Review: 3 Floyds Gorch Fock

Brewery:  3 Floyds Brewing LLC

Locale:  Munster, IN

Craft Circa:  1996

Style:  Franconian Helles Lager

ABV:  5.2%

IBU:  25

Notables:  Seasonal - July release.

Label:  Classic 3 Floyds. Tremendous.    

Overall:   It’s that time of year.  It’s in fact a marvelous time of year for us potbelly beer drinkers (like me).  The weather is dropping, and the fall beers are in session.  I came across this German Lager by accident while obtaining something else a couple months back.  Well due to Gooner and myself taking part in some Oktoberfest festivities this week, I figured it would be appropriate to post a review to put us in the spirit of this fine season.

I admit I had to read about the Franconian style of beer to determine what the actual distinctions were.  It’s basically a style of beer from the region hyperlinked above.  This Helles, or Lagerbier  is a bottom-fermenting style of beer that is much hoppier in relation to Bavarian or other eastern European beers.  However upon tasting, I did not come across that, in fact I thought it lacked hops in comparison.  Now what makes this brew a bottom-fermenting style is that it uses bottom-cropping yeasts which are typically used to produce cool fermented, lager-type beers.  These yeasts ferment more sugar creating a dryer beer (per Wiki).  Thus explaining some of my worst hangovers. 

This particular lager seems fresh, and had an ideal fresh aroma to boot.  This almost straw colored lager has a semi-decent pour, and attires the glass nicely, almost as if the mug was attending a stein ball in Munich.  Nice golden color filled my new birthday stein from one of the best nieces in the world.  Hopefully she’s not reading this shout out for another 14 years or so.

The beer really tries to clear the palate quickly, and it does a good job in doing so.  Some toffee or syrup kicks in, creating this slightly sweet malt body.  However, the flavors are not pleasant, and overall was not a beer that I enjoyed.  The hop profile was quite lame, and there was no finish worthwhile.  This style is too light for my liking, and is nowhere near good enough to want to drink.  There’s really not much to write about other than it’s possible to assume that it’s really not the beer itself that’s to blame, but the style of beer instead.  If 3 Floyds did not make it worthy, why would I want to explore elsewhere?  For my intake it’s a tad pricey for what you get, and that’s a sub-par brew. 

Unfortunately beer was wasted in the writing of this review.  Pouring the brew in such a large stein, it was an awful thought putting down the entire thing, and sad to note, that some of it met its demise at the kitchen sink drain.  I know… cue the Second Line for this beer, it was a rough one.

On second thought, it’s a time for drinking, singing, and dancing… it’s a marvelous time of year.  Happy Oktoberfest!

The Pennsylvania Polka, an appropriate Oktoberfest tune, and the base melody for the team fight song you see on the stein above...  

Acquisition:  22 oz. - $10

~gY

Tidbit:  Boot of beer:  Per wiki, German themed bars in America may have boot shaped glasses, often engraved with insignias or logos, which may be passed among drinkers as a drinking challenge. These glasses are supposedly based on German "Bierstiefels", used in drinking games; though the origins of the boot glass are unknown and subject to speculation; the Germans call them "Stiefel" or "Damenbein" ("Ladies Leg"). 

Review: 3 Floyds Zes Zes Zes

Brewery:  3 Floyds Brewing LLC

Locale:  Munster, IN

Craft Circa:  1996

Style:  Saison / Farmhouse Ale

ABV:  8.5%

Notables:  Appears to be a specialty brew only available ‘to-go’ from their brewing facility August, 2012.

Label:  Unique from many of their trademark labels, but very Revolver-esque. 

Overall:   It’s hard to find any information about this beer, including the 3 Floyds website.  I only came across the Belgian brew because I was picking up some Zombie Dust for Labor Day festivities.  To be honest, I have never seen this brew before until checkout at the register.  Per the label, this Belgian Ale was brewed with the combined efforts of 3 Floyds and the award winning De Molen’s head brewer Menno Olivier, who is labeled as “The real Dutch Hercules.” I wonder if this Dutch brewpub has a dance floor…

The label also mentions to check out the one they brew in Holland at De Molen.  Good luck with that one.  There’s probably a better chance attending a gay wedding this week at the Republican National Convention.

Damn you 3 Floyds… this smells amazing.  The aroma is powerful and quite intoxicating, full of fruity goodness.  A cornucopia of fruits just picked from the orchards.  It’s like smelling a BBQ joint in the vicinity, and then craving BBQ.  You smell this, and you want it immediately.  There’s a chance my notes for this brew are shotty as I was distracted by wanting to drink this brew more so than taking my time writing initial thoughts on it. 

The head was a thick layered egg creamy white, and settled nicely into a thin strip.  It isn’t as fruity as you would expect, but for me usually that’s a good thing.  The aroma dictates otherwise, giving you the impression you are in for a swig of sweetness.  It’s full flavored, slightly grassy, and very fresh.  It has a miniature kick.  The bitterness plays peek-a-boo, and if you are tentative enough you may just find it before it meshes in with the crowd like Waldo at a renaissance fair.  This Saison is large and in charge, much bigger than a typical Saison, and I think it may also be borderline BIPA depending on the hops and yeast strain.  If so, and it’s certainly a possibility coming in at 8.5% ABV that it may be the BIPA Injustice League’s 2^nd recruitment. 

Compared to other Saisons I’ve tried, there is more to like with this one.  It’s spicy, seemingly full of Belgian influence, and it actually tastes better as you progress through it.   It’s a wonderfully dangerous brew.

Acquisition:  22 oz. - $12

Tidbit:  “Zes” is Dutch for the number “6.”

 

             

~gY

Review: 3 Floyds Arctic Panzer Wolf

Craft Circa:  1996

Style:  Imperial IPA

ABV:  9.5%

IBUs: 100

Notables:  Year round double IPA.

Label:  It’s not their best, but still pretty good.  Should we expect anything else from 3 Floyds?  It’s another flamboyant, effective label.  

Overall:   It has an initial bite similar to that of Jon Voight.  You think to yourself: OK, these 22 ounces are not going to be a relaxing stroll in the park.  It’s going to be more of a Space Mountain kind of ride, hitting you fast and often with unexpected turns and drops.  However, as you are bracing yourself for the next dip, the brew starts to smooth out, and become quite pleasant.  Not that I am any expert by any means, but this beer is one of the more complex ones I have come across.  The bottom line though is that it is a strong finisher, and the more you consume it, the more you want of it.  It’s a very solid beer.  Hops all over the place, full flavored, a malty backbone, and a voyage that will leave you wanting to get back in line for another spin. 

Imperial IPA, is basically a double IPA.  Breaking it down, Imperial is defined as an empire.  The Yankees of IPAs if you will, wanting more, taking more, buying more, incorporating more… you get the idea.  It’s basically more of everything…. and that explains the wild ride.  I’m just thankful I was tall enough TO ride and enjoy the trip.  

Imagine if they served this at the Epcot American Pavilion instead of Budweiser.  At 9.5%, we’d all be singing it’s a small word after all.

Acquisition:  22 oz. - $12

Windfall:  The "it's a small world" attraction was first designed for the 1964 New York World's Fair and later moved to the Disneyland Resort in California along with 3 other attractions, including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (which became part of the Hall of Presidents) and the Carousel of Progress. ~ Disney.com

~gY

Brewery:  3 Floyds Brewing LLC

Locale:  Munster, IN