Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter

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

hardly any aroma, but color is a deep, deep black usually reserved for an imperial stout. Flavor is very fluffy- like roasted marshmallows. Vanilla and roasted malts. Exceptionally smooth.

Bottle (in NZ). This was a lively pour, but what I was left with was a beautiful jet black beer with a large foamy and frothy brown head. I could have just looked at it all night. Just as well I didn’t then. I would have missed out on smelling that beautifully rich nose - toffee and smoky ash - and the delicious taste - lots of chocolate, licorice and a little bit salty. Missing out on those hops this side of the world though, which is a shame, though the long dry finish hints at what I’m missing.

Opaque black body. Head is very fizzy and not all that appealing looking. Aroma is sweet, licorice, toffee, roasted malt. The flavor is roasted malt, balanced sweetness (not as sweet as I expected from the aroma) and bitterness. Full mouthfeel, quote pleasant on this the eve of a historic snowstorm!

Pours dark brown with a moderate tan head. Mouthfeel is sticky and chewy. The palate is somewhat oily. The nose is caramel, roasted malt, coffee, and some hints of dark chocolate. The taste is similar with a good hop taste on the back end. This is a great impy porter.

Fin mörk färg med en mycket fyllig krämgul skumtopp. Doften tycker jag dog är lite klen, men jag känner i alla fall en aning sötma (som tidigare nämnt är inte mitt doftsinne att lita på). Smaken är fin och rund med en god humleton. Jag tycker kanske den blir en aning i sötaste laget, men den har en fin bränt eftersmak som håller lagom. Ganska lätt för att va en porter tycker jag, jag föredrar nog de lite tyngre och tjockare sakerna.

Pours pitch black with a very thick foamy tan head. Thick lacing and excellent retention. Very intense aroma of grains, roasted malt, caramel, nuts, and very slight hints of plum and tangerine. There is a hint of sharpness to the aroma that is slightly unpleasant but is washed away quickly by all the good stuff. Very nice complex dry flavor with lots of malts and also quite bitter, and a hint of sweetness around the corner. Very well balanced. Good carbonation and a very long dry bitter finish. Overall a very nice beer.

12 ounce bottle in pint glass. Vintage 2008 (like most craft beers currently on the shelves of Long Island’s Budverage Centers.) Says 9.2% on the label. Dark brown/black with lasting dense ring and lace. Rich roasted bittersweet dark chocolate earth and ash aroma. Roasted coffee dark chocolate, subdued dark fruit earthy medium bitter hop finish. Nice and rich and tasty. (Killed half of it just doing the rating.) Very good.

Bottle from Beer8 in Genova, Italy.
Poured a black body (very very dark red possibly) with a small tan/ochre thick head that went away at a medium pace. Agrumey aroma hop is dominating the nose, carrying some notes of caramel and roast with itself. Sweet and nice. The taste is roasty, caramel again, soy souce but in the nicest way possible, aroma hop again, quite piney and interesting. Light coffee. No real alcohol notes but it’s a little warming. Sweet but not too much. Damn balanced and lovely. Quote the notes, "tasty as shit". Might be underrating it slightly.