Aviator Tasting @Bottlemixx

Thursday night we attended the Aviator Brewing Company tasting over at Bottle Mixx and did so with the assumption that the snow/rain mix that was to occur Friday may trap us in our homes for weeks. So after deciding this could be our last beers in the modern world, we had to decide what to drink first!

I’m ashamed to admit that I hadn’t delved into a lot of Aviator’s offerings before Thursday night, with the exception of Octoberbeast, which was very good. So, I knew they had potential to bring the goods. They did indeed bring them – in the form of BBL Frostnipper and Steamhead. I forgot to take my pad with me to take notes for the tasting, but I can at least say that with each one i remember some solid traits and instead of a “review” I’ll just kinda give some thoughts on the two.

I admit, the bourbon in BBL Frostnipper didn’t really jump out at me as much as I’m usually accustomed to, but that didn’t affect it that much in my opinion. Sometimes mild is better and that leaves room for some of the other flavors to really stand out. One of the flavors that came through was a nice and light vanilla that really balances it out quite well. Tom seemed to really enjoy this beer and from what I could overhear so did many others in attendance.

To me the star of the show was Steamhead, a California common. The nose was so rich and malty and gave off a strong hint of caramel. It really translated over to the taste. While I got a light hint of citrus, that caramel flavor really drove it home for me. I have definitely added this to my list of “Must have….again”.

I did have a chance to sample some of the other wares and I was very impressed! Hog Wild IPA especially stuck out to me as well as Black Mamba Oatmeal Stout. I will probably convince Tom that a trip to the Aviator taproom is needed in the near future so I can sample all these again (with my trusty notepad) and give them proper reviews. I doubt I will have to twist his arm though…

Our next two events will be the Raleigh Rare Beer Tasting, where Tom will be attempting to sample all the offerings there and still somehow remember write about it later. Then we will be attending the the launching of Fullsteam’s new year-round offering “Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale” and give you our thoughts and impressions on this latest brew.

Cheers!