Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

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

pours dark brown with brown foam - spicy aroma of black licorice - very nice strong black licorice/alcohol taste finishes with remnant of alcohol taste and hops. Too sweet and the alcohol is too much in the front of the flavor for me. Tastes kind like a hopped up NYQUIL

Not very cool bottle, but I tried it anyway. Dark and beautifu beer! Brown golden head. Aroma of yeast and coffee, I like! Somewhat fizzy in mouth even though it doesnt seem to have much carbon.Sweet and full taste. I like porter - I like this one. (Ånn, 210308)

Poured a bottle into a tulip glass. I’m not sure how old this beer is, but probably several months at least. I bought this on a clearance sale. I think the aging has been good for it, however. Very impressive! Huge, multi-inch cafe-au-lait colored head that lasted seemingly forever, followed by decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of coffee, alcohol, hops, slightly medicinal, but overall pretty good. Many different flavors abound in this beer. Coffee, toffee, chocolate, caramel. Sweet with some hoppiness to balance. Tastes very good. Alcohol well hidden. Never would have guessed it’s a 9.2%er. Mouthfeel is kind of sticky with a good bit of drying after each sip. You can feel the carbonation as well. Bit of a bitter chocolate aftertaste. Nice beer, but quite rich. High ABV and richness limit the drinkability, but overall it’s a very good beer.

Dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma of coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, alcohol and mild soap. Taste of coffee, chocolate, alcohol, light citrus hops. Finishes with a chewy floral hop feel mixed with coffee that’s on the dry side. Decent, but not great.

What an aroma! Chocolate, which gives way to cream (almost like strawberries with cream!), then toasted bread and bitter coffee…. The first mouthful prickles uncontrollably, not from carbon but from taste! Although “toast” dominates the flavor, hints of lemon – not to mention the lingering green-apple taste from the hops! – adds supremely delightful nuances to this wonderful brew. This imperial porter eschews chocolate in favor of cocoa, which in my opinion makes for a far better porter. The bottled version is much more nuanced than the draught version, although the latter has an undeniable drinkability which the subtleties of the bottled version naturally counter. A fantastic beer!

Pours DARK black, like oil, with the richest brown head I’ve ever seen. Smells hoppier than I would expect for a porter, with coffee and chocolate coming through only lightly. Very thick body, again, almost like oil. Taste is exactly what the nose implies. I wouldn’t have thought there was this much alcohol in this if I hadn’t read the bottle. Could use a little more carbonation. Otherwise a very good beer.

So one night I’m sitting in my dorm room, aight, and I hear someone yell that HST killed himself. I call my Dadbra, and he says, "It’s about time." I’ve been depressed since February 05, then I tried this brew. Definitely sexy, definitely hides the alcohol, and definitely a tribute to the greatest journalist I’ve ever read. I’m sure HSTbra rests in peace knowing this beer is out there.

Nice thick dark pour with fairly minimal head. Aroma is a bit of roasted malt with lots of piney hops. Flavor is quite delicious- nice balance of thick malt and lots of hops. This definitely doesn’t fit the typical porter mold, but I enjoyed it just the same.