Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

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

I thought that this beer was excellent. Part of the Canis Major mixed pack. Poured a dark black with two fingers of brown head. Aroma was of roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate. Mouthfeel was creamy and well carbonated. Flavor is very strong. Coffee and malt dominate. Finish is the bittersweet chocolate. This beer had a little bit of a bite. That is the only criticism that I have.

Hunter S. Thompson. You love him, hate him, or are utterly confused by him. Either or, it is without any doubt that he had a major impact on the world of entertainment during his brief yet lively time. Never a man to mince words, life was short and drinking good beer and having a good time was the rule.
Flying Dog consistently produces good beer. With a portfolio of around a dozen yearly brews, not counting the seasonal beers, there is always a flying dog to quaff. Today happens to be an Imperial Porter day.
As I pour her into my pint glass, glassy black with nary a miniscule amount of space for light, Gonzo declares herself proudly with a tight fluffy head of foam. After a minute or two, she fades into the distance, leaving a gentle ring around the edges of my glass while a faint whisper of her presence lingers on the top of my liquid bread. Sweet prunes and raisins and fresh burnt malts reach for my nose, tempting my senses as I imbibe. Thick, rich, almost chewy. The sweet prunes and raisins along with other dark pitted fruit linger on my tongue. Bordering on cloying, a lingering dryness after the initial quaff keeps Gonzo from being too much of a sweet brew fest for me. Definitely a sipping brew, I couldn’t partake of more than one at a time, though I do enjoy what I am experiencing. As Gonzo warms, the overall body and mouthfeel clings to all available contact in my mouth, creating an almost decadent desert experience. A smoother blend of sweetly burnt malts and chocolate, prunes, raisins, and a faint hint of wood seduce my senses. A hint of bitter bite lingers with the after-image which also leaves my mouth mildly dry and craving the next quaff.
An excellent imperial porter, albeit a bit on the sweet side for me, Gonzo does not disappoint. Much like her namesake Hunter S. Thompson, she improves with age, mellows with time, and tempts the senses with her luscious body.

12 oz. bottle. 2008 vintage. Dark black pour with a small, light tan head. Aroma of roasted malt and dark chocolate. Nice creamy body. Flavor is a big kick of earthy hops and coffee. Finish is slightly bitter. Good beer as the alcohol is wonderfuly masked.

pours a thick dark black with a tan head. bottle said 9.7% and not 7.8% so I wonder if there has been a recipe change? Aroma is at first Hops with a capital H, tons of them, earthy and citrussy. next some roastiness. flavor is hoppy, yest roasty with some esspresso character. the more you mouth becomes numb from the hops the more the roast flavors come out. full bodied, a pretty good beer.

Near black pour, dark tan head. Roast malt and coffee aroma and alcohol. Coffee and chocolate with a pleasant mouthfeel. Solid medium body, a slightly bitter and clean finish. Everything good in a porter, but with the benefits of a strong ale, being the alcohol and the bite. A clean kick of hops, I’m guessing this is dry hopped.

Chocolate head with tar body. Literally a porter with more booze and lots of dry hopping. This may sound like a slam on the Gonz, but make no mistake, this brew is a tasy one. Sticky with malt and super hoppy but nice ’n’ bready as a porter should be. If I come across the barrel aged twin I’ll double the dose for sure.

draft @ uber - long wanted to try this but still sitting on a few bottles at home; on this night has the tough act of follow a few big beers; jet black with thin cream colored head; texture leaves much to be desired; very roasty with mild coffee notes; a little smoke too; flavor mix comes off a little sour, sweet and dry; not that impressed and will need to revisit at some point

From a 12 oz bottle this poured a rich black with foam tan head and good lacing. Nose of roasted malts and chocolate. Good mouthfeel which was medium but very smooth. Flavor of bitter chocolate and coffee. Nice bitter finish. Very easy to drink. I liked this one a lot.