Gonzo Imperial Porter - Flying Dog Brewery

UCLABrewN84

California

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On nitro tap at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, slight coffee, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a cookie dough flavor on the finish. There is a medium roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but the nitro treatment isn't helping out very much.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-22-2012 07:16:13 | More by UCLABrewN84

avaldivia

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Nitro at the Coddingtown Whole Foods Tap Room is Santa Rosa.

A; Pitch black. Really nice chocolate head. Excellent retention.

S: Roasted malts. Chocolate. A bit of caramel of toffee.

T: Same as nose, but a bit more intense. Good chocolate flavor. The roasted malts are prominent.

M: Creamy. Very creammy. Medium to light carbonation.

O: Excellent. This is the only offering from Flying dog I have ever really thought was exceptional. It is the only one by them I will order.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-07-2011 15:21:32 | More by avaldivia

Luvzsurfrz

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on nitro-tap at Ojai Brewing Company in a fluted 12 oz glass.

A: Poured dark with a tannish-brown head that was creamy like a fluffy cloud. An overwhelming amount of bubbles dissipated over a 5 minute period. Great sticky lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Smell is faint of coffee and creamy malt.

T: Nitro-tap did this pour good! SOOOO creamy and delicious! Coffee is strong through, yet with subtle notes of mocha.

M: Thick and creamy, very smooth. Nice carbonation to bubble ratio. Goes down nicely.

O: Overall, i thoroughly enjoyed this porter on nitro-tap. It enhanced the taste, and the overall feeling and experience.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-08-2011 04:39:12 | More by Luvzsurfrz

dbmernin83

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours jet black with a small khaki nitro head. nitro leaves great lacing.
only a very faint coffee aroma. nitro kills it.
coffee, dark chocolate, and more dark chocolate.
the nitro lightens the body and adds a creamy, milkshake quality to this excellent porter. booze makes an appearance but doesnt take away from the drinkability.
this is a great porter, one of my favorites

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-04-2011 07:35:19 | More by dbmernin83

Stigs

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz pour from nitro tap at Fathead's as part of Flying Dog's firkin friday...

A - pitch black beer with a healthy two fingers of incredibly tight and rich, dark tan colored head. massive lacing, every sip leaves a hearty ring around the glass, like counting the rings on the inside of a tree. lovely.

S - everything is subtle because of the nitro pour, some toffee and roasted malts, bit of chocolate and dark fruit

T - yum. sweetness is balanced very nicely by some roasted malts and then a healthy kick of hops, bitter dark chocolate adds a whole new layer and really comes out in the nitro version. coffee also shows up that doesnt from the bottle or regular tap.

M - hard to describe how thick the head of this is, almost like a chocolate mousse. spot on carbonation levels and mouth coating. perfect dessert beer.

D - was curious about this coming in, ended up ordering a second. alcohol was completely hidden, flavors intense, feel perfect. loved it.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-30-2010 23:41:19 | More by Stigs

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured a rich dark color with a tan head and zero carbonation (e.g. nitro). The smell was dominated by dark chocolate, caramel, and roasted malts, but once again the flavor was a little more subtle; similar to the Road Dog Porter in that respect. The mouth was nice and creamy, likely due to the nitro aspect, but one of these is a meal. Definitely not a favorable session beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-27-2009 23:36:01 | More by donniecuffs

BeerisfoodLLC

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from a nitro tap:

A - Thick and dark with a thin but rich head. Lacing sticks around for the ride.

S - Intense toasted malt scents...hints of chocolate.

T - Intense roasty malt flavors yet balanced by a robust infusion of hops....complex, confusing to the pallet but awesome.

M - Chewy thick rich and lightly carbonated...the nitro adds and extra smoothness.

D - Better to sip and enjoy one rather than drinking all night

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-25-2009 01:23:20 | More by BeerisfoodLLC

jgasparine

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Completely opaque... it's probably brown in color, but so dark it looks black. A half-finger of head rests atop this nitro-pour, and it quickly dissipates, leaving no lacing behind. Interestingly, I'm not seeing any "settling" of the head like I would expect from a nitro-tap.

S- Smells very roasty, perhaps a bit of molasses, and some flowery hop aroma. Not getting much else off the nose.

T- As expected, it tastes sweet and roasty, with a touch of hop bitterness throughout. These flavors are quite big, but the three words "sweet, roasty, bitter" seem to sum it all up here. I guess in a literal sense that makes it three dimensional... but in a metaphoric sense I'd call it 1 or 2 dimensional. The Gonzo started out with promise of being a great big beer... don't get me wrong. It tastes mighty good... but I would like to see more going-on here... more nuances.

M- Keep in mind that this is a review of a nitro-pour. As such, I would expect some exceptional creaminess from this beer... and I'm just not getting as much as I thought I would.

Granted, the Gonzo is full-bodied, but most of this mouthfeel is coming from unatenuated sugar... I don't see much contribution from the nitrogen... and that's a disapointment (and not Flying Dog's issue- more of the bar's issue).

The carbonation is good enough, though, to keep this sweet brew from getting too sticky in the mouth.

D- All in all, I'd say this beer is quite drinkable, particularly given its ABV. A better nitro-pour would have helped in all areas... or perhaps I would have been better-off served the beer without the knowledge of it being on a nitro draft system...

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-02-2009 12:18:57 | More by jgasparine

tgdigital

Maryland

4.68/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this beer on Nitro at several locations. Pours a deep black with a nice creamy nitro head. Nose is loaded with hops for a porter, and the taste is the same. Exceptional beer all around, but not a beer you can sit down and pound many at once. I've also had the oak barrel aged version, which I preferred.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-17-2009 14:26:20 | More by tgdigital

Floydster

California

4.8/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

32 ounce mug at Bad Dog Ale House

Almost jet black color with a thick, dark brown head

Beer of choice at this bar and the reason why many people keep going back to the place

I have heard it is not as good from a bottle, but is arguably one of the best draft beers I have head

Strong chocolate and coffee taste

Almost looks like a milkshake it is so thick

These catch up to you fast though, so be careful when drinking this bad boy

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-03-2007 06:05:38 | More by Floydster

kojevergas

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

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.84/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Sam Adams signature pint glass,.

Appearance: A very dark brown, like a maple syrup pour with a tan head bubbling up to over a finger's length.

Smell: Malty smell with slight chocolate and bits of sugar/caramel...starts off potent but leaves the nostrils just as quick as it comes in.

Taste: Pretty good, but in my opinion somewhat simple. Light chocolate that feels definitely dark and light malt. Could use a little tweaking. Maybe the barrel aged version is better, who knows?

Mouth: Medium bodied, bitter chocolate at the and somewhat dry. Not bad wish it was more sticky.

Overall: Picked up a six pack on w whim, just to try it overall not bad but wouldn't categorize it on the team of the elite. Still good to have doesn't hurt to split a pack with a friend. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 18:57:58 | More by BlurryVisi0n

tewaris

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A dark brown with good clarity, great dark tan head, and good retention. Smells sweet and chocolaty without the coffee element some of its kind tend to take. Tastes malty and smooth with a restrained kick of roast at the back. Medium feel and somewhat high carbonation.

This beer is superior to many talked about imperial porters and stouts. I like it and the barrel aged version is fantastic as well.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 05:18:34 | More by tewaris

Burkbom23

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

A- Dark Brown almost black in color, nice frothy tan head, fair ammount of lacing. S- Sweet chocolatie aroma with strong smell of dark fruit, raisens, prunes. Did get a hint of soy sauce in the nose. T- Sweet malty flavor, a lot of chocolate coming through. Some coffee and smokiness. M- Creamy medium body, little on the light side for a porter. Would have liked more from the feel. Did leave a warming feeling from the alcohol. O- Definitely leans towards the sweet malty side of things. After a couple i think the sweetness would be too much, but still a drinkable beer, especially for 9.2 abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:20:43 | More by Burkbom23

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a completely opaque jet black color. Although the carbonation is minimal at best, there is a frothy tan head sitting on top. The retention is fairly long with some of the head clinging to the glass on the way down.

The aroma suggests that the beer will be very sweet, with sugary malts and dark fruits outweighing any roasted aspects by a large margin.

This assessment above proves to be 100% correct after a taste. Raisins, some milk chocolate, and a super sweet candied flavor dominate. The finish sneaks in a little roastiness and a huge hop bitterness.

I could stand for the mouth feel to be a bit more full, yet the beer seems a little 'boozy' nevertheless.

Overall worth a try if you are a fan of Belgian strong dark ales (no joke). The sweetness and perceived strength of this really took me by surprise!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 05:47:29 | More by Neorebel

jjchristiano

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Seemed more like a BIPA to me with the hoppiness. Didn't get any of the malty chocolate flavor but just overwhelming hoppy flavor. The high ABV wasn't apparent at all.
Maybe I should not have had a Russian Imperial Stout just before this, because the hops hit me after the sweet chocolate maltiness of the Stout. I like hoppy beers and would probably like this one if not for the order drank.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:46:55 | More by jjchristiano

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice. Label says vintage 12JJ.

Appearance: Pours a oily pitch black. Moderate amount of bubbles and a solid three fingers of tan head with decent retention. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A robust aroma of dark roasty malts with some fruit hints and herbal hops. Dark roasted malts up front with big hints of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cream, toasted bread, biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, nuts, and smoked malt. Sweet molasses and a hint of anise licorice spicing. Hints of dark cherry, raisin, and prune. A fair amount of herbal and earthy hops in the background. A pretty rich and nice aroma.

Taste: Like the smell hints, a rich and roasty taste of dark malts and creamy chocolate. Rich roasted malts with a taste of chocolate, coffee, cream, and vanilla along with some toast, caramel, toffee, biscuit, yeast, smoked malt, and nuts. A fair amount of molasses sweetness. A little anise spice. Undertones of dark fruit including raisin, prune, dark cherry, and fig. A nice dose of earthy herbal hops provide some drying bitterness towards the finish. A really good taste that is more like an imperial stout than a porter.

Mouthfeel: Fairly full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very creamy and somewhat slick. Alcohol heat is hidden very well.

Overall: A really good imperial Porter. Nicely rich, dark, and creamy with a solid hop backing.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 07:26:49 | More by MattyG85

Greywulfken

New York

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: into a pint, opaque black body with a fat light brown head of stiff mousse; nice lacing

S: about all I really got was dark roasty chocolate malts

T: following nose, predominant dark chocolate and roasted dark malt flavors, slight espresso coffee flavor - I found it very mild and fairly refreshing; hints of smoke

M: smooth, creamy, remarkably light feeling

O: I've only had a few Baltic porters, and there seems to be some leeway to the style - they come off light light stouts - somewhat unassuming, very drinkable for such a dark-looking beer, and with no hint of the high abv they're packing. I found this to be a fairly unremarkable representation of the style, but certainly good-tasting and easy-drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 02:44:56 | More by Greywulfken

arlingtonjoe

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a: dark brown opaque body and doughy head, nice lacing

s: dark fruits, roasted malt and chocolate

t: raisin, bitter coffee, chocolate and a slightly dry finish from the hops

m: full bodied and sticky

o: one of my top five porters and will be sorely missed when they no longer allocate to illinois

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 06:14:27 | More by arlingtonjoe

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Thanx to Myrik for this one, and congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens for just winning the Super Bowl (here's to Maryland):

Into a nonic:

A: black colored body leaving a one finger white foamy head that fades fairly quickly to a film covering the top of the body. Minimal lacing is left.

S: some coffee, chocolate, alcohol and light malts up front.

T: bitter and boozy with the coffee and alcohol coming in strong. It leaves a dry aftertaste and has a bitter finish.

M: medium with nothing harsh on the tongue, very smooth and rich for the most part

O: I like this as a Baltic Porter. I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 04:01:19 | More by kangarooAdam59

I_Love_Beer

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First time I've enjoyed this beer, Found it on tap at a local restaurant. Bartender offered a sample and it was good so I ordered a 22 oz. Draft

A: Very dark almost black color, 1 finger head which lasted nicely

S: Strong roatsed malts, coffee bean, the smell is overall nice

T: This is is hard to describe but it as a nice taste, definitely taste the coffee and espresso, as I read in another review it tastes almost as if you crunched down on a coffee bean. It's a nice strong malty beer and you can tatse the 9% ABV but its not overpowering.

M: Smooth mouthfeel with a bit of a alcohol burn after a swallow, Not to much but a nice overall mouthfeel.

O: I enjoy stronger beers, I've found porters to be my go to beers if I want a strong beer, I enjoyed a chili spaghetti dish with 2 of these and I enjoyed it very much. I needed a little time to linger afterwards being as its a bit of heavy hitter as far as the ABV goes so use caution, I highly recommend this one if you enjoy porter or stout beers. I will try to find this in a 6 pack and pick up 1 or 2 for the fridge at home. The restaurant charges way to much for this beer on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 20:30:36 | More by I_Love_Beer

JoshatTownHall

4.41/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

As a Baltimore guy who has enjoyed numerous authentic Baltic Porters over in Europe I was pumped when Flying Dog came out with their own take on the style. Drank straight from the bottle from a $13.99 6 pack from Oakdale Wine & Spirits in Catonsville, Md. Exceptional version of a Baltic Porter that I would place at the top of my list of Flying Dog's beers. It is definitely worth a second buy while in season.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 07:06:55 | More by JoshatTownHall

thlayli87

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Very dark brown with a massive frothy 4-inch tan head. Good lacing. Sadly, the appearance was the best aspect of the beer.

S - Piney hops, and slight roasty malt. Not terribly fragrant.

T - Pne, some chocolate malt; grainy; woody finish with a hint of smoke.

M - Creamy; Medium to full bodied. Dry.

O - Overall the flavors seem out of balance to me. I would have liked a little more sweetness. Not a bad beer, but I've had many porters and stouts that I prefer. I won't be revisiting this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 15:00:14 | More by thlayli87

danieelol

Australia

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From notes.

Wasn't going to review this but it really impressed me. Says "Vintage12BB" on the bottle.

Nice dark licorice colour with nice tanned head and great lacing.

Smell is coffee, brown sugar, licorice, vanilla ice cream.

Taste is not as potent as the aroma and features mainly licorice and some coffee.

Mouthfeel is a tad astringent.

Overall a very enjoyable Baltic Porter.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 10:04:26 | More by danieelol