Gorch Fock - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, no bottle dating. Pours hazy golden straw color with a 1-2 finger fluffy bright white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Spotty lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of lemon, pear, apple, grass, orange, cracker, bready grain, floral, pepper, and herbal hops. Damn nice aromas with good strength and balance of hop/malt notes. Taste of lemon, pear, pepper, orange zest, apple, cracker, bready grain, grass, floral, and herbal spiciness. Lingering notes of citrus, light fruit, pepper, cracker, bready grain, grass, floral, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance with good complexity; very hoppy but still has nice malt balance; with zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth and crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent helles lager! Great flavor balance with good complexity; extremely smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering as expected.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 05:27:40 | More by superspak

RickS95

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright and milky gold, similar to a hefe, only it's not cloudy, just white-ish. Mostly opaque. The head is bright white, a finger thick at best, and peppers out quickly.

Smells like a spring day. Flowery, honey, somewhat biscuity. No real smell of American hops, just the savory Noble variety.

It's all lighter malts and Noble hops. You can taste that it was the German answer to Czech pilsners as it's sort of got that pilsner taste, but with a heavy dose of savory hops. Has an Earthy flavor.

Complete lack of sweetness, the malt is just a platform for the hops, but it's not overly bitter. The Noble hops provide minimal bittering qualities, instead giving the beer a savory feel and a crisp finish. Slight citrus feel mid-sip. Refreshing.

German lagers aren't my thing but I've learned to appreciate the use of Noble hops. Overall, it's an easy drinker. It's crisp and refreshing, making it ideal for a warm day. It's also relatively low (by today's standards) in alcohol so you can sit back and enjoy several and not end up in jail.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 04:09:47 | More by RickS95

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - 22 oz bottle

Appearance - Golden tan/yellow, nice white 1/2 head, some lacing.

Smell - Sweet yeasts, malts, spicy hops, spices, apples, oranges, classic german funky malts.

Taste - Sweet german malts, yeasts, and crisp hop profile. Smooth, Great mix of sweet and bitter. Its got a grainy/pale ale flavor to it, no alcohol presence or any tartness.

Mouthfeel - Its light and and smooth on tounge, plenty of pale malts, hops and yeasts coat it. Palate gets more malts and hops, and some spices along with the yeasts and sugars. Aftertaste is dry, light and malty.

Overall - Decent, a rather safe and solid beer, nothing off the wall that FFF is famous for. Its balanced, light, low alcohol and easy to enjoy. Right on par for the style. Worth a drink for the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 20:32:36 | More by wvsabbath

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 10.8.12.

A - Pours a slightly hazy light orange with a fizzy very small white head that is gone instantly.

S - Fruity, citrus orange, lager malts.

T - Similar to the nose, citrus with a classic lager malt profile.

D - Decent carbonation and a light body.

O - Citrusy and fruity, lager not my favorite style. I liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 06:28:45 | More by HuskyinPDX

brystmar

New York

3.2/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a transparent golden hue supported by flaky white head. Plenty of visible carbonation, as expected. Smells faintly of hops with some sweet malt hiding in the corridors; nothing to write home about.

Light, effervescent body tingles my tongue. Lacks flavor or any remarkable characteristics, to be frank. Tastes like a traditional (read: boring) helles. I expected a more boldly flavored result from FFF's take on the style and was thusly disappointed.

I don't understand why this beer is still brewed when Zombie Dust is vastly superior in every regard and only marginally stronger. Though I suppose if you want a FFF beer that tastes like nothing, Gorch hits the jackpot.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 20:31:21 | More by brystmar

motorhed

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pored from a bomber into a Surly pint glass.

A - Gold in color with a small white head that dissipates in a few minutes after pour. Pretty standard appearance for a Helles lager.

S - First thing that i smell is the sweetness followed by some bitter hoppiness. Some smells of fruit, citrus, and a bit of skunk in there as well.

T - Very well balanced Helles with sweetness up front, light hops, and a good malt backbone. Sweet at first and finishes a bit dry.

M - Medium mouthfeel with light level of carbonation and a dry finish. Very nice.

O - Very good example of a Helles lager here. Also pretty "normal" for the "it's not normal" brewery. I would put this up to a Surly Hell any day. Perfect beer for a summer day. I thought this beer was a perfect balance of sweetness, hops, and malt. Very drinkable and will do it again if i can find another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 00:45:15 | More by motorhed

prototypic

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gorch Fock is a nice looking gold color. It’s clear and looks like more of a straw color with backlighting. It’s topped off white a soft white head. It rises to just under a finger in height and is quick to fall back to a surface covering. Didn’t hold very long there either. Lacing was a little stickier than expected.

The nose is pretty good. It’s a little weak, but isn’t bad at all. It’s very consistent with the style. Hops are perhaps a little more pronounced. They’re definitely Noble and have a strong grassy scent. It’s a little sweet and malty smelling. Grainy notes are prominent throughout. Alcohol isn’t noticeable at all. No surprising given the abv. It smells pretty good. Just a little more strength would go a long way.

The flavor definitely delivers. The malt base seems mostly pale. It’s a little sweet and very grainy. Hops waste little time jumping into the mix and have a very strong grassy flavor. Definitely some Noble variety. They have a slight spicy edge to them and work very well with the malt base. Alcohol is buried. I’m not getting any at all here. Finishes nice and crisp with a grassy hop flavor. Maybe a little on the dry side, too. Good stuff. I like it.

Gorch Fock has a lighter body. Carbonation is nice and crisp. It’s not exactly smooth, but it has a really nice bit and is refreshing. Very easy to drink too. Given its size, this stuff goes down way too easy. I wish I had another bottle.

Gorch Fock is a somewhat unusual release from Three Floyds. It actually is…pretty normal. It’s very consistent with the style and doesn’t have anything out of the ordinary going on at all. Nevertheless, it’s very good stuff. Definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:14:11 | More by prototypic

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Yeahnatenelson for throwing this lovely extra my way.

Appearance: Incredibly clear, light gold. Almost looks like watered down apple juice. Head is thin, bright-white, and drops to a spotty head in short order. Solid carbonation pulls throughout.

Smell: Pale malts. Touches of hay, corn sweetness, fresh grass. Mild floral and citrus hit from the hops. A little earthy. Very clean. White bread crust. Apple and pear. Bright fruitiness.

Taste: Light fruit. Apples and pears mostly. Mild earthiness. A touch floral. Pale malts add a backing sweetness. Grass and some straw. Bready, almost cracker level dry. Delicate...yes, this is Three Floyds and I used that word.

Mouthfeel: Light body with a moderate to high carbonation. Clean, smooth, and oh so drinkable.

Overall: Three Floyds with a deft hand. This is awe.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 20:23:24 | More by Goblinmunkey7

cfrances33

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle enjoyed on 8/15/12, poured into a Three Floyds pint glass.

Pour: Completely clear pale yellow orage with a finger of bubbly white head. Recedes to a film. Some lacing.

Smell: Light grassy malt, bread, a little but of skunk.

Taste: Follows the nose with a lot of bready malt, lightest grassy hops, and light skunk. More flavorful than the nose hints. OK.

Mouthfeel: Light and refreshing, but the taste is so lacking that I don't really want to drink it.

Overall: Ok, won't get again.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 20:25:00 | More by cfrances33

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

pours a clear golden yellow with light thin head. bit of retention.

lots of bread and malt, with a hint of zest and yeast. slightly floral.

very malty, light and easy though. some biscuit and cracker. light crisp floral hop.

light and clean, a bit heavy on the carbonation.

very easy drinking, great light complexity. very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 22:37:36 | More by hooliganlife

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a moderately dark yellow with a nice white head. Smell is doughy, sweet malt with traces of hops. Fairly simple but well executed. Taste is quite as clean. Mouthfeel is light to medium with good carbonation and nice body. Good drinkability but not my favorte Three Floyds beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 19:01:41 | More by WoodBrew

kevanb

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a FFF glass

Pours a coppery straw color, golden hues when held to the light, fairly cloudy, with an ample amount of bubbles rising to the top of the glass. A thin white head does appear, almost a finger high, recedes quickly, bits of film across the top, minimal lacing. The aroma is definitely this beers best quality, lots of citrus and pine resin from the hops, grass, cereal grain and skunky malt. Flavor is okay, nothing exciting, citrus, pine, floral aspect does creep out, but the flavor is dominated by the malt, a bit skuzzy and biscuity, lots of sweetness, not very layered or complex, fine balance. Nice crisp body, very full, goes down very smoothly, dry bite at the end.

Verdict: The Helles Lager isn't a very interesting style, but for what this beer is, it's great. Certainly kills any BMC beer out there and would be a great beer to get a friend into the world of craft.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 20:03:58 | More by kevanb

KDawg

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a pilsner glass. Pours a medium gold color with a nice head.

nice and balanced with aromas of bananas, grains, noble hops, and some crackers.

Smooth medium body with a very complete feel. Well balanced with good flavors of citrus, grains, and noble hops.

A very good helles lager. Well balanced with good noble hops. Nice and complete on the feel with good depth, but lacking some on flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:45:01 | More by KDawg

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.03/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Kentucky...

Pours a slightly hazed honey color with 3+ fingers of ivory colored head. Surreal head retention & nice lacing

S: Hay & bready notes, some perfumy notes once warm

T: Follows the nose, crackery & soapy notes as well up front. Dryness, soapy & lemon hops as this warms, bready sweetness as well. Finishes crisp with a slight white grape sweetness & much breadyness. Almost pulled a 4.5

MF: Medium bodied, crisp carbonation. grainyness as well. Good balance

A good helles, not world class by any means

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:00:50 | More by russpowell

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pored from a bomber into a Stella Artois chalice.

A- Pours a rich Gold with a small bubbly white head that begins to dissipate shortly after it is poured. Many streaks of white bubbles can be seen rising from the bottom to the top of the beer. Incredibly murky, it is clear the only reason light is able to penetrate this beer is because of the color.

S- Sweet and hoppy with a grapefruit and orange like aroma. Some delicious crackery maltiness is apparent as well.

T- begins sweet with a clear malt presence moving quickly into a spicy bitterness from the noble hops. The bitterness is not very intense at all in fact this beer is very well balanced between both malt and hop flavors. Has a rich biscuityness to it that comes from the malts and a light fruitiness from the hops.

M- Very full feeling and smooth despite it's average carbonation. It feels almost silky on the tongue. The carbonation gives it a nice crisp ending.

O- A very enjoyable beer. I could see this being very awesome on a hot summer day. Very unique for a three floyds beer, definitely their least "weird"/most normal beer. It's good to see they didn't try to overload this one with hops like they do for many of their selections. I would definitely buy this again if it weren't for the hefty price.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 18:36:46 | More by Zachtheporter

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pour is very light straw color. No real head to speak of. Somewhat high carbonation. Hm doesnt look like much.

It smells sweet, like a good Munich Helles Should. Light and sweet. Corn syrup comes to mind. Light and a hint of floral hops.

Feels crisp, and loaded with cereal grains. Slight skunk flavor, but not as much as I would have thought for its age. So crisp and clean. Almost feels like a slightly heavy Kolsch. Reminds of a more crisp and clean Warsteiner Premium Verum.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 18:54:03 | More by VncentLIFE

gford217

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle.

Pours a slightly hazy golden straw with a small soapy white head that receded to a small collar.

Aroma is light sweet malts, doughy bread and some light fruity pears. Maybe a hint of hops, grassy for sure.

Taste is more grainy with some corn and toasted grains as well as the sweet bready malts. Spicy hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and clean with strong carbonation.

A very good helles lager, one of the better I've had, which isn't a whole lot admittedly. Crisp and highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 23:31:56 | More by gford217

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from session notes.

A. Pours out a slightly hazy golden straw color with a lovely three fingers of rocky craggy head with decent retention but mild lacing.

S. Hopping aroma is primarily herbal and grassy tones on top of a mild biscuit aroma with a lesser aroma of corn.

T. Pretty standard grainy malt flavor but it finishes with some nice herbal and floral flourishes.

M. Lighter side of medium body, well carbonated, crisp yet smooth finish. Very nice mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 19:15:39 | More by WastingFreetime

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a sam adams pint.

A- Badass bottle design, typical of floyds. Pours crystal clear gold with good visible carbonation. nice tight bubbles on a three finger white head.
S- Smells a lot like a pilsner or a Grolsch. Dry fruity grainy smell, not a crazy smell but pretty nice.
T- It blends so well and is so smooth its hard to pick out flavors. Its an amazing taste I can imagine myself drinking this every day. Deliciously smooth light malts and enough hops to balance it out. Carbonation makes it pop. The flavors arent too bold but its other qualities more then make up for it.
M- Good carbonation, Really light, smooth and easy to drink.
O- I wasnt sure on what to think of this beer because I wasn't too familiar with the style but Damn its good. Its super drinkable and has a great taste that's totally new for me. I really wish Floyds was cheaper because their/this beer is amazing, as always.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 10:32:01 | More by TwelveOunces

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- pours a perfect clear golden hay color with a finger of bone white head. Ok retention.

S- smells of clover honey, biscuity malt, aspriny Nobel hops.

T- flavor follows the nose with a really crisp clean finish.

MF- slick crisp mouthfeel with a light body and poppy carbonation.

D- you can drink this like water... Hand me mein stein!

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 03:34:24 | More by Viciousknishs

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

22 ounce bomber split with my buddy Matt, who once again brought back new beers from 3 Floyd's and allowed me to try them with him.

Review written from notes taken Thursday (2 days ago). I believe this is their July seasonal, so this bottle is likely 4 months old, but there's no date on the bottle to either confirm that opinion or get an exact age for the purposes of this review.

Bottle poured into a standard pint glass at Matt's house.

A: Pours a remarkably hazy pale orange color. Carbonation is still visible, despite the yeasty "fog". A thick fluffy white head rises magnificently as the beer pours. Good head retention as well. This is a great looking beer.

S: Muted notes of barley sweetness. Not a lot to be found in the nose. Maybe a bit bready and a touch of toffee to be found, too.

T: Notes of toffee, bread, a touch of yeastiness. Rather mild. Hops are conspicuously absent. Perhaps due to age?

The sweetness here reminds me a bit of an Oktoberfest or Marzen. My buddy just told that this is supposed to be a "German Style" lager, so that makes sense.

M: Heavier than I'd expect from a lager. This probably goes hand-in-hand with the cloudiness. It leaves some stickiness behind on the finish.

D/O: Fun to try, but I feel little need to repeat in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 22:59:38 | More by psuKinger

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

amber lager shaping up before my eyes. A small, maybe a half an inch of white head came up over the top and settled down quickly into a light veil across the top.

The aroma was light. Some small amount of smoked in it, with lots of grain and bready malts, though I have to admit, not much here to really pick up on. The flavor was a bit better. Lots of campfire like smokiness in it, with a subtle, yet easily definable bready malt base. Some sweetness, caramel maybe and a light peach flavor when cold that quickly gets burnt out by the smoked and roasted malts

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 01:53:14 | More by mikesgroove

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served chilled in a traditional pint glass.

First lager I've had in awhile. Poured a light amber gold that was totally translucent being very filtered. Had a froathy ivory white head that faded to an inconsistent miniscule lace layer. The smells are consistent with a lager and are not very robust. Reminds me of one of my favorites, Golden Pheasant. There are smells of wheat, barley and corn. It is very smooth and has a longer lasting finish than most lagers. It was enjoyable, but far from anything special. There's only so much you can do with lagers, I understand that.

Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 22:20:11 | More by rmcnealy

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I really became a fan of craft beer because of going to school out in Indiana and having Three Floyd's available. I mostly bought it back then because of the packaging. Now I buy it because I know how damn good they are at brewing beer!

Gorch Fock is a German Style Helles Lager. I love seeing super geeky breweries attempt lager styles because I know that their big beer geek fans don't really care for the stuff. I think this is a great beer.

The yellow body is a little bit cloudy, the head does not sit very well, though a hard pour definitely creates some sudsy white foam. I am not entirely impressed with the appearance of this beer, as I think it could use more clearing up and some better head retention. On top of that, very lazy looking carbonation.

The smell is wet hay, cooked corn, and predominantly some grassy hops right up front. I expected 3 Floyd's to lean heavily on the hops and they do. I don't mind because it is definitely kept in check and not inappropriate for the style.

The taste is pretty much in line with what I expect from a good lager. Clean malt taste, backed by a supporting hop bitterness that rounds out smoothly. There is very minimal bite at the end, and I think this is a pretty approachable lager. Great aftertaste! They made good use of German ingredients, and it would be difficult to be able to tell that this came from an American craft brewery!

I think this beer cold use more carbonation for the style, and I think that while I like the smoother texture of the beer, the added effervescence would help carry this beer to a higher level.

Overall, good beer again. Not the best in its class, but a solid beer that I would be proud to call my own. It must be hard to try and recreate such a style that has been brewed by genius brewmasters in Europe for centuries. All in all, I don't think I would buy this beer again, though if I were at a bar and this were available, it would be something I would consider getting with friends.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 22:50:06 | More by MusicaleMike

amidabha

Kentucky

4.28/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

the frosty head went away fairly quickly and left little lacing.

as someone who is not a fan of lagers in general this is what i expect when from one when i drink them. it is a clear, light golden brew with the perfect amount of carbonation for a zesty bite.

it smells like it tastes, crisp but not light or wimpy and just the perfect mouthfeel to encourage mass amounts of drinking which i did the first night we tapped it.

if i could buy this in six-packs i would keep more of this in the house during the summer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2011 20:57:54 | More by amidabha