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Beer Review: Gonzo Imperial Porter
By Josh Mishell from Flying Dog Brewery
GONZO VS. GONZO
“We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like, “I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive… “And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about 100 miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas.”
The above quote is the opening to Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and in my mind one of the greatest introductory paragraphs to any piece of writing. It’s all about Hunter’s pursuit of the American Dream, whatever that is. And today is Hunter S. Thompson’s birthday, and what better way to honor his life than by writing about the beer that was inspired by him directly?
Gonzo Imperial Porter is Flying Dog Brewery’s Hunter S. Thompson memorial beer. We first released it in 2005, after Hunter’s death, as a tribute to the man and the legend. Originally part of our ultra-limited Wild Dog series, which was sold only in champagne bottles, we made it a full time offering as part of our Canis Major Series of high alcohol extreme brews. Not to toot our own horn, but Gonzo recently won the Gold Award at the 2008 World Beer Cup (in the American Imperial Stout category, nonetheless). It’s a big fucking deal.
The copy on our website pretty much sums it up: Like Hunter S. Thompson, Gonzo Imperial Porter is deep and complex. This turbo charged version of the Road Dog Porter is mysteriously dark with a rich malty body, intense roasted flavors, and a surprisingly unique hop kick. With Gonzo weighing in at 7.8% ABV, it will bite you in the ass if you don’t show it the proper respect.
This is an intense beer in terms of both malt sweetness and hob bitterness. Don’t let the intensity of Gonzo scare you away, just don’t expect to drink a whole 4-pack in one sitting. The head on the beer is dark, on par with that of crema on espresso (I’m a coffee nerd, too, excuse me). I’m a huge fan of this beer, and you’ll be one too as soon as you try it. The label art features Ralph Steadman’s iconic illustration of Hunter, and his trademark 2-thumbed fist with a button of peyote lodged in it.
Hunter Thompson is closely tied to Flying Dog Brewery. He lived next door to one of our owners, George Stranahan, in scenic Woody Creek, Colorado. Hunter also gave us a quote that appears on every single label of our award-winning brews: Good people drink good beer. We feel very lucky to have ties with such an influential icon of 20th Century American life.
Last night I saw the new documentary Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (the trailer is below). Directed by 2008 Oscar award-winning director Alex Gibney, this film looks at many aspects of Hunter’s life all the way back from his modest upbringing in Louisville, Kentucky. Lots of time is spent on drawing parallels to Hunter’s thoughts about Vietnam and his thoughts about the wars we’re fighting now. There are also wonderful segments about his time with the Hell’s Angels, his campaign for Aspen Sheriff, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and his Campaign Trail: ’72 writings.
Gonzo is graced by interview footage from a wide variety of public figures including our other wonderful Gonzo friend and label illustrator, Ralph Steadman (more on him next time). Hunter’s son Juan Thompson and George Stranahan are also interviewed in the movie, along with Jimmy Carter, Pat Buchanan, George McGovern, and Tom Wolfe (among many others). Gonzo explores the good times and the bad, and holds no punches – much as Hunter did in his journalism. Cinematically, the film is beautifully done, pairing recent interviews with lots of archival footage of Hunter, and it definitely moves along at a great pace.
So today, when you’re going out for beers with your friends, raise a pint (or a glass of Wild Turkey) to one of our country’s most influential figures from the last 50 years.
33 days ago / / Link