Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

Brewed by Flying Dog Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Frederick, Maryland USA

355ml bottle. BB 18.04.10. Pours an opaque black body with an dense ring of orange-tan foam painting the glass on the way down. Rich, fortified wine-like nose; earthy, woody roasted malts, dried fruits, tart vinous berries, liquorice, burnt nuttiness. Really goes above and beyond "smelling like coffee". Silky body, huge density that just sits in the mouth and dries it out with dry astrigency, yet the beast is contained well. Carbonation is low and smooth. Deeply complex and delicious body of flavour. Cocoa, prune, American oak toastiness, blackberry, citrus rind, tobacco leaf, cinamon spice, liquorice, dark brown sugar. I could keep on going, but the general feel is roast malt richness combined meshed with dark/dried fruits. Finishes dry, bitter, slight bit creamy, without being aggressive, more just begging for another sip. This beer is shit hot! Not entirely sure the difference between an Imperial stout and porter, possibly the overall smoothness, but this certainly is an amazing beer and carries what some would consider a meager ABV a long way!

Found this in a mix a six bin lucky me 12oz bottle. Pours a pitch black with one finger dark tan head and sticky lacing. Nose is milk chocolate, toasted smoky malts and mellow coffee. Taste is smoke, dark chocolate, salty roasted nuts, some dark fruits mixed in, and a bitter coffee hoppy finish. Medium-to-full creamy mouth feel. Gets a little boozy as it warms. This is the best beer I’ve had from Flying Dog – very good.

Wonderful, nicely restained imperial porter. Full and complex on the tongue without killing you with alcohol. Malt has coffeee, toffee, chocolate and caramel. But it doesn’t come off as too sweet because of just the right slight bitterness keeping things in line.

"OK! Let’s party!" - invites the Ralph Steadman drawing on the label. Let’s. Pours a pitch black color with tiny brown head that leaves no lacing once it disappears. Aroma is very faint, a bit of coffee, dark malts and grassy pine goodness that announces this will be a well-hopped beer (85 IBU says the label). Taste is roasted, black coffee, bitter chocolate, bitter hops, pine and grapefruit. Has a bit of an alcohol burn. I really like the bitterness, no cloying sweetness to be found here. Mouthfeel is quite full, medium amount of carbonation is just right, the body is quite oily. Good stuff.

7oz bottle from Canis Major 8-pack on April 23, 2008. Pours a nice dark, deep, murky muddy brown/pretty much black color with a lovely brown head. Lacing is thick and bubbly and slides down the glass. Aroma of common roasted malts, but also a spice and a hint of mocha coffee. The mocha is more apparent in the flavor, which is generously roasted and almost smoked. I like that the body is a little thinner than most porters, thanks no doubt to the gently higher alcohol content. Well balanced, great on the palate... and best of all, it’s not too sweet. Love it!

Pours black with a brown frothy head that fades. Sweet chocolate malt and mocha aroma, also some hop resin spice. Thick and full of milk chocolate taste followed by dark chocolate bitterness and roast, some anise. Creamy caramel chewiness. Excellent balance of sweet roast malt and bitter hop and roast.

7 oz. bottle out of mixer. Pours a very dark brown almost black with a creamy medium tan head that lasts awhile. The aroma is roasted malt with caramel and licorice. Good sticky lacing on the glass. Thin mouthfeel with a rich roasted malt with a nice bitter hop finish. Easy to drink hiding the alcohol well. A very good imperial porter from Flying Dog.

Pours a lacing tan head with a dark brown body. Smells of brown sugar and malt. Tastes like brown sugar, toast, chocolate, espresso. Very stout-like. Finish is bittersweet and cloying.