Gonzo Imperial Porter
Vintage 05 lasered on the label. One of the early batches from Flying Dog, this has been cellaring for many months... tonight's the night. Served at between fridge and cellar temperature in an imperial pint glass. Appearance- Pours a gleaming chocolate cherry color, the ruby red highlights are amazing. The head forms slowly but explosively... a foamy sizzle of carbonation that expands and grows from the inside out. Incredible sticky lacing right from the start. Smell- An enormous display of fruit (cherries), chocolate, coffee, massive hops, and the alcohol too... strong as any beer I've ever lowered my nose into. Very complex, as all these factors somehow meld into a very distinctive aroma. This beer smells like it weighs 12 lbs, not 12 oz. Taste- Rich, decadent chocolate covered coffeebeans first, followed by a wickedly bittering hop attack that sears the entire mouth for a good minute. The initial sweetness going in the mouth defers immediately to heavy, syrupy malts and then the ending tonguewhipping. Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Although viscous and pretty thick in the mouth, the carbonation is a bit too thin for the level of body here. This beer's sheer weight is remarkable, in the way BBCS is... damn heavy. It serves more as a nightcap imo than a dessert beer, for the same reasons I've just said. Great effort, the hop burps are worth it.