds later sold his stake to Diageo, but remained as the product’s brand ambassador. Seven ingredients are used in the production. Juniper berries, coriander, orange peel, lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla root and cardamom. The spices are macerated for 18 hours in grain spirit, after which the solution is pot distilled. According to online information, Aviation is relatively inexpensive in the United States, in Latvia a 70cl bottle cost €24.90.

The gin is bottled in a stylish and sturdy, pocket-sized bottle. The aroma is mild, delicate and slightly sweet. The anise aroma comes out most strongly, giving a licorice-like nuance. The taste is quite soft and light in taste. The anise is also in the taste, while the traditional juniper and coriander are somewhere in the background. Only in the aftertaste can a light juniper berry aroma be sensed. The taste also has a slightly original nuance, perhaps sarsaparilla, which I don’t remember seeing in the ingredient list of gins before. Some kind of vanilla aroma also appears. When diluted with water, nothing new emerges. The taste actually gets more mixed out and the lightness of the aromas is emphasized even more.

Aviation is not bad, but it is also not close to the best gin in the world, as Ryan Reynolds describes the product. It is a modern gin, where the traditional gin flavors have faded into the background and a new world of flavors has been brought to the fore. The flavoring could have been even more daring. There is effort in Aviation, but it feels the producers haven’t had courage enough and the end result is fairly even. Anyway, it’s a solidly made product that suits everyone and doesn’t scare anyone.

80/100