Gonzo Imperial Porter - Flying Dog Brewery

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BA SCORE
90
outstanding
-
2,006 Ratings

rAvg: 4.04
pDev: 11.14%
Reviews: 1365
Hads: 641

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Flying Dog Brewery

Maryland, United States

Style | ABV
Baltic Porter | 9.20% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (1268), on-tap (76), nitro-tap (10), cask (7), growler (4).

Notes:
ABV varies.

View: Beers (52) | Events (1)

Reviews

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Reviews by silentdonkey:

silentdonkey

California

4/5 rDev -1%

01-28-2013 18:15:16 | More by silentdonkey

More User Reviews:

JimmyFlatRock

Ohio

4/5 rDev -1%

06-16-2013 21:35:16 | More by JimmyFlatRock

dalepryor

Kentucky

4/5 rDev -1%

06-16-2013 03:48:24 | More by dalepryor

hopswap1

Illinois

3.75/5 rDev -7.2%

06-16-2013 00:14:35 | More by hopswap1

KatyC

Maryland

3.75/5 rDev -7.2%

06-11-2013 19:19:21 | More by KatyC

Evoforen

North Carolina

4.25/5 rDev +5.2%

06-09-2013 14:59:38 | More by Evoforen

NumberNone

Maryland

4/5 rDev -1%

06-08-2013 18:52:13 | More by NumberNone

mlefebvre7

Massachusetts

3.75/5 rDev -7.2%

06-08-2013 15:37:37 | More by mlefebvre7

ACifra

Pennsylvania

3.75/5 rDev -7.2%

06-08-2013 00:55:50 | More by ACifra

megamass

New Jersey

4.25/5 rDev +5.2%

06-07-2013 05:14:43 | More by megamass

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

4.75/5 rDev +17.6%

06-06-2013 23:03:20 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

California

3.5/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

9.2% ABV confirmed. Love the label art, as always for Flying Dog. Self identifies as an Imperial Porter; reviewed as such. 2012 vintage. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded standard pressure cap acquired earlier tonight at a local SoCal beer store for $3.19; it was $14.99 a six pack but I went for the single. Expectations are high; I'm in the mood for a good imperial porter.

Served cold, straight from the freezer, and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a healthy two finger dark tan colour head. Nice cream. Good thickness. Good (~4-5 minute) retention for the high ABV. Body colour is an opaque solid dark black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Light thin even lacing as the head slowly recedes. Head has a soft approachable complexion - great for the style.

Overall, it's quite appealing for the style and brings all the elements of a good appearance to the table. No noticeable flaws, but there's room for improvement. The head could be darker and richer, the body colour could be a jet black, there could feasibly be a bubble show. But I'm nitpicking.

Looking forward to trying it. Very inviting.

Sm: I'm gripped by the obvious dark chocolate and accompanying dark chocolate malt. Cream, dark malts. Light unevocative coffee notes; no roast, espresso, or other interesting elements of flavour - just coffee - and probably cold-press at that. Hints of dark fruit. Dates perhaps? A bit of plum. Certainly not fig or dark cherry. Not getting any yeast character. Some pleasant roast in the background. Not getting any alcohol, but I wouldn't say it's exceptionally well concealed - just not present. A pleasant and subtle aroma of moderate strength overall.

T: Greets with cream and overt chocolate on the open, giving way to plain dark fruit covered by the dark malt body. Dark fruit here is indistinct and not at all rich; I'd guess plum and maybe some dates if I was forced to. It's a nice character; some may take it a step further and allege that it's cough syrupy or grape-laden but I think that's going too far. I quite like the dark fruit even if it could be far more evocative and relevant to the balance. Hints of light light molasses. The chocolate brings little to the table. And what happened to the coffee promised by the aroma? Caramel. Some buried unrefined sugars. Decent balance, but it does come off feeling a bit simple for the style. No true subtlety here. I do like it, but it leaves much to be desired. I'd hoped for a complex well rounded imperial porter, but I got unambitious standard fare. No boldness or experimentation here, but that said it wouldn't be fair to call it bland.

No yeast character or alcohol comes through.

*It gets better and more flavorful as it warms. I like it more and more in spite of my comments above. The roast blossoms with rising temperature.

Mf: Quite smooth and wet - aptly so for the style. Good body. Shallow depth of flavour; lacking in this regard. Good carbonation. Lovely creaminess. Good thickness. Supports the flavour profile nicely.

Dr: Quite drinkable for the high ABV. I do like it, but I expected more. A solid brew from Flying Dog, and I'd probably get it again if I was in the mood for the style. I could put down 2 or 3 of these in the same night. Once it warmed up, I really started to come 'round to it. Recommended at least to try once.

Borderline High B- (Flirting with a Low B)

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 05:14:59 | More by kojevergas

beergoot

Colorado

4.34/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Nearly opaque, dark mahogany body sporting a very thick, very chunky, very sticky light brown head. Pungent and heady aroma mixture of spicy and floral hops with a roasted grains. Rich combination of dark, semi-sweet malts with a pleasantly complimentary hop bitterness riding the background. Medium bodied, clean, semi-dry finish.

I always loved this beer when it was brewed in Denver and have greatly missed it since brewing operations moved to Maryland several years back. I found a lone six-pack at Coaltrain Wine & Liquor in Colorado Springs and eagerly snatched it up. And, yes, the brew is still tasty after all this time, retaining the depth, balance, and complexity that marked its beginnings. An iconic imperial dark ale...

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 21:24:36 | More by beergoot