Aviator Devil's Tramping Ground Tripel & Hotrod Red

With the Holiday season upon us I need get back in the good graces of my sister and take care of an unfinished brew review from the summer.  Back in July my sis (we’ll call her Newt) and her fiancé (we’ll call him Wisk-E) drove up to my place in NJ with a trunk load of craft brew growlers from two breweries in North Carolina (Aviator Brewing Co and Natty Green’s).  All the brews were great but one from Aviator has become the stuff of legend amongst the Booze Dancers.

This brew that has haunted the dreams of the Booze Dancers is Aviator’s Devil’s Tramping Ground Tripel (on the left in the pic above).  In a word this Belgian Tripel is amazing.  The brewery describes it as follows:

A hearty Tripel Belgian ale. This Tripel ale will grow hair in places you don’t want. Our Tripel is a golden colored ale that has a fruity spicy flavor that finishes a bit sweet. The Devil’s Tripel is light tasting from the addition of candy sugar. We add just the right amount of hops to balance out the sweetness.

We’ll I don’t know about growing “hair in places you don’t want” because as a Wookie I am awful hairy but the rest of the description is spot on.  Here is my detailed assessment:

• Appearance: The brew is a pale straw color and completely clear.  Our growler versions had a thin head but I assumed that 6 hours in transit did not help the carbonation.  From the appearance you would think this is a weak light beer but the first smell and taste kill any suspicions that is mild brew.
• Aroma: Sweet and fruity with hints of citrus fruit and tart apples.
• Taste:  This is were the “amazing” part comes in.  Your taste buds get hit from all angles.  Tart, dry, fizzy, spicy, gentle hops, and (at 9.2% ABV) not boozy at all.

The last part of the taste assessment is where the Devil may trample all over you.  At 9.2% this is not a brew that you want to take lightly but there is almost no alcohol burn.  You could, and we did, throw back a few of these in short order so designate a driver and enjoy the brew.

Word is, from the Newt and on the Brewery’s webpage, that Aviator is going to pack this delicious stuff into bomber bottles and distribute.  I’ll paraphrase Ben Franklin to describe my thoughts on better access to this brew and say that this is “proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy”.

Until Aviator works through the legal and logistical hurdles of bottling I will hope that my sister loads up her sleigh this Christmas with growler filled stockings of this and other Aviator brews and throws a few down my chimney.

For the rest of you, look for the coming of bottled Aviator brews at your favorite booze merchant.  The alternative is to drive to Fuquay Varina, NC and get your own … trust me you will not be disappointed.