Aviation American Gin

Anise

Mild

Nose - orange zest, juniper, mint, coriander, cardamom, white pepper, subtle vanilla, anise, earthy herbal notes, effervescent lemon and lime, mild to moderate ethanol burn. Taste - ginger ale, orange zest, sweet lemon and lime, nutmeg, coriander, juniper, cardamom, thyme, herbal earthiness, white pepper, licorice, vanilla, mint, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with ginger, orange, lemon, lime, and earthy juniper flavors. Coming off the Barr Hill, this is extremely mild with very subdued juniper notes. It bears a non-trivial resemblance to a vodka and ginger ale cocktail. I can see this being a really nice mixing gin, definitely a step up from Beefeater, but not at the excellent, complex sipping level of Drumshanbo and Monkey 47. This concludes my gin tasting series, at least for a while. Over the course of these past two weeks, I’ve tried around 20 different gins, ranging from traditional to modern. I came into this series strongly disliking the entire category, but have learned just how varied and nuanced gin profiles can be. I plan to continue exploring the category as the budget permits, and appreciate everyone’s input and recommendations. There are a few more on my list to track down that unfortunately aren’t sold in sample sizes, so I’ll get around to them eventually. My favorite of the 20 has been Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, followed closely by Monkey 47. For now, I’ll be returning to business as usual, but plan to embark on a tasting series in next the month or so of my next most disliked liquor category: vodka. As this is Christmas Eve, I’ll take a moment to wish all of you a wonderful and safe holiday and a happy New Year. I started my liquor exploration earlier this year in February, right when COVID began locking us all down. Over these past 11 months, I’ve reviewed 200+ different spirits and have just begun to scratch the surface of the hobby. I cannot wait to continue this journey into next year and feel privileged to have such knowledgeable compadres with whom to share the experience. Cheers!