Gonzo Imperial Porter
12oz bottle into Duvel tulip. Vintage "09JJ". Appearance: Moderately careful pour yields a giant, 2+ inch pillowy tan head that reaches to the brim of my Duvel glass. While the consistency of the head is fluffy, there's very active, bubbly carbonation where the head meets the beer, and big swiss cheese patterned bubbles along the walls of the glass. 15 minutes later I can finally see some black surface, with small mounds of head and arms of lacing still remaining. The beer itself is solid black, with mildly reddish edges when held up to the light (after the giant head is gone). Smell: The first thing out of the bottle as I crack the cap is the fresh aroma of grassy hops. Once in the glass, the smell is dominated by chocolate, rich coffee beans, and roasted malt, with the hops still present. After a few minutes, the vibrant grassy hop smell takes over, with faint chocolate and much milder coffee remaining in the background. That big, DIPA-like hop aroma is a constant pleasure for the rest of the bottle. Taste: First sip brings a rather sweet interplay of milk chocolate, coffee (not as deep as the smell; more coffee ice cream), and some hefty roasted malt, followed by a big hit of carbonation and hoppy bitterness, ending on notes of alcohol and sweet chocolate. There's a beautiful, long grassy hop aftertaste. Malt stays smoky and complex throughout. Some plum and other dark fruit notes lurk around as well. Each sip starts with various chocolate, coffee, smoke, cake, roasted malt notes (always a bit sweet), bitters up with the hops, then ends with a roasted, predominantly milk chocolate note. Those fresh, grassy hops are what really push this beer over the top though. It's not a hop forward beer at all. It's firmly a big, malty porter, but the hop influence on the nose and the aftertaste provide a beautiful contrast. The bitterness never comes close to overwhelming the rest of the flavors either. Mouthfeel: Occasionally a bit fizzy, but on the whole it's nice and thick. Can be a little chewy/sticky, but never unpleasantly so (the carbonation and hops help). Drinkability: Alcohol is present but not overbearing. I bought this on a whim in a make your own 6-pack, figuring it would be nice to try in case I ever feel like a porter and see it on tap somewhere. I ended up impressed enough that I'll definitely be bringing more of this home on its own in the future. I can't get over that contrast of fresh hops and deep sticky malt/chocolate/coffee. It's an excellent conceit for a beer; hop dominated aroma accented with coffee and chocolate, then malt dominated flavor accented by grassy hops and a mild bitterness. It's beautifully crafted, and I loved every sip.