Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

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

Bottle. Dark almost black body, with a 0.5 cm thick brown head. Aroma is dark chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla and notes of coffee. Flavor is bitter dark chocolate, roasted malt and hops. Really nice beer.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a dark chocolate brown with a medium, lingering dark tan head. Unsurprisingly chocolate and toasted malts dominate the aroma with hints of coffee, wood (oak?) and some sweet, fruity notes. Strong roasted chocolate flavor that finishes with a kick of alcohol. Taste lingers on the palate, but is not too heavy. This is one of flying dog’s flagship offerings for a reason.

Bottle, 8.7% with 85 IBUs. Oily jet pour hanging with filthy tan suds, in a dimpled Bavik mug of all things. Nostril-arresting hop citrus aroma tanging with Ribena blackcurrant, grapefruit and juniper, Digestive biscuit malt sweetness, very high cocoa bitter chocolate with dark stewed fruit hints. Marmite and apple after an hour. Not remotely porter-like as I know it, but so what? Beautiful smelling ale with backdrop liquorice and faint smoke. Mouth taken over by burnt toast carbonised malt and liquorice, still tanging with that intensely savoury hop leanness. Fragrant and stouty, US hops all over it, hints of oak, 70%+ cocoa bitternesss, lingering charred nut and cigar afters. Bittersweet, aromatically hoppy porter sodden with liquorice and nuthusky malt balance. Thank God beers like this aren’t more readily available in the UK, because if they were I would be a 28st penniless alcoholic.

This was great. Nothing comes through in the nose but that vaguely dark chocolate and sour malt smell I get from most porters. The taste is remarkable. Smooth sweet chocolate with only faint coffee outlines, and an unbelievably smooth, creamy milk chocolate texture. So thick and rich! Even the Young’s ice cream float at the Yard Houses don’t taste like this.

I love it when light can’t make it through the glass and the creamy head crowns it like it is royalty. The aroma is rich and sweet just like its flavor. This porter seems to be just right.

12oz bottle from Jans Wine and Boos #2 (Tampa, FL). Pours a dark brown to black color with thick and creamy one finger tan head that settles slowly and heavily laces the glass. Aroma is roasted malt and floral hops with notes of coffee, toffee, ripe dark fruit, hints of molasses. Flavor is sweet and malty with notes of floral hops, dark ripe fruit, caramel, toffee, coffee, hints of honey and grapefruit. Generally medium to full body with a pleasing chocolate coffee malt finish.

Pitch black coloured body with a thinnish brown head. Aroma of hops (surprisingly), malt, coffee and prunes. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong roasty maltiness with some chocolate and coffee in the taste. Aftertaste bitter and roasty - fairly nice, albeit not too sweet. Overall - a dcent beer - roasty and nice. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased at Total Wine in Chantilly, Virginia on 23 November 2006 (Thanksgiving).

Vintage 2005 Pours opaque black with a half inch head of tan. A slow retreat left behind some smeared lacework and a 90% skim coat on the surface. Aromatics are chock full of dark fudge, chocolate, espresso, and Kahlua. Almost doughy in character, with a large, luscious promise for the palate. A chewy, robust, and thick mouthfeel. Full bodied and creamy. Dark chocolate, brownie batter, and soft fudge start off the palate. Extremely rich and almost velvety. Pressed coffee grounds and Hershey’s syrup follow through. A hint of vineousity steps forward as the beer finishes with lingering rich chocolate and dark fudge. Wow. Three years in the cellar has really brought this beer to the next level. More please.