A recent trip to my local beer store netted me three interesting NC brews that I will be reviewing soon. The first is the Aviator Frostnipper. Keeping with the winter ale review streak this beer should fit nicely. They describe it as a mix of toasted malts, traditional spices, and hops for contrast; intriguing. The second is the Olde Hickory Black Raven IPA, they describe this as an IPA brewed with roasted malts. I picked this one up because I described a porter as tasting like a roasted IPA so I want to compare that experience to an actual effort. Plus the toasted malts should fit in well with the other beers in the batch. The last beer is French Broad Anvil Porter. They describe it as English ale loaded with chocolate and caramel. 3 bold beers from 3 bold brewers. Into the refrigerator they went and soon we will discuss what we liked about each one. Stay tuned.
Aviator describes this beer as a collection of traditional spices, smoked malts, and contrasting hops. It comes in at 7.3% ABV, and has an IBU of 60.4. The beer pours a nice dark brown with a very little red color present. A nice head formed from vigorous pouring. The nose is a complex mix of melts and spices. There is a subtle and bright hops smell as well. The smell alone is exciting. The taste doesn't disappoint; Aviator makes good on their description. It is complex and the many flavors come to the front in turn. First the toasted malts followed by spices and finally the hops. The smokey character is very well done it his beer. I find often that smoked malts are overdone and make a beer hard to drink but Aviator seems to have gotten it right. This is a beer that you should definitely try if you can find it. Despite the complex flavors and high IBU this beer should be very accessible. It is so well done that it should be easily appreciated by even those who shy away from hoppy beers. Use this winter selection to introduce someone to a more refined beer. This is well crafted complexity in a bottle. Find more information about the Aviator Brewing Company
