ABV: 6.7%

IBU: a lot (per their website)

Last weekend I went home and, because my parents were in Denver (jealous!), the fridge was pretty empty food wise. Lucky for me there was plenty of beer though! There was the usual Yuengling, some Great Lakes, and then I saw it: Aviator Brewing Company’s Devils Tramping Ground Tripel. Unfortunately, that’s not what I’m reviewing tonight. However, I am showcasing another Aviator beer, their Hogwild India Pale Ale. I had never heard of Aviator Brewing Company before, but apparently they’re located in Fuquay-Varina, NC…wherever that is. We happened to have it in the fridge because, for Christmas, my mom bought my dad a craft beer subscription. Every 3 months he gets a 12 pack with four different beers. What an awesome gift, am I right!?

Anyway, if I had to choose one word to describe this beer, I’d choose hoppy. Super hoppy. In addition to the Chinook, Columbus, and Cascade hops, it’s dry hopped with Magnum and Willamette hops. I’m just now acquiring a taste for IPAs, and this one was a little stronger than I like, which surprised me because my experience with dry hopped beers thus far is that they have that hoppy flavor but without the bitterness that usually comes with it. It pours a nice golden color, and although it’s fairly light-bodied, I wouldn’t recommend it out in this heat. For starters, it just doesn’t have that summery flavor, and though its ABV isn’t considerably high, it’s not low either, and I’ve come inside the last couple days feeling drained. I also wouldn’t recommend it for those new to craft beer or trying to ease into IPAs, as there are definitely milder choices out there. Overall though it’s a good beer, and if IPAs aren’t your thing, I highly suggest you try one of Aviator’s other beers if you get the chance because I haven’t been disappointed yet!