Flying Dog Extra Special Gonzo

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

Beer has a bourbony taste and aroma with lots and lots of vanilla. Very enjoyable. One of the best beers I have ever had.

Super roasty and toasty in this one, and no carbonation. The 11% is gone. Not even mild, just gone. It tastes like a regular 5% porter, with many imperial stout characteristics. Tons and tons of vanilla, but I oddly liked it. Nice bourbony taste to it. This was the beer of the night for me, and the many flavors were a miasma of goodiness.

Pours brown with a thin tan head. Smells funky with some roasty undertones. Tastes of tarte funk, cherries, dry oak, roasted malt. Enjoyable.

Black in color with a wispy head. DCeep roasted malt nose. Good, deep, deep, toasty qaulities. Very complex on the tongue. Slight sour on the front of the tongue. No discernable alcohol.

12 oz bottle brought home from the brewery. Not much head on this black beer, but Roasty and sour aromas were nice. Flavor was burnt malts and not much of the sour I was looking for. Dark fruits and dust on the finish. Pretty good.

Sample tasted at "Spring in the new year with brett" at fordests house. Wow I finally got to taste the beer that toncatcher hauled all the way back from the brewery that is no longer there. Good stuff.

Tasting, courtesy of Fordest’s event. Beer #10. Brown pour with a tan head. Big aroma of raisins, dates and coffee. The flavor, unlike the aroma, was soft and a bit muted. Taste was of dark fruits, dry porter, molasses and wood. The mouthfeel is full and satisfying. The finish was long and bittersweet with a touch of brett. Overall: not bad, but not my favorite.

12oz bottle purchased by toncatcher at GABF 2007 for $8. A very limited release. Brown-black color. Flatish. A hint of Brett phenolic aroma. A little sour. Aroma of some raisins. Some ethanol. Flavor is mild like an aged porter. Roastiness has faded.