Three Floyds Gorch Fock Helles

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Dortmunder/Helles
Munster, Indiana USA

Slightly hazed straw color with a moderate somewhat diminished white waxy head. Nice lace. Some pale malt aromas that are slightly overpowered by some fresh floral/herbal hops. Some hints of leather also seems to be in the mix. Not enough malt in the nose for a higher scent score, but a decent overall brew scent. While the scent is PNW, the flavors are more traditional. Noble hops abound, perhaps to much so. Dried flower flavors and light perfume. The malt does seem to get lost a bit. Some biscuit and scone flavors come to mind. Some green hops in the finish. Linger is not very strong with a touch of grain, chalky malt and herbal hops. Flavors seem stronger than 4.5%. This reminds me of an old fashioned warm summers day working brew.

German bready malts, so unlike anything you would expect from 3 Floyds, little or no head, very light amber yellow color,start getting a little metallic is about the third whiff, bready ,biscuty taste and a little hit of what I assume is noble hopping. Half way through ,my beer is sitting there with no head,looking like a South American Lager, the German malt initialy tasted great , but it faded into disappointment. How did this sneak past quality control?

22 oz. bomber: Pours a clear golden yellow with a thin white head that diminishes quickly. Aroma is fruity and floral with hints of honey and grass. Lemony flavor is refreshing with a mild hoppy finish. Good and very drinkable. However, I was expecting more from 3F!

Bottle courtesy of iconoklaztor: Poured a clear golden yellow color lager with a medium foamy head with limited retention and no lacing. Aroma of sweet lightly floral malt with limited hops presence which I the biggest surprise coming from a brewery renowned for hopping every beer to the maximum level. Taste is also dominated by some sweet and lightly floral notes with a minimal amount of crisp hops at the end. Full body with average carbonation. Good take on the style form a brewery not usually known for sticking to style.

22oz bottle acquired in trade with Acknud. An awesome Helles Lager. Poured a mostly clear golden yellow with a big ol’ fizzy white head. A lot fruit and malt in the nose than your standard lager. Finish was crisp, clean and even a little fruity. Another great one from FFF.

Hazy pale yellow. Large white head all but vanishes into a fine white ring. Pilsner malt yields an abundance of fresh hay and toasted dough aromatics. Very minerally with hints of honey, plastic and herbal hops (aniseed, sage). Plentiful carbonation harshly pricks the palate and deposits a slightly fuzzy residue. Body is full and unfiltered. Quenching acidity greets the palate before an onset of sharp plasticy phenols lends a scrubbing action. Slightly tinny though the full and well-rounded malt develops a vivid breadiness which smothers the phenols as it gradually softens. Brisk minerals are accompanied by a delectable bite of snappy pistachio-tinged yeastiness. Herbal hops are tightly integrated and beautifully lend their poignantly defined crispness and juiciness to the pillowy malt frame. Dab of caramelized sugars exudes briefly but the malt largely mimics notes and textures of damp honey-drizzled hay. Pils malt is voluptuously starchy and clingy and is highlighted by a lemony accent. The clean finish boasts a steady and lush foundation of toasted dough which lingers. Praise be to Ninkasi that they didn’t filter this. It’s just too bad about the harsh and acidic carbonation as it inhibits the cleanly extracted malt from fully capturing the spotlight. The phenols add an interesting element, and impart more liveliness rather than becoming too much of a detraction to me. Quality stuff.

Bomber courtesy of tjthresh. Pours a hazy, light straw with a dense, frothy, white head that diminishes to a thin cap of bubbles. It smells of hay, sweet malt and faint grassy hops. The palate is light-bodied and soft with fine carbonation and a lightly dry, crisp finish. Lightly sweet barley malt fronts a flavor that is fairly simple but very clean. Also present are faint notes of lemon, plain Italian bread and lightly grassy hops. This is a very drinkable and refreshing brew, but @ $9 a bomber, I doubt that I’ll be revisiting it any time soon. Thanks for hauling this one back from the Hoosier state, Tom. :)

22 oz bottle

I am not sure what I was expecting when I cracked open the bottle but this was not it. After some adjustment I began to enjoy the contents. Unfortunately it was a bit of a letdown. At $5.00 it wasn’t a total waste though I can think of other beers I would choose instead. Pass on this one unless you really must try every 3F release.

Aroma / Appearance - The transparent golden body had a nice carbonation that showed there was still life to the contents. A one finger bleached white head sat above. Graininess, honey and malts formed a nose that I found far too simplistic even for a dortmunder. Imagine eating a slice of white bread without any toppings.

Flavor / Palate - Golden grahams, honey and a light maltiness rush across the tongue in an attempt to disappear quickly. It was predictable and somewhat boring. Perhaps this is Three Floyd’s version of Totally Naked - a beer that is reliable, safe and approachable by people used to Budweiser. That audience does not include me.