Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter 6Pk

Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter 6Pk is a high-gravity American imperial porter brewed at 9.2% ABV and sold in a six-pack of 12 oz bottles. Winner of a Gold Medal at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival, this heavyweight porter stands out through its unusual dual-yeast fermentation and aggressive malt-forward character that has earned a 90-point score on BeerAdvocate.

Quick Facts: ABV: 9.2%  |  Origin: Frederick, Maryland, USA  |  Style: American Imperial Porter  |  Brewery: Flying Dog Brewery  |  IBU: 85

Production & Heritage

Flying Dog Brewery was founded in 1990 in Aspen, Colorado before eventually relocating to Frederick, Maryland, where it operates today. The brewery's long association with the gonzo spirit of Hunter S. Thompson and the artwork of Ralph Steadman is fully embodied in this imperial porter. Gonzo is brewed with a grain bill of black malt, chocolate malt, and crystal malt, then hopped with Millennium and Cascade varieties to reach 85 IBUs — a substantial bitterness for the style. What truly separates Gonzo from the pack is its fermentation with two distinct yeast strains, an American Ale yeast and an English Ale yeast, working in tandem to produce a layered complexity rarely found in porters.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate dominate the nose, followed by waves of brown sugar and a subtle grassy hop character. A faint licorice undertone emerges as the beer warms in the glass.

Taste: The entry is deceptively sweet, with rich chocolate malt and brown sugar up front. The mid-palate shifts dramatically as heavy roasted malt builds, joined by espresso-like bitterness and a persistent hop bite from the Cascade and Millennium combination. At its peak, the dual-yeast character reveals itself — a layered interplay of fruity American ale esters and rounder English ale depth.

Finish: Long and assertively bitter, blending dark coffee and hop resin in near-equal measure. A slightly sweet chocolate note lingers underneath, softening the final impression and inviting the next sip.

How to Drink Gonzo Imperial Porter

Gonzo is best served at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a snifter or tulip glass that concentrates the dense aromatics. Pouring too cold mutes the chocolate and coffee complexity, so allow it a few minutes if taken straight from the fridge. For cocktails, this imperial porter holds its own in a Porter Float — scoop vanilla bean ice cream into a glass of Gonzo for a decadent dessert drink. It also works in a Black Velvet variation, layered with dry sparkling wine, where the roast character adds serious depth. A Boilermaker paired alongside a pour of bourbon makes natural sense, as the chocolate and coffee malt profiles mirror bourbon's caramel and oak.

Best For

• Cold-weather evening sessions when lighter beers fall short
• Gifting to craft beer enthusiasts who favor dark, high-gravity styles
• Pairing alongside a dessert course at a dinner party
• Introducing a hophead to the imperial porter category through its assertive 85 IBU bitterness

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Gonzo Imperial Porter taste like? Gonzo leads with rich dark chocolate and brown sugar sweetness before building into a heavy roasted malt and coffee bitterness, finishing with a lingering hop bite and subtle chocolate sweetness at 9.2% ABV.

How does Gonzo Imperial Porter compare to Flying Dog Road Dog Porter? Road Dog Scottish Porter is the lower-ABV, sessionable base that Gonzo was built from — essentially a turbocharged version with a bigger malt body, higher hop load at 85 IBUs, and the added complexity of dual-yeast fermentation that Road Dog does not use.

Is Gonzo Imperial Porter good for sipping neat? Absolutely — at 9.2% ABV with deep layered flavors from its chocolate, black, and crystal malt bill, Gonzo rewards slow, attentive drinking from a snifter at cellar temperature and does not need any accompaniment to be enjoyed fully.

Where is Gonzo Imperial Porter made? Gonzo Imperial Porter is brewed by Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland, a brewery originally founded in 1990 in Aspen, Colorado before relocating to its current Maryland facility.

What foods pair well with Gonzo Imperial Porter? Smoked brisket or barbecue ribs, where the roast malt mirrors the char; aged cheddar or Gruyère, whose sharpness cuts through the malt sweetness; flourless chocolate cake, which amplifies the beer's cocoa notes; coffee-rubbed steak, echoing the espresso bitterness; and bread pudding with caramel sauce, which plays off the brown sugar character.

What sizes does Gonzo Imperial Porter come in? Gonzo Imperial Porter is commonly available in a six-pack of 12 oz bottles as well as individual single bottles at many retailers.

Is Gonzo Imperial Porter worth the price? Gonzo positions as a premium craft imperial porter, and its GABF Gold Medal, 90-point BeerAdvocate score, and unusual dual-yeast fermentation process justify its place above standard porters in both quality and price tier.

Why Gonzo Imperial Porter?

The dual-yeast fermentation — using both American Ale and English Ale strains in the same beer — is the detail that elevates Gonzo beyond a straightforward imperial porter. That technique, combined with a grain bill built on three specialty malts and a hop schedule pushing 85 IBUs, produces a beer with uncommon range for the style. The 2009 GABF Gold Medal and a sustained 90-point BeerAdvocate rating across thousands of reviews confirm that this is not just bold for boldness's sake. Among American imperial porters, Gonzo remains one of the most recognized and consistently well-reviewed examples available in a six-pack format.