Review

Aviation Gin

Christian Krogstad of House Spirits Distillery, Portland, Oregon (and Ryan Magarian of Liquid Kitchen, Seattle, Washington), USA. Co-founder Lee Medoff left in 2010 to start the Bull Run Distilling Co.

Aviation Gin and House Spirits.

We believe this was 10 years in conception - it began its public release in 2006, and is a great offering to the world of Gin – we wish them every continued success. In 2013 the packaging was redesigned, moving from a round shaped bottle to a pleasingly designed, rectangular one with strong 1920/30’s Art Deco overtones.

The base spirit is made from 100% rye grain. The Gin is produced in small batches by steeping the botanicals for 48 hours, before redistilling inefficiently once, in copper pot stills. The result is a Gin with the botanicals having a similar level of impact on the overall flavor of the spirit - the juniper and citrus creating subtle flavors, compared with a traditional London Dry Gin. House Spirits call this “botanical democracy” and we couldn’t agree more with this apt description.

New Western Dry Gin.

42% (84 Proof).

$$$.

7 botanicals: Anise seed, coriander, green cardamom pods, Indian sarsaparilla, juniper berries, lavender and dried sweet orange peel.

Named after the Aviation cocktail.

It has a complex nose and one is able to detect varying degrees of lavender, liquorice, orange, pine, root beer (sarsaparilla) and spices. Medium to full bodied, it has a good mouth feel - giving earthy and spice flavors, most notably cardamom, with floral notes. It has a slight sweetness, finishes with a slightly spicy dryness (astringency) and the aftertaste concludes with a nice citrus orange.

An excellent sipping Gin, we’ve also tried this in a few mixed drinks and have yet to find anything this Gin would not be suitable for. Good in a Gin & Tonic and a Martini, the creative use of botanicals certainly makes it a Gin, yet there are these wonderful nuances – ethereal like characteristics - which play with your senses. Complex and subtle, every sniff and sip seems to bring new and rewarding delights.

This is one of the best, if not the best, American made New Western Dry style Gins we have tried – a strong, firm, favorite with us – highly recommended.

97 Points, Wine Enthusiast.

90 Points, Beverage Testing Institute.

Bronze Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2013.

Bronze Medal, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2012.

What else could you listen to while drinking this Gin but Frank Sinatra singing "Come Fly With Me":

Take some time out to enjoy this Gin in your favorite cocktail and settle down for a good read. Try the story of "The Wright Brothers" by award winning author David McCullough or boys own adventure tales of the fictional character "Biggles" by Capt. W.E. Johns.

Enjoy a good movie while sipping this Gin in your mixed drink of choice. Try "The Blue Max" or "Firefox".