Gumballhead - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

amiles

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at 'The Globe' on Irving Park in Chicago... Been drinking this here for a couple weeks now, with memories from last year.

A: Clear golden yellow, with a small tan head... poured into a imperial Three Floyds label pint glass. Looks like a normal beer, nothing special.

S: Citrusy pine hops. Perhaps some orange peel and lemon zest.

T: Quite refreshing and tasty. I could drink these all night (which I did) and still feel okay. It has a unique zesty hop taste that keeps your taste buds interested. I like it, a lot.

M: Carbonation is well, the zest really spices it up.

D: These kick back like a charm. Give me more!

Great session beer with a unique spring time feel to it. If I see this on tap, It'll be my starter for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2008 04:02:14 | More by amiles

ColoradoBobs

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Rich O's Public House, New Albany, Indiana.

Small head, from the slow pour. Head stayed and left good lacing. Clear light amber body. Nice enough looking, but nothing special here.

Smell is complex and full. Apple, soap, clean fruity floral hops, grass, Juicy Fruit gum.

Taste is floral hops, wheat-malt, thyme, bread dough, toast and a hint of pear.

Nice smooth, round mouthfeel.

A superbly drinkable beer. Sessionable to the max.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2008 02:52:01 | More by ColoradoBobs

baos

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pint glass on tap

A: Very nice to look at with a big bubbly whitish head over a pale body.

S: candy and pink bubblegum

T: tastes like it smells. pink bubble gum, banana, and the slightest hint of cloves.

M: Medium to full. Very nice feel to it.

D: Very drinkable. Kinda sweet but this beer is one of the best American wheat beer I've tried. You should try one on.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2008 02:30:53 | More by baos

mynie

Indiana

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle. Superfresh.

As I've gotten older I've become less impressed with the Xtreme. Yeah a hop bomb is nice, here and again. But they're easier to brew than you might think, and there's really not much room to move and innovate when you're going overboard. And, really, who the hell can drink that much regularly? Sometimes I don't want to get plastered off of one beer.

So then what's the best beer in the world? Rogue's stouts, Chocolate and Shakespeare, both make good cases for themselves. But in spite of their perfection they're really rich. I mean, yeah, they're f'in perfect. But you can't picture yourself drinking them like water, can you? As regular as clockwork, as much of a nonevent as it is a beautiful, glorious affirmation of something or other?

What's more perfect, your wife or a supermodel? Honestly? Both are valid choices, I think. Different personalities will choose differently. There is in my opinion a miracle in regularity. If something can be super enjoyable on a regular basis then it's better that something that can be overwhelmingly enjoyable once or twice in your entire lifetime. I'd rather have a really nice job than get to go on an awesome vacation for one week a year, is what I'm saying.

And here comes Gumballhead, the best beer that's ever been brewed anywhere by anybody. The hop profile is perfect. The pour is perfect. The aroma is like an herb garden that fucked a flower and had a bunch of a cute little pink and green babies. It's not overwhelming. It's just... it's just perfect.

Serving type: growler

03-18-2008 07:56:26 | More by mynie

spointon

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on tap at the Three Floyds brewpub. As many have said, it sort of defies comparison...

A= this one poured a deep golden orange color. There wasn't a big head on the pint glass they served it in (maybe 1/2 inch at the begining that soon dropped to 1/4 inch). There was however pretty impressive lacing throughout the pint.

S= This beer smells hoppy and piney, but the wheat beer nature comes through in the scent too.

T= This beer is nothing like anything I have had to date. Basicaly its a wheat beer with a huge hop character. Of course the hops and piney resins are present, but also the wheat grain flavor is there too. By the end of the pint I was considering how often I would drink this beer if I had it around all the time...

MF= This is a fairly crisp, medium-high carbonation beer in the style of the finst American ale styles.

D= I would pair this beer with many types of food (pizza, burgers, and a million other things) as well as enjoy it on any hot day. Its a winner.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2008 03:17:47 | More by spointon

jeonseh

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Tried this on tap at Boston's pizza in Munster, IN. I've been meaning to stop by the brewery and pickup a 6er of this to try it but always spend the money on some other beer instead so decided to try this one on tap.

A - comes out with a bright yellow color with a bit of a gold tint and a metallic tint to it. There was a small very white head that sat on top but didn't stick around very long and left minimal lacing. Actually looked a bit like a shiny BMC to me.

S - as usual per a FFF beer, smell actually a lot more hops off of here than I expected there to be. This citrus hop smell was mixed in with a bit of lemon as well. Also as the beer warmed up I started to get a bit more of a mango/apricot smell coming off of it which reminded a bit of the dreadnaught just tempered down a bit.

T - A crisp wheat beer that leans more towards the orange citrus flavors. There is also a nice, spicy hoppiness to this brew which is what I expect from FFF. aftertaste is mostly hops with a bit of the orange as well. Also, just like with the nose as the beer warmed up got a bit more of the sweeter fruit flavors in there such as the mango and the hops also became a bit more pronounced as well. Really thought this had a lot more hops than I would expect for the style and given the mango aspects of the beer, it was a bit sweeter than I would have guessed too. actually enjoyed that the citrus seemed to be turned down a notch.

MF - it was really light bodied with minimal carbonation in it at all which gave it rather crisp feeling in the mouth. clean finish and minimal feeling left in the mouth other than a watery feeling. Felt this was the one area this beer lagged behind as most of these beers seem to finish strong and crisp but this one did not.

D - overall a nice interpretation of the style with more hops than expected. I was a big fan of the hop and mango presence in this one and I think that's what makes it stick out from some of the others that there are. Definitely a good beer that I would try to get whenever out if they had it on tap and i think it would be especially good with food since it is kinda lighter bodied and crisp. Also a good session beer but not the best session beer from FFF as I think that would still goto Alpha King. I enjoyed this one esp for the style which I am usually not a huge fan of.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2008 06:07:21 | More by jeonseh

dedrinker

Kansas

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazy straw color. Aroma of fresh hay and Pacific North-West hops. This beer tasted like a cross between an American Wheat beer and an American Pale Ale. There were some clean, light grainy flavors with some soft late addition hop character. Really nice spin on a wheat beer. Just enough extra hops to match the tartness of the wheat. Bell's Oberon meets Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. A little summer in the middle of January.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2008 05:33:22 | More by dedrinker

Onibubba

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is not the wheat beer I expected. But it was not an experience I regret either. By the time the beer reached our table, there was no head present. Served in a pint glass, color was a dark gold, not quite amber. Floral hops and some citrus were the most up front smell. Hops were all over the taste. Sigh. I'm a bit tired of potent hop taste in every other beer regardless of style, but that is a rant for a forum, not a beer review. Mouthfeel was smooth and quite nice. Likewise for drinkablity. Very sessionable. Will certainly have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2007 18:44:35 | More by Onibubba

Billolick

New York

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A pleasant draft selection and an unusual one for this east coaster, at the Map Room in Chicago. It arrived clear orangy amber, with a medium tan head, that showed so so retention and leaves a thick, bold ring of foam as well as spotty lacing. Coriander, anise, pepper and flowers in the nose, fresh and tasty stuff. On the tongue, I get notes of more coriander, peppery spice, loads of fresh fruits as well as plenty of yeasty/wheaty malt goodness.
Thoroughly enjoyable and refreshing brew. A nice treat to find this so many miles from home on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2007 23:07:50 | More by Billolick

TheBierBand

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My second beer at the FFF Brew-pub.

It was served in an imperial pint glass with about 1/4" white head that left decent lace as I drank. The beer was amber in color and slightly cloudy .

The aroma was hardly there but I did pick up some citrus hops and a bit of fruit.... peachy?

The taste was surprising... for a wheat beer... some good hops in there! But it was so complex! Lot's of stuff going on here.... sweetness, like peaches and apricot. A caramel malt.... everything balanced very well.

Mouthfeel: Light and refreshing, but robust at the same time. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: One could session this all day... refreshing and an all around solid ale!

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2007 23:51:32 | More by TheBierBand

drseamus

New York

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served at the brewpub. They also have great fries.

A nice light golden color with a white head. It was crystal clear, which I'm not used to in a wheat beer. There was a very citrusy hop aroma with grapefruit shoving it's way to the front. The flavor is much the same. The citrus pushes it's way to the front but the slightly heavier wheat flavor emerges a bit later and balances very nicely. The wheat doesn't weight the beer down though and it still remains very light bodied. All around a great summer drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2007 14:03:04 | More by drseamus

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draft at the Comet. I do believe that I have found a new summertime favorite beer. A nice wheat with the patented Three Floyds twist. It poured a nice light golden color with a short lived small head. Smell is wheat, hops, and a hint of slight lemon. Taste is much the same, except with the presence of some well placed hops. Mouthfeel is smooth and refreshing, with just enough hop bitterness to it. A very crisp, well balanced beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2007 23:19:35 | More by FtownThrowDown

iuhophead87

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This might be the best looking beer out there. IT’S light with a thick haze when held to the light. Almost cloudy like a Weiss beer.

The hop smell is amazing. Almost like an IPA but the dry wheat still comes into play.

The taste is unbelievable; it’s more like an IPA without the bitter flavor and still has the texture of a wheat beer. Although you can taste the hops, there is an obvious citrus flavor to the beer.

This beer is very drinkable; in fact I’ve had over five in one sitting. An awesome beer for the backyard barbeque or for the one beer a night flavor. This is an all around great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2007 03:28:32 | More by iuhophead87

GbVDave

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a 160z pint glass at Hopleaf 5/30/07. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Served a pale, clear-gold color. 1/2 finger of white and creamy head.

S: Unbelievable hop aroma with a fantastic baked/toasted dry wheat-y aroma.

T: Hops. Glorious citrus hops. Dry wheat coupled with toasted malt. Incredible!

M: Juicy, dry, oily, and prickly on the tongue. Just about perfect!

D: Quite possibly the penultimate summer beer. A true classic!

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2007 02:04:45 | More by GbVDave

emerge077

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap at the Map Room.
Fresh keg, 2007 batch released a week ago.

Pours a hazy amber, nice cap of foam. Tiny streams of carbonation.

Aroma of a floral and juicy citrus hop combination. Not as amped up as other 3F offerings thankfully. Sample at the brewpub seemed much more grassy and herbal in the nose.

Taste is light, big hop presence, slight bitterness. Wheaty in the middle with a nice residual sweetness. Aftertaste of mango, or apricot from the distinctive Amarillo hops. Bubblegum doesn't figure in much to me.

Very smooth and easy drinking. Can't wait for the six-packs...

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2007 03:16:50 | More by emerge077

Beertracker

Oklahoma

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I found the recently released Gumballhead on tap during my recent visit to the FFF Brewpub for the 2007 Dark Lord Day. I had a couple while waiting in line with the rest of the Dark Lord Hoard. The aroma is very citrusy (lemon balm, lemongrass, lime leaf) with a notable wheatberry graininess in the distant background. The flavor starts off very fruity with some sweet graininess that gives into a marked bitterness that's more expected in an APA, not a wheat beer... but hey, this is FFF we're talking about! The finish is smooth, creamy, and very satisfying. This is one hoppy little wheatie that has an extreme quaffability. "It's just not normal!"

CHEERS! Beertracker

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2007 05:54:11 | More by Beertracker

TheodorHerzl

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap on DLD at 3F's.

A: Even in a solo plastic cup the nice golden amber color shows nicely, with a small bit of lacing.

S: The smell is just amazing. A great floral scent, but almost sweet like candy hits your nose.

Taste: This was perfect. DLD is was hot and I was baking in the sun and as soon as it hit my tounge I was in love. Grapefruit at first, but then a silky smooth wheat flavor. Not as bitter as an IPA, but not a true wheat beer either, but I am very good with that.

M: Is very light and easy going down.

D: This is a perfect summer beer. I already see myself playing bags and drinking many Gumball's as the summer heats up.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2007 18:09:06 | More by TheodorHerzl

doppelmeup

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had a pint of this on tap.

I was a little surprised by this beer, but not necessarily in a bad way. I was expecting a lighter, wheat flavor, similar to a hefe-weizen, but what arrived was a beer much more akin to a pale ale.

This beer was a light amber color, with a decent head and good lacing.

Aromas of hops and perhaps a bit of citrus.

Flavor was definitely that of a pale ale, but was nicely balanced with a light, wheat flavor and a distinct hoppiness.

Excellent mouthfeel, and extremely drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2006 02:44:00 | More by doppelmeup

jokelahoma

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Since we can't get TF beers in KC, I've been left to wonder what the hype was all about with this beer. I mean, sure, TF makes good beers, but this is an American wheat, for cryin' out loud. How could it be anything spectacular? So when I finally got a chance to try it at the Map Room in Chicago, I went for it. Man am I glad I did.

The beer poured a surprisingly clear brassy color, with a good, substantial white head. Other than the clarity, nothing out of the ordinary so far for an American wheat.

The aroma,though... wow. This IS out of the ordinary! Very hoppy, with a good deal of citrus. There are still some phenolics apparently sneaking through. I may be imagining things, as I thought they used a standard ale yeast for this, not a hefe yeast. Either way, the smell is very hoppy, and very complex.

The taste is also very unique. There's the "wheatiness" (for lack of a more descriptive word) that gives it a good grany flavor, yet the hoppiness is what takes center stage here. Again, not surprising for a TF beer, but quite so for a wheat, a style usually very bland. Again, what eems to be some clove phenolics appears. I can't quite pick it up enough to determine if it's real or imagined, but I'd swear it's there. Not the banana of a German hefe, but still something that hints at a more complex yeast that any old standard ale yeast. All in all it makes for an interesting and quite good flavor.

The mouthfeel is just past thinnish. That's a good thing for this style. It's a summer type beer, so you want it thinner and more refreshing, not heavy and filling. Just enough body.

Overall, I was really pleasantly surprised by this brew. It's still a wheat, but it's been bastardized and morphed into something so much more. Very much worth the effort to try it, and one I'd recommend to anyone who is a wheat fan, as well as anyone who thinks American wheats have to suck by their very nature.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2006 02:57:06 | More by jokelahoma

yelterdow

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What a score... thanks to the EPseja for the rare opportunity to get as close to the tap as possible here in NJ!

From a growler, served in a pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a crystal clear gold, supporting a two-finger head sustaining well on the relatively light-bodied look of the beer.

Smell- Beautiful fresh Amarillo hops, exhibiting the wonderful aromas of sweet, honeyed grapefruit.

Taste- A good burst of honeyed grapefruit first, then it mellows out with a tangy bitterness in a smooth transition.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Easy and smooth, great for this style. I do prefer the bottled version over the draft, I think the bottle conditioning has a lot to do with the subtle complexities that really make this beer a standout.

Serving type: growler

08-30-2006 13:46:10 | More by yelterdow

HoboAGoGo

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass at the brewpub with a mildly cloudy body, orangish deliciousness floated about. The nose was slightly floral, but very hoppy. A good amount of typical wheat smell, which I admit I don't care for too much, but the hops masked the smells I usually don't like in a wheat. Amarillo hop bite on top of a subtle, fruity beer was good, the hops stayed in my mouth to prevent that overly fruity aftertaste in most wheats. Fascinating, a wheat I was able to finish!

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2006 04:27:56 | More by HoboAGoGo

DaveFL1976

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A golden honey-colored body, topped by a prodigious white head. A candy-like sweet smell really reminds you of gumballs. Go figure! The taste is amazingly different than many IPAs. A citrus/orange/tangerine flavour greets you before the sweetness of the malt hits you. Then a nice bittering hop bite comes through at the end of the swallow. A really interesting beer. Mouthfeel is medium, with low carbonation. Drinkability is fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2006 12:42:06 | More by DaveFL1976

Generik420

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Three Floyd's brewpub and was quite impressed. I was told they use Amarillo hops in this wheat and that is one of the reasons I was very interested in trying it out. While technically it is an American wheat ale, it is unlike any other I have ever had. I tend to dislike standard American wheat ales finding them to be very bland and definitely needing the lemon wedge they are served with. This beer destroyed that stereotype. The amarillo hop addition gives this beer quite a bit of flavor. The hops have a citrusy, similar to grapefruit flavor to go along with their bite and it really makes quite an impression when drinking Gumballhead. I can find this beer in 22oz bottles, but most liquor stores want $6 / bottle, and unfortunately I just can't justify spending that kind of money. Great beer, but the limited production quantities keeps the price a little too high.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2006 12:56:43 | More by Generik420

doubleipa

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bit of a different wheat beer. Had this on tap at KClingers (Hanover). Can definitely smell and taste the hops. Great lemony aroma. Hops adds a little bit of a bite to the taste. Not my favorite wheat, but I'm glad I tried it. Actually has a bit of a hoppy finish.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2006 12:42:23 | More by doubleipa

blsfreak

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The taste is amazing, the smell is great, it has a amber color that looks inviting...I have nothing bad to say about this beer...Is is such a shame it is a seasonal beer, I could drink this year-round. It is nice to know there is a keg at the bar waiting for me to get off work, makes my day!

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2006 20:18:22 | More by blsfreak