Gumballhead - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

tjsdomer2

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Looks like a pale lager, but with much more lacing on the glass.

Smell: Sweet grapefruit with a very slight hint of hef-like bubblegum.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Quite astringent for a light ale. Tastes like citrus-flavored oil with a slight backround of clove. Mouthfeel is definitely a bit too thin, especially considering the IPA-like grapefruit flavors in this.

Overall Drinkability: Excellent combination of an IPA, a hef, and light wheat ale or lager. I wish it would push the envelope a bit regarding the flavors, but I will definitely get this again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2013 23:28:50 | More by tjsdomer2

Cee-Poe

Wisconsin

4.49/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The wheat ale for the hop head...

A -- Slight haze with a straw appearance and a Swiss cheese two finger head

S -- The first notice that this is not your average wheat ale. The aroma pulls much more of hops than banana or other usual notes from other wheat beers.

T -- A good deal of hops coming forward with a great aftertaste.

M -- Large bubbles and a light feel work well with this style of beer

O -- Not being too large a fan of wheat ales, this is a remarkably easy drinker that I will be happy to have again

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2013 20:12:53 | More by Cee-Poe

elNopalero

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

This poured a golden tan color. And by god—I smell bubblegum! It’s a light aroma but it’s definitely “gummy”. The flavor is hop forward with a pronounced full frontal assault… and then it turns into this smooth wheat beer finish. Coriander? Check. Orange peel? Check. And that oddly strange bubble-gum character? Check. It’s an easy drinking, hoppy wheat beer but it just didn’t do it for me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 10:04:17 | More by elNopalero

seanorear

Missouri

4.53/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a very refreshing lighter beer with a distinct hop smell and flavor. It is golden yellow with a white that has good retention (most likely from the wheat in the beer). It is very aromatic for a light beer and has a floral and citrusy smell. The first taste will tell you that it is highly hopped, but what makes this beer so good is that they are late addition hops. This is not an overly bitter beer and the majority of the hop is in the smell and flavor. It finishes cleanly and is best served by the pitcher. Great beer to try!

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2012 00:09:13 | More by seanorear

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

4.73/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The smell of citus hops, regular hops, Best wheat beer around never matched, i could drink this beer all day i love it one of my favorites, the red rye is yummy and the pale and hops add a great bitterness to the beer smooth and could drink all day cheers to gumball

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 20:43:54 | More by chicagoanbeerone

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Clear orange yellow, not much carbonation, but it does try and leave behind some lacing.

S-Grassy hops, wheat with citrus and floral hops as well. Nicely balanced together.

T-Wheat, grass floral and citrus hops, ends with a mild bitterness with balances with the malt and hop flavors.

M-Medium bodied, some carbonation, very crisp and refreshing.

O-A great beer, I need to have it again as having it after Zombie Dust did not do this beer any justice.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 23:49:10 | More by rlee1390

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.83/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at Crazy Horse

Pours hazy straw with a finger of white soapy head.

Smells like a cross between wheat and hops. Bright citrus hops especially grapefruit along with a little of that "wheaty" aroma.

Taste is very similar to the aroma. Lots of citrusy hops up front and finishes with good grapefruit bitterness.

Creamy mouthfeel with lively carbonation. Retains some body despite the low ABV.

The gold standard for this style. Deliciousy hoppy yet still light and drinkable. I just wish I could find it in bottles more often.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2012 19:01:33 | More by jmarsh123

kpclemens

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured on tap at the brewpub.

A - a hazy gold den color. a little clearer than most wheat beers. about a finger and a half sized bright white head.

S - what a great smell for a wheat beer; a little bit of your expected citrus but mostly hops. Hoppier than any other wheat beer I've smelt, like a mild IPA.

T - First thing I taste is hops right up front. Then in the back of the mouth there's grapefruit and some other citrus flavors. Some people say they taste bubblegum in the end but I think that's all mental with a name like Gumballhead. No alcohol taste as expected.

M - The mouth feel of this beer is fantastic. Its creamy and smooth and you just want to keep drinking it. There's nothing quite like having a beer on tap at the actual brewpub.

O - This is in my top 3 favorite beers. Wheat beer helped me get into craft beer and this a perfect breakaway. You get the wheat beer name I used to love plus the hops and flavors lacking in a lot of wheat beers. Its more like a Wheat IPA. If you can find this I definitely recommend getting a case of it. You wont regret it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2012 14:55:57 | More by kpclemens

merc7186

New York

4.23/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this poured on tap at Fat Heads Saloon in Cleveland OH, poured in a pint glass.

A: Golden Straw Hue, Passes Lots of Light, White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Wheat, Grapefruit, Mild Floral

T: Wheat, Grapefruit, Floral

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Mildly Drying

Overall...a great hoppy wheat ale, so well done and highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 19:14:29 | More by merc7186

kylehay2004

Florida

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

Enjoyed at the brewery.

A: Single finger head with nice retention and lacing on a clear golden body.

S: musty wheat, pale malts and breads. Subtle spiciness.

T: very nice combination a wheat and maltiness. The hops are really nicely added to this one providing citrus and slightly floral notes.

M: light body and moderate to high carbonation. Crisp and refreshIng.

Overall: very flavorful almost like a sessionabke pale ale. Very unique for the style. Certainly a memorable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2012 21:29:09 | More by kylehay2004

GJ40

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been brewing an American wheat beer with Amarillo hops for a while now so I was anxious to try this one. Sampled on tap at the brewery.

Yellow and clear. A huge citrusy, tropical fruit hop aroma that smacks you before every sip. The flavor is so hop-centric. The wheat is there but this is so much more about the hops. The consistency is thin with a crisp feel and a moderate carbonation.

This is a fantastic beer. The hop flavor is enormous yet it's so refreshing and drinkable. It definitely gave me something to work on.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 00:57:46 | More by GJ40

Reaper16

Alabama

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

served on-tap at Big Star, Chicago, IL, into a pilsner glass

Pours a light yellow color. Some haze here, though I expected more given that this is A.) a wheat beer and B.) a hoppy beer. The head is very white, though not voluminous. Solid stuff.

Gumbalhead does a good job of being hop-forward without letting its malt character become dominated. There are aromas and flavors of sweet orange, lemon, and pine all over the place. But you never lose track of the essential wheat malt flavors here, nor do you lose track of the bubblegum yeast esters. This is a mostly sweet beer; I could have used some additional hop bitterness.

The mouthfeel is pretty light and the carbonation is aggressive. It works very well with food, especially mildly spicy food. Overall, this is one of the best American Pale Wheat Ales out there. I don't think it is as good of a hoppy wheat as the forthcoming Boulevard 80-Acre is, but this is a beer that deserves the loyal following it has.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 04:42:23 | More by Reaper16

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

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

On-Tap at Jak's Tap

Appearance - Hazy Golden Straw color with a good amount of lacing on the sides. Little bubbles of carbonation creeping up the sides of the glass

Smell - Piney hops, grapefruits, wheat, yeasts and malts. Very rich smelling!

Taste - Piney Hops, Wheats, Malts, yeasts and a slight lemon zesty feel. The flavor is very rich and it tastes alot better than it smells. Also doesn't have that grassy flavor that I've seen in wheat beers.

Mouthfeel - Light bodied with a moderate carbonated kick that gives it a crisp and refreshing feel. It's not smooth but all things considered, it works out quite well.

Overall - I loved this! Three Floyds continues to impress me with their line-up, and in the process of doing so, have given me my new favorite wheat beer!

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2012 00:36:37 | More by NuclearDolphin

MelissaAnnFlo

4.95/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I love this beer!! SO deliscious, I get it everytime I am in the Indiana Area. Just a great beer all around. I highly suggest you try it, it's much better on tap but I would never ever turn down a bottle! I suppose I have to make this review a bit longer. Let's see 3 Floyds is an awesome place to check out. One of my favorite breweries to visit. The only downside of it is their menu, not much to eat there

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 21:29:39 | More by MelissaAnnFlo

TSJ4000

Iowa

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

Got get my Gumballhead. Simply incredible and if you are reading this wondering if you should buy it the answer is Yes, especially since it isn't distributed much. It's basically an IPA with wheat. The wheat (small amount detected) isn't prounounced and there isn't a wheat beer yeast character at all. I'm guessing the yeast is an IPA yeast or ale yeast and not a wheat ale yeast or hefe yeast. All the better. An elevation and transformation of styles. This beer is a classic.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 23:09:30 | More by TSJ4000

DocJitsu

California

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

Pours a crystal clear, very light golden color with a quickly dissipating white head. The bouquet is characterized by a clean grapefruit perfume and lemon hard candy. They've changed the recipe since last I had it. And not for the better. The mouthfeel is still slick and moist, but the lovely Amarillo hops are quickly overcome by a peat flavor. It's not unpleasant, but to a man who spent a lot of time hunched over pints of Gumballhead in the recent past, disappointing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2012 15:57:23 | More by DocJitsu

thydarkprevails

Illinois

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

Fresh bottle poured aggressively in a duvel tulip. Clean golden yellow with a 2 inch white head that shrinks to a half inch with awesome lacing. Aroma is Amarillo hops, grapefruit, flowers, caramel, and bread. Flavor is orange, grapefruit, biscuit, lemon. Very smooth with a light and somewhat sticky mouthfeel. I don't drink many wheat beers and this is awesome. I buy it when I can.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 04:52:08 | More by thydarkprevails

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a plain o' pint glass.

This beer pours a hazy yellow and a nice white head, typical wheat beer. This beer has an amazing aroma, its very citrus dominant as well as some skunky hops, the aroma of the hops is lightly backed up by a wheat caramel smell. This is an easy drinker for sure. This beer has a light character and a very pleasant hop presence but its far from strong. Im the kind of person that can take down a dreadnought bomber with ease so this beer is rather lackluster in taste and feel. Having said that, it is a grade A example of what this beer is trying to be.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 07:58:32 | More by TwelveOunces

Brenden

Ohio

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

I really only want to note the differences between bottle and draft. With FFF distributing to Ohio now, it's nice to be able to have some great beers in both forms when we couldn't get it either way before now. I got to try Gumballhead on tap at The Attic last night.
It looks the same, very clouded but bright almost sort of apricot color I'd call it now. It sustains the dense and creamy one finger tall off-white head, which in turn leaves patchy lacing.
The aroma is strong and intense for the style, plenty hoppy with complexity. No real changes here.
The flavor presses me to believe it's only 28 IBUs. I don't know how they increase the pithy and citrus rind bitterness besides hop it heavily or decrease detracting contributors. What I do understand drinking this on tap is what I've seen people call an aspirin-like bitterness. I would relate it to raw dandelion leaf; what's being imparted in the bitterness is a little harsh, almost dry and chalky, like pith gone wild. It's not extreme here, but it detracts.
The feel, however, benefits from draught. It's perfectly crisp, somewhere between light and medium in body with plenty of heft and depth but still not too heavy for the style; this may find the perfect balance where APWAs are concerned. The feel, while never losing crispness, is rich and downright lush from beginning to end.
While it feels better on tap, I prefer the bottle for the excellent flavor without the medicinal bitter tinge.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 14:42:29 | More by Brenden

AnnArborJoe

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Notes - had on tap and bottle.

A - straw colored clear with big white head, lots of lacing.

S - hops, slightly bready, peaches maybe, some wheat

T - hops then peach or apricot flavor, some zing from the wheat.

M - light bodied, good carbonation, refreshing and light.

O - excellent. Perfect summer beer. Can drink a lot of this. I'm not a huge fan of wheat beer but this is fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2012 16:49:27 | More by AnnArborJoe

wvsabbath

West Virginia

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

Serving Type - On-tap

Appearance - Dark tan/brown, monster froathy 3+ inch head, tons of lacing.

Smell - Hops, pine, grapefruit,some yeast, pale wheat, some grassy/earthy spices. Slight malt aroma.

Taste - Nice pieny hops mixed with some pale wheat is the first flavors. Malts comes in at the end and add a little boldness. Some mild earthy spices and a little added sugars give a little sweet flavor. Very balanced and lacks the typical skunky yeasty wheat flavor i dont enjoy from the style.

Mouthfeel - Nice smooth and mild, easy on tounge with low ibu's and not much bitterness. Palette gets alot of remaining hops, malts, and yeast. Afertaste is wheaty, hoppy and dry.

Overall - Wow this is really good. Balance is unreal along with great additon of the fruity hops, makes this a wonderful, low alcohol beer to drink. Im not a wheat ale fan but i sucked this brew down without a issue and would buy again. Fantastic, world class, and a must try, even if not a fan of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 00:11:36 | More by wvsabbath

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Three Floyds
Gumballhead

Pours a light straw yellow. Very good clarity and decent head retention. Aroma of wheat, citrus and mild herbal qualities. In the taste, moderate wheat, and a good dose of hops. Hop flavors of citrus, tropical fruit (mango, pineapple) and mild pine. Still, the hops are in the background and don't steal the show. More wheat, with a grainy flavor and a touch of lemon. Mouthfeel is light/medium bodied. Overall, a really nice pale wheat, refreshing and enough hops to keep it interesting.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 18:16:20 | More by Stinkypuss

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap in a pint glass at Bodega on 10/22/11

Flat-hued honey amber with golden highlights. 1/8th inch head wisps out quickly to a soapy film. Loosely scattered spots of small lace.

Really nice aroma; it just seems happy. Toasty wheat is well matched with the hop, perhaps leaning in the direction of the latter. Juicy grapefruit, pineapple and lemon zest. Soft floral and honey sweetness rounds it out. Hints of cracker.

Pleasant flavors and feel, too. Lighter body without coming across as thin. Modest carbonation suits it and teams with balanced oily/resiny hoppage. Flavorful hop notes ramble through wheat and subtly sweet cracker. Shifts back toward a dry finish. Plucky hop presence throughout with lingering residuals and a touch of bitter grapefruit pith.

Overall impression - I can see why the Chicago guys get fussy about this critter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2011 23:02:19 | More by Ryan011235

rtepiak

Poland

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

i take it that it his doesn't sit well with the subtle banana undertones. very very subtle. this is properly hopped. as in a lot like all there other beers. brisk. the adjunct is like a charm. and american and adjunct is like a hex. they do it great. wonderful look for a session. although sort of watery in persona. still very accessible. probably the most being a three floyds when it comes to hop character. golden clear. small head. brisk hop... dry mild floral. and a hint of yeast starches in the back note which i'm sure may over develop over time. i would lavender zucchini bread... but um... beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2011 12:03:38 | More by rtepiak

mcb4538

New York

4.68/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft, appears light golden with half finger of head.  Appears very carbonated, but dies quickly. Smells of fresh grass and pines.  Complimemted by amazing floral tastes. The hops are not overbearing in the least. Very smooth taste and mouthfeel. This would make a great session beer. Very impressive. 

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 23:49:29 | More by mcb4538