Gonzo Imperial Porter - Flying Dog Brewery

Morgan-makes-Cloud

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is super thick, almost like syrup. Nice hop malt interaction. I enjoyed it but steep for the price. Got this beer when I was looking for something truly dark, and it is. A bit too heavy but has character. One beer goes a long way. A bit to heavy for multiple drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 06:44:42 | More by Morgan-makes-Cloud

harrymel

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Vint 12DD

Nice dark on black ale with a couple fingers of light mocha foam and a good velvety texture. Nice oaty flavor, good dry cocoa and toast flavors. Nice flavor is slightly bitter and charred flavors hide in this alongside coffee. A bit empty bodied with higher carb, which is sharp and a dry finish. This is s a decent beer, but nothing particularly special – can’t see specifically seeking this out.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 06:39:45 | More by harrymel

BEERMILER12

Maine

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

VINTAGE 12EE

A: Pours a near black color with 2 fingers worth of tan had that has a decently long retention time

S: Nice notes of chocolate, dark fruits, and a tinge of booze. Reminds me a lot of some of the BA Black Hole variants that Mikkeller put out, even though this has about 4% less abv

T: Follows the nose, with the bittersweet chocolate and dark fruits plus some nice charred malts. Get some alcohol, but it isn't distracting. The bitterness lingers for quite a while along with the charred notes

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Could be a littler smoother, but it certainly isn't bad

O: A solid baltic porter with some nice complexities and nuances. Absolutely worth a try if you can find it

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:29:18 | More by BEERMILER12

C20Percent

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very dark brown; big bubbly dark tan head of foam. Some bubbles in the body. Hard to see inside the body obviously; not a whole bunch of complexity in the color. But, pretty good overall.

S: Getting lots of toasted grain notes; roastiness; some slightly chocolatey and expresso aroma. A bit boozy too. Not too bad overall.

T: Taste like it smells for the most part. Lots of toastiness; roastiness; chocolatey; and booziness. There is also a hint of vanilla bean -- I could be wrong, but it taste like it's in there.

M: Light to medium body -- lighter than I would have expected. A nice oily feel. There a nice chewiness that brings out the roasted malts. Carbonation is decent -- could probably use some more, though.

O: Not a bad brew, but nothing crazy special. There are better Imperial Porters/Stouts out there, but this is a fine offering. Just -- I like something with a little bit more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 21:40:44 | More by C20Percent

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

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

Beer was purchased at Atlantic Liquors in Rehoboth Beach, DE

Poured and sampled from a DFH Signature Glass

A - Beer pours a totally opaque, nearly jet black color. A one finger, tan colored head on the initial pour. It fades rather quickly to a light skim. Decent amount of lacing left after drinking.

S - A distinct roasted smell with a hint of chocolate.

T - The tastes are similar to a standard porter but this beer has a good punch to it. The initial taste is that of deep roasted malts and and burnt chocolate. Maybe a bit of coffee too. It has a smooth, creamier feel to it. The longer this beer sits the more bitter or acidic is seems to become. The ABV is pretty well disguised initially but again as the beer warms, you begin to taste the alcohol a bit.

M - The beer leans towards the heavier side. It has decent carbonation.

O - I really enjoyed this beer. I've had several of Flying Dog's offerings and this ranks as one of the best. If you enjoy porters, give this a try.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 19:06:10 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

IKR

California

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

Appearance: Very dark brown bordering on black with a creamy generous sized medium- brown head. Nice looking beer.

Smell: Mild Chocolate and bready notes.

Taste: The dark chocolate notes are prominent with some roasted malt notes. I get a trace of hops in the finish. The alcohol is well hidden for something 9.5% ABV.

Mouth-feel: Medium-bodied with a generous level of carbonation.

Overall: I like Flying Dog and this one reaffirms why I like the Brewery. Good tasting at a good price, this one works for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 04:20:43 | More by IKR

ThorWenzel

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

The pour is smooth and viscous -- promising. The appearance is blackish/brown, with golden head of about 10%. The aroma is toast, caramel, earth, coffee. Initial taste of roses, moving under the tongue with bitter-sweet coffee, mushrooms. Long finish with green acidic tones. This is an exciting porter--very unique. The only thing that keeps it from having a more perfect rating is the lack of caramel overtones in the finish that was promised in the chocolate aroma.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 04:14:06 | More by ThorWenzel

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a lager glass. Pours a pitch black with a quick;y receding one finger of brown head, Leaving decent lacing. Smells like a hell of a porter. Lots and lots of vanilla coming through here. Light malts as well. Tastes somewhat like a medium-dark coffee. Black coffee beans, vanilla extract, And small amounts of malt. For this beer being 9.2% I cannot believe that it actually tastes this good. The mouthfeel allows the alcoholic side of this brew to come out. Retains all flavors except for the vanilla, sadly. Overall, This is a great porter that anybody could drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 02:13:14 | More by SometimesIfart

mdcrouser

Missouri

3.45/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A stirring beer to begin, resting with heavy, dark black eyes. Smoldering under a thin head of sandy tan head.

Crisp and roasty, but with just a bit of that astringent cleanliness that often accompanies baltic porters - at least to me.

Highly roasted, but that astringency remains and I cannot separate the two. That alcohol content comes through pretty high,

Highly carbonated - blasts the mouth from the outset. Otherwise, it comes through thick and somewhat chewy.

Meh - part of it's the style, part the execution. Passable, but not more than once.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 20:20:49 | More by mdcrouser

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a silly 7oz bottle into a Victory tulip. 2008 vintage, ABV listed at 7.8%

A- pours jet black with a one finger dark brown head that fades away at a pretty quick pace. Looks nice

S- getting a lot of dark fruits and sweet chocolate aroma. Ah, the typical Baltic porter stuff...

T- yep...that's a Baltic porter. Bittersweet chocolate, and lots and lots of figs and plums. Almost too much, in fact...

M- body is very thick and verrry chewy

O- not bad at all. Not the right season for it, of course, but still very good

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 04:25:03 | More by bigfnjoe

Theheroguy

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of my favorites from flying dog.

This beer pours a light-scouring black, a void through which nothing may be seen. The head is a creamy and thick French beige colored mass which persist as long as your beer does. The smell of this beer is one of rich roasted malt and chocolate. Similarly the taste is an mighty combination of primarily malt and chocolate with slight dark fruits and acidity playing the side kicks. Unfortunately about seventy five percent through this experience an acrid and harsh flavor comes through. This beer feels amazing in your mouth because it seems to float on your tongue. Overall I would rate this beer as excellent. the taste is hampered by the late acridness but it is still an amazing porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 03:14:22 | More by Theheroguy

siege06nd

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A. Pours a very dark brown-black. About a half finger of medium brown head. Pretty nice lacing.

S. Lots of roasted malt, chocolate, some coffee. Also some sweet dark fruit juice and a slightly sweet, lactic smell. Good amount of booze lingering as well.

T. Follows the nose with chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, some light booze, touches of smoke, and slight acidity. Very very nice.

M. A touch thin, which is noticeable at this ABV. Boozy and a little astringent.

O. A very nice baltic porter. Has a really nice chocolate/coffee quality while keeping everything pretty well-integrated for the ABV. It doesn't conpletely pull it off, as the booze exposes some flabbiness in the flavor profile. But it largely achieves its goal of a robust, well-rounded, flavorful porter. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 20:12:52 | More by siege06nd

TheSixthRing

California

3.88/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours jet black with a thick, 2 finger cocoa powder head. Excellent retention. Leaves behind a thick, sticky lacing.

Smell - Not much in the way of aromas. Subtle chocolate and with hints of coffee and a touch of alcohol peeks through.

Taste - Dark chocolate and cocoa to start, followed by... nothing, maybe a touch of acidity and faint alcohol burn... and then a beautiful, mellow, dark French Roast coffee flavor blossoms near the finish before fading with the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body. Decently carbonated. Smooth. Goes down easier than a 9.2% beer should.

Overall - Strange how there's very little flavor midtaste, but that nice coffee aftertaste makes up for what's lacking after the initial chocolatey tones wear off. I don't know that it's quite worth the asking price, but if you buy the ticket, take the ride ;).

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 02:39:56 | More by TheSixthRing

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Gonzo pours pitch black. No light penetration. Head is a robust brown color. One of the darker heads I have come across. Head dies off and leaves plenty of lacing. Very attractive.

S-Dark chocolate covered coffee beans. Light hints of vanilla as well. Smells moderately yeasty too. Also a mild earthen hop aroma. Alcohol also comes out in the nose (served at a relatively warm temp). The nose is not very high in intensity. I like some of the components but the overall nose is somewhat lacking in my opinion.

T-The dark chocolate coffee beans are the headliner as in the nose. Very chocolatey. Has a cola flavor too. Lightly acidy. Yeasty too. Herbal hop are moderately bitter. I enjoy the flavor here considerably more than the nose. Alcohol is quite potent. All the flavors are lightly charred. Also a very light hint of anise.

M-Full bodied and viscous; but not as viscous as an Imperial Stout or a RIS. Great carbonation. Bubbles really rub away the sting from the alcohol.

O/D-Took me far too long to try this. It is pretty damn good for a big Porter. Doesn't reach a supremely memorable status in my mind but this is an above-solid high gravity Porter. I am happy to have tried it. Hovering around $15 a sixer, this beer is very pricey. The single I bought should suffice.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 01:51:08 | More by VelvetExtract

sunshineunicorn

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Black with thick brown head~3 fingers yet dissipates quickly.

S: Sweet, with caramel malt overtones and hints of coffee.

T: Very rich, coffee and chocolate malts balanced with underlying hop bitters. Aftertaste remains sweet but not overpowering. Can't really taste the alcohol despite the relatively high ABV.

M: Thick, medium carbonation. feels 'dark' in the mouth.

O: very impressive smell, taste and mouthfeel, I would almost classify this as a stout more than a porter, if I didnt know better. Strong, tasty beer yet also not overwhelming.. good drinkability. Also awesome art on the bottle (Ralph Steadman) and respectable intimation of Gonzo journalist and author Hunter S Thompson

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 03:50:08 | More by sunshineunicorn

secondtooth

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This review is of a vintage 2010 (2-year old) bottle.

Pours a deep, impenetrable black in my glass. Thick, tan bubbles emerge to form thick lace.

Nose says chocolate, toffee, and a rum-like alcohol touch.

Taste is strong -- heavy on the burnt cocoa and with a lingering booziness. Finishes on a coffee-whiskey-like tip. A powerful and solid brew, and certainly one to sip.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 14:34:05 | More by secondtooth

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in an oversized wineglass.
(review from notes.)

pours a dark chestnut/mahogany tone with maybe a finger of foamy tan head. good retention and lacing. bold nose offers notes of coffee, dark chocolate, maybe some caramel and roasted malt... secondary hoppy characters.

flavor opens with a sweetness, coffee and a bit of dark chocolate, with some hoppiness working its way into the profile mid-palate; not really as smooth or well-blended as i would prefer. not terrible, just sort of average. medium-full mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall this one was a bit of a disappointment; the flavor profile just doesn't really work for me. it's OK at best - not going to trip over myself getting more.

(originally reviewed: 07-19-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 21:35:50 | More by BostonHops

Thickfreakness

New York

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have had this at least a hundred times both fresh and aged. I can't believe I never ticked it.

vintage 2011

A- Pours a deep, dark brown... almost black! A creamy tan 2 1/2 finger head fades slowly and leaving islands of sticky lacing dripping all down the glass.

S- Fresh roasted coffee beans, deep/dark bittersweet cocoa, some caramel and marshmallow laying in the backround. Picking up dried figs, raisins, and dried cherries. Dry roasted nuts, dark brown sugar and charred malt with just a touch of hoppy citrus. This has some real depth!

T- Bitter chocolate, black coffee, sour dried cherries and grapefruit segments dipped in caramel. Has some deep dark fruit lying beneath the wonderful hoppy/cocoa/coffee/caramel. No alcohol presence at all.

M- Sweet, bitter, a touch creamy... but with decent carbonation. Wish it was a tad thicker.

O- This is one of those beers that blurs the line between Porter and Imperial Stout. It's one of my favorite dark beers for daily drinking. It doesn't get a whole lot better than this for the price!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 20:02:48 | More by Thickfreakness

mikeg67

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours black with a small, reddish-brown head and nice lacing. Aroma is of toasted malt, bread crust, dark fruit, and citrusy hops. Body is medium, slightly crisp and creamy. Toasted, nutty malt, brown sugar, dark fruit, citrusy hops fill the mouth. Finish is long, citrusy and bitter. Nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 12:16:16 | More by mikeg67

upNadam

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A bold porter, which is suitable, considering its name. I'm not usually into porters, but this was exceptional. Quite pleasant to enjoy slowly. Strong hints of molasses, with a kind of syrupy, sticky texture. Doesn't taste overwhelmingly of coffee, which I've experienced with other porters. Would definitely recommend for a unique experience.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 00:33:38 | More by upNadam

jjboesen

Maryland

4.55/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

"Good people drink good beer." So said Gonzo journlist/writer/gadfly Hunter Thompson, whom this succulent porter honors. (And a vast improvement over the two crappy movies.)

It is dark and foreboding, the color of tar supplemented with a thin spongy cap of froth. Add to this appearance, a gummy, gooey and sticky lacing. Gonzo!

Upon cracking this beaut, the immediate air is pricked with the sweet miasma of cocoa powder and molasses. Sip it slow ... the palate becomes overwhelmed with said molasses, one with a slight alcoholic bite. There is the requisite toasty malt backbone and the subtle plum fade. Gonzo!

The body combines creaminess with chewiness in a big warm fuzzball of balance that teases you with a syrupy feint. In all, a maginifiecent specimen of that noble style we call Baltic Porter. Oh, yeah, I forgot .... Gonzo!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 23:18:35 | More by jjboesen

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2011 12 oz bottle, poured into a Lagunitas mason jar -- because I can.

Ah, an old friend. It looks mean, with a finger of coffee foam-tan head, over a barely reddish brown, but mostly black body. The head sticks around in the form of an oil slick, and a frothy ring which sticks to the glass.

The aroma is nice, with a good deal of toffee-caramel, some roasted malt, and a laid back citrus hop presence.

The taste is multifaceted, with caramel and floral bitterness dominating the front, a mellow, sweet anise mid-palate, and a moderately dry finish, dominated by a tasty bitter, burnt malt and coffee. A perfect marriage of dryness and semi-sweetness. Subdued citrus and a hint of almost undetectable alcohol heat join the fray at the end. Impressive, considering it's 9.2%ABV. The mouthfeel takes a backseat to the taste, but it's decently well done. Medium bodied, a little thicker maybe, and a low to mid carbonation level.

If there really is a right way to do an Imperial Porter, I'm convinced this is it. Kudos to you, Flying Dog.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 22:11:22 | More by troysoy2

Arborescence

Finland

4.6/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Black. Pours a massive foamy head with a brown tint.

Aroma: Chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, coffee.

Taste: Plenty of bitterness, like 99% chocolate and espresso. Alcohol burn as well, but it's controlled -- not bad for a beer of this strength! It's rich, malty, hoppy, and full of chocolate and coffee flavours. Not much to improve on here!

Mouthfeel: Thick and soupy! Full bodied.

Overall: The main reason why I'm not going all out and giving full marks for the individual sections is because I haven't tried the variation of this beer yet. I wonder if they could actually have made it any better, because it is an excellent imperial porter. It's not trying to be anything fancy, just a full on robust porter with all the depth you could want. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 00:04:56 | More by Arborescence

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle 2010 vintage - thanks to pushkinwow for the trade

Appearance - Dark brown colour with a large size frothy brown head. I can't make out the amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, grains, faint dark fruits

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, coffee, chocolate, and some grains/oatmeal. There was also a touch of smoke, some hops, and a bit of a burnt flavour. It ends with a chocolatey aftertaste with a fair amount of bitterness from coffee/burnt notes/hops.

Overall - The mouthfeel is a little lacking for an imperial and the beer is a touch too bitter for me. The alcohol is well hidden and the beer seems to have held up well for a few years. A good - not great - beer that was worth trying. There are too many better beers out there to drink though.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 23:54:51 | More by spinrsx

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Gonzo on cask at Pony Bar in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, served in a 14-oz pint. I've had this beer in many different servings (tap, nitro, bottle, barrel-aged) but never cask. Let's see...

Appearance: Super cask-y head, like a souffle rising in the oven. Then it goes down and settles into just a mantle of bubbly mocha head. Serious lacing, decent retention, super dark looks.

Smell: Strangely aromatic, sort of like a bed of spring flowers submerged in fresh tar. Essential oils, rosemary, Herbes de Provence. Enticing and different, but way weird for an Imperial Porter. Cheap men's cologne from Wal-Mart, lemongrass.

Taste: Again the herb-and-perfume thing. WTF! Country ham, smoke, spices. Indian food cooked with Kentucky bacon, that's it. Very rosemary-y at the end. None of the roastiness and presence of "regular" Gonzo. This is more like a dark beer geared for women and processed in a lavender field in Provence.

Mouthfeel: Fine for cask, with low carbonation, full lavender-smoky flavor and a creamy finish. Not too dry.

Overall: I liked it enough, but if you're coming here thinking you're going to get Gonzo, forget about it. This is pretty much an entirely different beer.

Serving type: cask

04-19-2012 22:03:46 | More by DoubleSimcoe