HotRod Red - Aviator Brewing Company

NCStateAE

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

08-29-2012 12:22:32 | More by NCStateAE

dcbeers

District of Columbia

2.75/5  rDev -24.9%

05-15-2013 02:36:06 | More by dcbeers

Gonzoillini

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

05-04-2013 02:11:28 | More by Gonzoillini

fastrodney

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

04-30-2013 22:32:14 | More by fastrodney

JimKal

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark red brown with a tan two finger head. Leaves a lot of lacing as you drink it.

S: Malty aroma

T: This just didn't work for me. I do like this style but I think this one doesn't come close to the style. It does promise a hoppy taste and it delivers on that. But, it just didn't taste right to me. The hops and the malt just seemed to clash.

M: Decent medium to full mouthfeel.

O: I've had three of these on different days to see if my impression changed but this is one I won't be buying again. I had high hopes for it but it just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: can

04-28-2013 13:51:03 | More by JimKal

OldhouseRecs

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-20-2013 01:51:26 | More by OldhouseRecs

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.75

Tasted 6 April 2013.

Pours a deep, rusty orangeish red. Mostly clear, letting a lot of light through it. I can see the bubbles on the far side, but it's not like looking through glass. One finger of off-white head, decent retention and nice lacing. A solid ring of bubbles and half-cap on the surface.

Smell is really toasted, like a marzen. The most obvious thing I get in the nose is those biscuity toasted malts. It's not bad, but there's not a whole lot to it. Can says it's supposed to be hoppy; it is not. There's a faint herbal nudge in the back, but that's it.

Taste is more interesting. Has more of the Scotch ale twang. Earthy, not exactly peaty, but the mildly bitter black earth or black tea flavor that I get from a lot of Scotch ales. Also has an interesting honey-like sweetness, right in the middle, that fades out. There's a little bit of unpleasant bitterness that I'd like to wash away, and slants more towards that in the finish, but mostly I like it.

Feel is pretty flat. Ends up feeling like uncarbonated soda. Lasting, too. Flat to lightly syrupy/oily to watery.

Interesting beer. I like the taste, where that earth/tea flavor really shines, and the sweetness adds a lot of complexity to it.

Serving type: can

04-19-2013 06:38:44 | More by zeledonia

csparace

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance (4.00) – From a 22oz to a Matilda (my favorite glass ever). Pours a slightly hazy red amber. Epic amounts of carbonation coming to the top. Generous 2 finger head that hugs the sides as it fades. Really thick lacing coats the sides, honestly detracting from the appearance.

Smell – (4.00) Orange, malt, and mild hops present. A yeasty overtone to the combination. Roasted character is defnitely present.

Taste – (4.25) Initial impression is that of a roasted barley. Something seems really familiar but its hard to put a finger on it. There is a slight chocolate impression that comes later. A harsh caramel – that's it. The finish is surprisingly hoppy and you get a late crunch. Long after the sip you still have some crunch lingering.

Mouthfeel (4.50) Great carbonation level – it feels as it looks. Its has a medium to light heaviness to it. Lips are as sticky as if I were drinking a stout. There is a slightly sweet quality to it. Very satisfying to drink.

Overall (4.25) – This is pretty interesting to me. Its got a really awesome roasted flavor to it but then finished with the familiar hop crunch. Perfect carbonation levels. The appearance is quite nice too, except, the lacing it out of control. Its like an insulating lining on my glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:39:49 | More by csparace

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

draft at Chow, Raleigh

a: draft served in a 20 oz nonic pint, the beer is a deep reddish amber in color, arriving with a healthy topping of eggshell white head, retention and lacing average

s: grainy breads and nutty toasted malts on a nose of mid-sweet caramel, nice roast, earthy hops, enjoying the complexity and deep toasted notes here

m: carbonated to about a moderate level, body around medium

t: bready with a caramel sweetness upfront, followed quickly with deeply toasted red malts, and then nutty toast continuing into the finish as things try out, earthy hop flavors with a balanced bitterness

o: a well above average red here, the deep toasted character courtesy of the roasted malt adds a great underlying complexity to the sweet caramel, pleasantly interesting for the style, drinks well

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2013 03:11:45 | More by blackie

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-11-2013 02:42:28 | More by Daniellobo

oline73

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-09-2013 00:26:03 | More by oline73

BigTrubble

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%

04-04-2013 01:04:48 | More by BigTrubble

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a crystal clear medium garnet red in color with light amounts of visible carbonation and some dark amber highlights. The beer has a finger tall creamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a mottled surface of thin film with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of toasted malts with light amounts of caramel sweetness and slightly stronger aromas of pine hops. There is a touch of citrus/orange rind hops as well once the beer warms up a little.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of toasted malts with some caramel, toffee, and brown sugar sweetness - but not overly sweet. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of pine/resin and citrus/orange rind hops. Moderate amounts of bitterness which do not linger for too long.

M: Medium bodied with slightly more than moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Overall this is an enjoyable beer and it hides the ABV pretty well, I enjoyed the hoppiness but still found it relatively easy to drink. Nothing exceptional but a better American offering in the Irish Red Ale style than I normally come across.

Serving type: can

03-27-2013 23:32:53 | More by dbrauneis

Shatter

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

03-17-2013 11:57:44 | More by Shatter

Duvel

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -11.2%

03-08-2013 15:32:59 | More by Duvel

baklo

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -18%

02-20-2013 23:16:26 | More by baklo

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.68/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Big light tan head settles into a nice lacing above a clearish caramel bronze colored beer.

Rich roasted caramel malt presence in the aroma with just a hint of some hops sticking around the edges.

Roasted caramel malts tastes that seem to almost border on burnt roasted, with also a bit of slight bitterness from its hops sources.

A light dryish roasted caramels hanging around aftertaste on the medium bodied Irish Red.

A decent tasting beer, maybe a little much on the hints of burnt malts but I like how the dryish aftertaste keeps building long after each drink.

Serving type: can

02-18-2013 23:49:12 | More by LXIXME

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

02-06-2013 23:14:55 | More by Haybeerman

lupercmda

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -18%

01-27-2013 02:53:21 | More by lupercmda

RWLawman

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.3%

01-27-2013 00:38:42 | More by RWLawman

KevinGordon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +9.3%

01-08-2013 06:12:15 | More by KevinGordon

buckyp

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

12-21-2012 02:03:40 | More by buckyp

kegmans

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

12-16-2012 01:51:00 | More by kegmans

caaameron

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

12-08-2012 22:27:06 | More by caaameron

Durge

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A dark, copper colored brew with a healthy off-white head and major walls of lacing. The aroma brings sour mash malt, a little pine hop and fruit nougat and a touch of grassy yeast alcohol. The flavor closes the deal with deep grassy malt cider. There's a vague floral edge, slightly perfumey vegetable ideas. It has some bock-like qualities. A little skunky. A very solid red ale, easily recommended with medium body and a dry feel, smooth and modestly carbonated. Nice!

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 06:01:14 | More by Durge