Aviation American Gin

The aroma presents hints of juniper with lavender floral undertones and a touch of peppery spice. The gin isn't overwhelmingly juniper-forward on the palate, allowing the floral and spice notes to really come through. The finish is mainly bitter orange peel with lingering floral and juniper notes. This gin occupies a distinct niche as a floral, American gin. In cocktails, this gin doesn't fare well with excessive citrus, but it complements herbal cocktails wonderfully. That being said, I believe the marketing surpasses the actual drink, leading to a higher price than it warrants.

An intense rye gin crafted by esteemed individuals for a distillery in Portland, Oregon. It offers a rich and spicy initial impression with notes of juniper, cardamom-infused milk, subtle smoke, fresh-cut grass, lavender, coriander, sweet orange, caraway, anise, and pepper. Its oily texture continues with flavors of rye, spice, floral lavender, anise, juniper, and dried orange peel, leading to a lightly sweet and clean finish with hints of citrus pith, peppery spice, and mild smokiness. Sampled November 2018 / February 2019.

Nice notes of tea leaves and pronounced juniper on the palate. I genuinely favor this gin neat over mixed. When mixed, the more subtle taste of this gin reveals a component that was less apparent when more concentrated: a type of cough syrup flavor that I strongly dislike. When combined with some bitters, etc., it's not a major issue, but it's my primary complaint with this gin.

Despite being crafted to minimize juniper, this gin effectively highlights its other flavors. In a gin martini, prominent citrus notes, likely orange, lead, followed by subtle hints of juniper and lavender. While distinct from Hendricks and Bombay Sapphire, this difference aligns with its intended profile.

This tasted as good as the bartender's friendly demeanor; he even let me keep the empty bottle, which, upon arriving home, I realized still contained another half a shot. I absolutely intend to purchase a fifth of this because I truly didn't expect to like Gin, but after this and Bombay, it has my attention as something to sip.

Abundant floral and spice aromas. I detect a lot of orange peel alongside the botanicals. It contains a significant amount of botanicals for a contemporary gin. While I typically prefer a London Dry, this is one of the superior contemporary options I've encountered.