It's a scary thing realizing you have to start moving out some of these beer in the stash. Drew gave me reason enough today what with his award winning...or at lease beerfest pass winning comment to the effect he likes this beer. Aviator Red is made by Flying Bison which describes it thusly:

An authentic Red Ale – full-bodied and malty with a garnet red color. Aviator Red is brewed in the Irish tradition. It is one of our flagships...

I usually think this style is a bit ho-hum but then I thought that sort of thing about Railbender from Erie Brewing down the lakeshore, too, before I opened it. Popped and poured into a Chimay glass, the beer gives off a nice cherry whisky aroma. It holds a very fine rocky tan head - that sort of looks like pancake batter - over chestnut ale. In the mouth there is plenty of fruit in the malt like cherry raisin and fig as well as maybe a little black malt and twig/steel hops to balance. A very nice beer with plenty of flavour even when pulled from 20 minutes in the ice bucket and certainly a more assertive take on the style than is sometimes sealed under a cap. Certainly a beer that could stand up to the demands of a heap of Satantic strength Buffalo wings.