Flying Dog Wild Dog Barrel-Aged Gonzo

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

750ml. Huge thanks to Kevin for bringing this rare gem. Pours a black with no head. Almost totally flat. Nose is huge. Massive bourbon and oak with tons of burnt chocolate and roasted malt. Amazingly complex and balanced nose. Flavor is heavy on rich black malts. Nicely roasty but sweeter and richer than the normal version. The bourbon adds a really awesome component to this great beer. Outstanding use of a barrel in this beer. I just wish it hadn’t been flat.

Bottled:
Pours dark -as good as black- brown with a mid-sized head. The oak barrels dominate the aroma with some small hints of vanilla and coconut. Sweet and warming flavour with notes of oak and liquorice. The alcohol gives it a somewhat harsh finish.

330ml bottle (Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam)
Almost black, healthy persistent tight tan head. Lovely rich and sweet roasty aroma, burnt coconut flapjacks (=oatmeal cookies). Soft carbonation, smooth palate, rich sweet roasty retronasals. Clearly very burnt, but stopping short of astringent. Also clearly quite alcoholic, but stopping short of boozy. Slightly drying burnt finish, leaving vapours in the mouth that keep vanilla and coconut feeding your sense of smell as you breathe. Carries 9.5% well, but doesn’t exactly hide it, but it’s still an easy and very tasty drinker. Coconut almost reminiscent of Maui, and I liked it there.

Bottle. Pours black with a small dark brown head. Rosted malt and lots of raisin and port wine sweetness

750ml, corked & caged bottle from grape & gourmet. pours a syrupy black with absolutely no trace of a head and a thread of lacing. aroma is nice but disappointing with strong, oaked whiskey, toffee, roast malts, a bit of chocolate, and an odd cider note. flavor is just a bit of an improvement with roast coffee, bitter chocolate, whiskey, red fruits, smoke, and a bit of molasses with that strange, cidery, sour note in the background. palate is terribly thin with not a hint of carbonation. i imagine this brew is usually very nice but i’m guessing i got an infected/bad bottle and i’d certainly like my $17 back.

A nose of bourbon, vanilla and chocolate. Taste is of oak, bourbon, vanilla, tar, liquorish and butter. This is a light-version of bourbon county stout! Bombastic, yet drinkable and intresting. I’d pick it over the regular gonzo any time.

Bottle. Dark brown, medium, dissipating head. Strong aroma of coffe, chocolate and vanilla. Taste of fruits, spice and coffee with the finish being the most interesting - bitter with notes of citrus, oak, whisky, and a pleasant alcohol sting.

Bottle from Utobeer market stall. Pours chocolate brown with a tan head. Head doesn’t last very long. Aromas of bitter chocolate, malts, caramel. Flavours of chocolate, licorice, some smoke. Finishes malty and slightly hoppy.