The Maryland based brewery, Flying Dog, has certainly taken a healthy bite of the craft beer industry. Their clever canine theme and awesome label art lends itself to an enticing shelf product. Every beer (or nearly every) has a “dog” themed named: bot not the Gonzo imperial porter, named after the legendarily quirky, Hunter S. Thompson, who is credited with developing the purely subjective “Gonzo” style of Journalistic reporting. This break from the norm, to me, makes the beer more interesting.
Flying Dog’s Gonzo is an Imperial Porter, with an IBU (International Bittering Units) of 85…a bit higher than most porters. According to Flying Dog it is brewed using G.W. 120L Crystal, Chocolate, and Black malts, and is hopped with Warrior, Northern Brewer, and Cascade hops. Considerable amounts of Cascades are used for the dry hopping.
The Pour:
Gonzo pours a a smooth thick extremely dark brown. It is nearly black, but in the light tints and shades of brown glimmer. The way in which is slowly enters the glass gives away a smooth mouthfeel to be experienced. A thick two inch head sticks around for a while, opening up a Bouquet of pleasant aromas.
The Smell:
Gonzo smells unlike most other porters/imperial porters. Initially, I get caught offguard (not in a bad way) by the fruity hop aromas. But mixed with the rich cocoa and roasted nut aromas, it is quite balanced. There is a fruit smell I picked up on that isn’t quite typical to beers, especially porters. Call me crazy, but the more I allowed the beer to permeate my senses, the more I picked up an aroma like that of a fresh, ripe, plum.
The Taste:
This beer is solidly balanced. one might be afraid that it is too hoppy, but the hop flavors come off more as a counter-sweet malt flavor than an in-your-face grapefruity hop meltdown. The beer is quite pleasantly sweet. The chocolate flavor is pretty pronounced, and with the smooth bitter flavor, reminded me of a rich dark chocolate. Maybe because I had plums on the mind, I did pick on some dark plum flavors. As the beer washes down the flavor of the hop rears it’s pretty head and is deliciously citrusy, but more along the oranges end of the hop spectrum.
Overall:
This is my Flying Dog “go to” beer. It so smooth, it easy to drink quickly. I have bought it before, and will buy it again…perhaps one of these days I’ll drink it while watching a documentary about Hunter S. Thompson or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. PS: I had this on tap at a beer fest last year.
Nate’s Rating:
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among other Imperial Porters:
Nicely done, Nate. I noted the Cascades on the nose…they’re never hard to miss. I’m also with you on the cocoa and nuts but I could even say coconut. You’re nose really has grown awesome in the past year. Everything about this blog has!
[Reply]
Great beer. This might be my PIT (palate in training) but does anyone else pick up on a bit of Russian Imperial Stout in this beer? (i.e. Alcohol, black licorice, etc.?) There’s obviously some Cascades on the finish, but it reminds me of a Stout, not a porter.
[Reply]
I think that you are right to say that it reminds you of a stout. In fact, this is an issue of debate among beer people. Namely, how stout can a porter be before it’s a stout? Many might call this a stout. I’ll follow this up later with more expounding.
[Reply]
Agreed. As legend has it, a Stout is a more robust porter (or so it was back in the day). Now we have Porters that are more robust than Stouts. Porters with more ABV and ingredients than traditional dry stouts. Why can’t beers just stay within their classifications? (That’s a joke. Brewers must get bored just like the rest of us.)
[Reply]
I too agree that this has many “stout” qualities. Mike and I have written in the past of the fuzzy lines between styles ESPECIALLY Porters and Stouts. I think one quality that I look for in imperial stouts is an extreme roasted flavor (that “robust” flavor), and I do think this one was a little low on it.
[Reply]
you guys think this is good as is, you should try the Barrel Aged Gonzo on nitro in their taproom about 20 miles from my front door
anyone coming to the gonzo fest on 9/12? i’ll be there directing traffic, or checking ID’s or something like that.
[Reply]
I wish we were coming. We need this website to be a full time job so we can go places, try stuff, and see people.
[Reply]
I think the one difference that use between Porter and Stout is whether or not Roasted Barley or Black Patent Malt are used. If they are, I’m generally looking at a Stout.
[Reply]
@ Mike… that’s the general rule of thumb that I’ve read about Stout/Porter style differences. But then again, I’ve had porters billed as such that certainly have a roasty character just as I have had stouts that seem to lack that roasty character.
What’s a beer lover to do? Drink more stouts and porters to fully appreciate the nuances.
[Reply]
@Tex. I think that if you have enough chocolate malts and other darker ones you’re bound to get some roast. However, I’m with you…I’ve had plenty that didn’t fit the category. I think that is one of the great differences between beer and wine. We don’t worry quite as much about it.
I think this stout or porter debate does require an exploratory committee.
[Reply]
I love this one and would definitely drink it while watching Fear and Loathing.
[Reply]
Someday when our paths cross we need to have a gonzo imperial porter and watch that epic flick, Mike!
[Reply]