Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
2005 bottle from Julio’s, consumed July 2005. Light banana and walnut notes in the nose with light wheat dryness and some creamy, cooked wheat and light lemon. Overall, pretty low strength of aroma. Cloudy white-tangerine color with a small white head, not too big and not terribly well-retained for the style. Flavor begins with lemons and tangerines. Tastes a lot like a champagne and tangerine juice concoction. Or perhaps just seltzer water and orange juice. . .Very fuzzy, bubbly mouthfeel but very small bubbles, so it’s not annoying on the palate. Getting more lemon and light white dough. Some minerally yeast in there (poured the sediment in this one). Nice stuff, not terribly malty, but refreshing a not overly estery. Kind of reminds me of some old bubblegum that’s already been chewed. More chewy wheat on the end and some bubble trails are left on the glass. Medium-light body, yet not really any thinning.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Gonzo Imperial Porter from Flying Dog Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
2005 bottle (actually have had a number of bottles at a variety of temperatures). Smells of light caramel and fresh, floral, wintergreen-like hops that seem to be modestly bitter. Blackish-brown color with the liquid being thick, viscous and a lot like light motor oil. Right on! Nothing wrong with that. Not too much in the way of a head, a bit of bubbles cling to each other on the surface, but when swirling the glass, I am able to coax a tan head out of it. Very opaque and unfiltered. Once the head is created, though, it lasts quite a long time, curiously enough. Still smelling some herbal/floral notes, some cut grass, very green and wet. Flavor begins with some dried flowers and leaves, earthy brown malts and then a big explosion of juicy alpha hops bitterness. Very odd peanut-brittle-like finish. Hops acid lingers on. Very thick mouthfeel, rich and velvety. I must admit, though I’m not a fan of high-alpha American hops, these are quite nicely done and very juicy tasting. The hops linger with a strong alcohol warmth, but it’s not a sharp/pervasive ethanol character, just a strong warming sensation. Bitter, black roast and minty hops, milk chocolate are all flavors that are swirling in my mouth before I swallow. Quite sticky, very dry on the end. Acidity lingers on, I don’t find any metal, as others have found. Very low carbonation is pleasing. Lacing is left in clumps down the glass.
TimE (11146) reviewed Double Dog from Flying Dog Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5
Creamy white head. Deep amber copper color. Citrusy nose with a good dose of caramel malt and apple and peaches representing the hops. Thick body that is too sweet for my liking with apples and oranges. Dry moderately bitter finish. I found a sample was more than enough. The thick sweetness just got to me.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Double Dog from Flying Dog Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On draught at Boston’s Bistro in Dayton. Hazy reddish orange color with a thick light tan head. Sticky rings of lacing. Lots of citrusy fruit in the nose along with hops. Medium-bodied and soft around the edges with muted but tasty hops, pine and more citrus flavor. The finish is zesty with peppery hops. After quite awhile of not bothering with Flying Dog I have been pretty impressed with the Gonzo Porter and now this.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5
Bottle Pours a pale light yellow woth a very sparce white head and some hinst of lacing. Aroma was very light grains and faintly of hops. Thin watery feel and a slight cardboardy aftertaste. Overal a bit dissapointing. Luv their label artwork tho....
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle pours a slightly hazy pale redish amber with an average and fairly lasting head with slight lacing. Very faint sweet aroma of bread and brown sugar. Not much hops are evident as well. Flavors were pretty much the same. Lager-ishus
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Opaque and black, Gonzo throws up a thick head of light brown. The head color has been seen as the body color on other Porters. The aroma is inviting, some chocolate and roasted malts. The flavor, while not the best I’ve ever had is not bad. Above average for Flying Dog and a move in the right direction. Smooth and rich, maybe falls behind the aroma a bit, but not a drain pour. Slightly sweet and roasty, the alcohol is well hidden. Worth a try if you’ve not had a Flying Dog in a while.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Road Dog Porter from Flying Dog Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
2005 bottle from Julios, consumed 6/16/2005. Deep garnet-auburn with deep stained-oak overtones. Beige head quickly recedes to a ring. Clear and force carbed. Tries to lace, but won’t stick, too much filtration. Smells hoppy, predominantly, light tropical fruits and cherries. Some sweet caramel, but lots of alcohol at first too. Dryish, seems to indicate it will be rather astringent and/or acidic. However, the flavor does not follow from that guess. Light roasty notes and bits of caramel. Lots of fresh hops flavor, fruity and bitter. Alcohol is noticeable. Quick finish with some hops acidity at the end. Seems more like a red IPA with light roast notes. Clean, but for the alcohol apparency. Light creaminess and not poorly malted by any means. Moderate carbonation, medium body.
jgb9348 (11828) reviewed Double Dog from Flying Dog Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle #969:
Slightly hazy dark copper body with a large tan off-white head. Aroma of pure hops (dry hopped well), some caramel and a bunch of malt. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong hop flavours, a bunch of malt and some sweet caramel notes are noticeable. Aftertaste malty and yeastie-very full-bodied; Overall a decent beer-not perfect or great, but good to try this rarity. I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Chevy Chase Wine & Liquors in Washington, D.C. on 09-January-2005.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Gonzo Imperial Porter from Flying Dog Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Surprise find at Kennedy’s Pub in Lewis Center OH. Pours a rich dark brown color with a medium light tan head. Thin rings of lacing. Aroma of chocolate, malt and a good amount of hops. Medium-bodied and tastes like a regular Porter just with more alcohol. Lots of chocolate and malt flavor, along with some hops and alcohol bite. The finish is decidedly bitter espresso and alcohol. Overall the "Imperial" tag feels tacked on but as far as the beer goes it was pretty enjoyable.