Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

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

On tap @ Flying Dog Gonzofest. Thick dark brown pour. Smell is alcohol, and prunes, chocolate, caramel, dark roasted grains. Tan Head. Taste is sweet but not cloying. Very malty, but balanced well by hops. Flavor is smooth but strong. You can taste the alcohol, but it is not hot. A nice beer.

Rating #12from the european beer festival 2008. Its dark but not qute black. The aroma is as full of hops as i would expect from flying dog brew. Also has notes of cigar, fresh dark fruits and sweet choholate. Flavor is, of course, hop bitter along with a light roasted malty bitterness. Great!

are you kidding me? i tried this beer for the first time at the flying dog brewey - and i nearly wet my own pants. my buddy herb was there, and, after he tried it, he also nearly wet my pants - and everyone else’s around him. this porter is like NO OTHER porter i have ever tried. it is huge. it is monstrous. it lays up well against the outline of colorado’s mountain skyline - all jagged with this and that flavor tossed up beyond a level ten danger slope. this thing pours like pure sin in a glass - all black, no light or time passing through. a sandy brown cap lays on top, full of the little air trapped inside the bottle. aromatic notes of harsh espresso, darkly dark chocolate and roasted raisin cake waft from the cap of the glass. flavors bursts true to the aromas, but also reveal deeply embedded stalks of anise and huge hops cones. dry hopped cones? i wonder. herb and i sipped one down on his front porch in colorado. i said, i could sure love this ever once in awhile. herb said, i could love it often. well, then: i guess that’s all there is to say.

(Bottle). Aroma is roasty malt, with notes of fruit. Almost black in color. Moderate tan head. Delicious roasty, chocolatey, semi-sweet malt flavor, with nice somewhat bitter finish. Not sure why this shouldn’t be classified a Baltic Porter, but whatever....it’s a tasty and very enjoyable brew.

Pours utter blackness with a very small sustained head. Aroma is strong roast and malt sweetness, which is matched in the taste. Comes across very spicy, perhaps a little unbalanced. This is a very young bottle, so perhaps it just needs time. I think after about 6 months thisll be a real joy to drink.

bottle. Pours a deep black with dark red-brown streaks and a small fast disappearing head. Intimidating. Aroma is intense of hops, fruit, and some dark malt and some brown sugar. Hoppier than I would have expected. Flavor is malty but with a bunch of hops, producing a fairly crisp yet flavorful mixture that also contained a bit of coffee, roasts and alcohol. Some nuttiness as well. Flavor is very smooth. I must say that as this beer warms up, a MUCH more balanced and full-bodied flavor comes out. It is rich, with chocolate, coffee, and some soft sweetness. Overall, very good.

Bottle. Black colour with a huge brown head. Rich aroma and taste of coffee and chocolate. Nice smooth palate.

Firkin @ DuClaw Real Ale Festival. Special firkin with Cascade dry hopping and bitter orange peel. Big head, but it was tapped soon after arrival. Settled a nice opaque brown/black. Deep roast aroma with some hop citrus peaking through. Nice rich body with hop bite to match. Slight citrus flavors too. Very well done. This should be the normal Gonzo.