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Gonzo
Flying Dog Brewery
- From:
- Flying Dog Brewery
- Maryland, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Porter
Ranked #128 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 90
Ranked #9,612 - Avg:
- 4.02 | pDev: 10.95%
- Reviews:
- 1,526
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 28, 2024
- Added:
- Jun 04, 2005
- Wants:
- 169
- Gots:
- 391
Too weird to live, too rare to die, Gonzo Imperial Porter is bold and forceful, like the man it was brewed to honor – Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Complex layers of roasted chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, and vanilla malt flavors are balanced with a one-of-a-kind hop bite that hits you like a homemade firecracker. Buy the ticket and take the ride by pairing this rich and creamy porter with blue cheeses, smoked meats, BBQ, chili, chocolate and coffee desserts. Best shared with your closest circle of friends— real or hallucinated.
Malts: Caramel, Black, Chocolate
Hops: Northern Brewer, Cascade
Yeas: American Ale, English Ale
IBU: 85
ABV varies
Malts: Caramel, Black, Chocolate
Hops: Northern Brewer, Cascade
Yeas: American Ale, English Ale
IBU: 85
ABV varies
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by orbitalr0x:
Reviewed by orbitalr0x from Illinois
4.23/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.23/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours from the bottle a viscous deep black color with a nice bubbly tan head that lingers atop the brew and leaves strings of sticky lacing as it falls. Wow..hardly any light is getting through this brew. Aromas of dark, toasty roasted malt with some cinammon, cocoa and vanilla. An underlying citric, piney hoppiness is fresh and vibrant..giving this porter a unique nose...pretty heavy on the hops.
First sip brings dark, roasted maltiness featuring chunks of bakers chocolate along with some mild roasted coffee beans. Slight powdered cinammon midway through along with hints of dark fruits and vanilla bean. The brew follows through with a heavy dose of pine needle citric hop oils and finishes slightly chalky on the palate. Quite the enjoyable brew.
Mouthfeel is full with big creamy maltiness. Nice and chewy with a slight dry chalkiness. This brew is amazingly drinkable. I didn't know it was 9.5% until I checked the listing again...alcohol is very well hidden. Sort of reminds me of Alpha Klaus personally...which is definetly not a bad thing. A fitting tribute to the late Hunter S. Thompson (RIP) and probably the best Flying Dog brew I've tried. Thanks to dwvarner77 for bringing a few of these back to IL for me.
Jul 17, 2005First sip brings dark, roasted maltiness featuring chunks of bakers chocolate along with some mild roasted coffee beans. Slight powdered cinammon midway through along with hints of dark fruits and vanilla bean. The brew follows through with a heavy dose of pine needle citric hop oils and finishes slightly chalky on the palate. Quite the enjoyable brew.
Mouthfeel is full with big creamy maltiness. Nice and chewy with a slight dry chalkiness. This brew is amazingly drinkable. I didn't know it was 9.5% until I checked the listing again...alcohol is very well hidden. Sort of reminds me of Alpha Klaus personally...which is definetly not a bad thing. A fitting tribute to the late Hunter S. Thompson (RIP) and probably the best Flying Dog brew I've tried. Thanks to dwvarner77 for bringing a few of these back to IL for me.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5
4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5
there is no date on the bottle. The pour is cola colored. The taste is roasted malt, black licorice, and some earthy medicinal notes. In addition to, the 10% abv is well hidden. Cheers! A-
Nov 12, 2023Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana
3.96/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle stamped VINTAGE 22 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 10% ABV. The beer pours dense, dark brown with light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island leaving behind a web of lacing. Aroma is mild with dark chocolate. The taste is bittersweet malt with a dark toasted, but not roasted touch. Hints of chocolate and coffee. Moderate bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, very good.
Apr 26, 2023Reviewed by MadMadMike from France
4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 oz bottle poured into a hotel coffee cup.
Long rating short: this is a beautiful example of the way an Imperial Porter is supposed to be - on all levels.
Buy the ticket and take the ride.,.
Mar 02, 2023Long rating short: this is a beautiful example of the way an Imperial Porter is supposed to be - on all levels.
Buy the ticket and take the ride.,.
Reviewed by izraelc from New York
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark. Tan foam. Oaky aroma. This one is interesting. Heavy roasted malt body followed by a big hop presence. Slightly sweet chocolate finish. Big bold flavors. It's a little muddled but not bad.
Jan 28, 2023Reviewed by Pivopijak from Washington
3.8/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
bottle into glass
really sustaining, thick tan head. Completely opaque and nearly black look. Quite restrained, dark roasted grains with a lot of a medicinal and astringent aroma. Sharp, nearly burnt grain and wood flavor that persists throughout the taste, on to the finish and makes up the taste.
Jan 05, 2023really sustaining, thick tan head. Completely opaque and nearly black look. Quite restrained, dark roasted grains with a lot of a medicinal and astringent aroma. Sharp, nearly burnt grain and wood flavor that persists throughout the taste, on to the finish and makes up the taste.
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia
4.59/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.59/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Received from @Turkeysdrinkbeer in February 2022. Drunk in December 2022.
Drunk on the first 30+ degree day of the summer (that's 86F for you Americans out there). I shouldn't have enjoyed this so much, but damn...
L: It looks like a stout. It's as thick as custard and as black as the ace of spades, with a thin, mocha-colored head. No carbonation is visible. It's really very pretty!
S: There are big roasted notes with molasses, rich toffee, and an umami-like savoury note.
T: Taste is great! It's quite bitter, but it's balanced by the big roasted, burnt molasses notes it's pumping out. There's booze that hangs around the side of the tongue after the swallow and a very pleasant alcoholic warmth. Underlying everything is a tangy toffee/caramel note that hangs it all together.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth and silky, perfectly counterbalancing the bitterness of the brew.
O: What a great beer! Everything works together in perfect synergy, producing a beer that wears its alcoholic big-boy boots in plain sight yet hides them under a tasty, complex and moreish beer with a calm, angelic insouciance. I would definitely have more than one of these if I could, but I'd come out at the wrong end of that battle!
Cheers!
#155
Dec 11, 2022Drunk on the first 30+ degree day of the summer (that's 86F for you Americans out there). I shouldn't have enjoyed this so much, but damn...
L: It looks like a stout. It's as thick as custard and as black as the ace of spades, with a thin, mocha-colored head. No carbonation is visible. It's really very pretty!
S: There are big roasted notes with molasses, rich toffee, and an umami-like savoury note.
T: Taste is great! It's quite bitter, but it's balanced by the big roasted, burnt molasses notes it's pumping out. There's booze that hangs around the side of the tongue after the swallow and a very pleasant alcoholic warmth. Underlying everything is a tangy toffee/caramel note that hangs it all together.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth and silky, perfectly counterbalancing the bitterness of the brew.
O: What a great beer! Everything works together in perfect synergy, producing a beer that wears its alcoholic big-boy boots in plain sight yet hides them under a tasty, complex and moreish beer with a calm, angelic insouciance. I would definitely have more than one of these if I could, but I'd come out at the wrong end of that battle!
Cheers!
#155
Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York
4.06/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours near black, 2" tan head with very good retention and strong lacing. Nose is brown sugar, vanilla, molasses, light soy sauce, floral hop. Taste leads with strong roasted peanuts, with boozy vanilla, barrel, and black licorice as it warms. Feel is moderately chewy and full with very light carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden. A really solid beer.
Nov 13, 2022Reviewed by NeoClassicist from New York
4.56/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.56/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Doth mine eye deceive me?
Pours with an even two finger head at each attempt into an Imperial Pint glass. Deep black, not inky, not burnt brown. Foam fades after about five minutes, is light brown in color. Smell is perplexing, too much going on to pick out individual smells. Tastes strong but not forceful, the myriad flavours of hops, chocolate, malt, charcoal, and their many companions joining to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Goes down thick and rich, even at the last sip of two bottles. Never heavy, never oily. This is a porter, you say. I don't care what it is or what you call it or how many people get offended by the packaging. This is really good.
Jun 30, 2022Pours with an even two finger head at each attempt into an Imperial Pint glass. Deep black, not inky, not burnt brown. Foam fades after about five minutes, is light brown in color. Smell is perplexing, too much going on to pick out individual smells. Tastes strong but not forceful, the myriad flavours of hops, chocolate, malt, charcoal, and their many companions joining to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Goes down thick and rich, even at the last sip of two bottles. Never heavy, never oily. This is a porter, you say. I don't care what it is or what you call it or how many people get offended by the packaging. This is really good.
Gonzo from Flying Dog Brewery
Beer rating:
90 out of
100 with
3065 ratings
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