Gumballhead - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

blakelive784

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Docrock for this extra!

12 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a pint glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a hazy burnt orange color with about two fingers of soapy white head and sticky lacing. Retention is average. Lively carbonation.

S - Prominent, juicy, fresh hops notes dominate, though they're a little restrained. Light grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon zest all come to mind. Sweet base malts and spicy wheat in the background. Moderate strength. Damn, that smells good.

T - Hops notes are still a little restrained, but on par for the style. I want more. Heavy tangerine throughout, balanced modestly by crisp wheat and light malts. Incredibly easy drinking. Well balanced.

M - Heavy carbonation and a light body. Works well.

D - This'd make a great session beer. I find myself wanting more of the hops, though. Not entirely complex, but it doesn't need to be. I'd definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:12:52 | More by blakelive784

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.4/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Gumballhead pours golden and bright with a nice bubbly head the proudly sits atop and laces well.

The scent is of strong hops, piney and floral but as strong as the hops are there seems to be little to no fruit aroma.

The taste is as one dimensional as the scent. Strong piney hops with an underlying of floral hoppiness, there is very little else. Im expecting orange, lemon or grapefruit and taste nothing but piney resins. Despite the use of Amarillo hops I get a progressive muskiness which seems uncharacteristic.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 00:17:12 | More by KYGunner

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

themind

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is a quality brew! I am impressed as this is a year round brew and is of the highest quality. The beer goes down smooth and is very drinkable. You could pound these things all day long. The drinkability is amazing! highly recommended!

Bottom Line: Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 00:22:02 | More by themind

iabeerbaron

Iowa

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

American-style wheat beers had become relatively insignificant to me as I delved deeper into the craft beer world. I would often run into watery, flavorless, trivial American-wheat beers still wanting to give them a fair shake and then after trying, realizing why I should avoid them. I started my love of craft beer drinking Boulevard Wheat and I will still go back to that beer, it is maybe one of the most popular American wheats out there and a great stepping stone from the Buds, Coors, and Millers, have the world into the realm of craft beer. That all changed on a Saturday in Chicago, IL.

My wife's family had a weekend planned in the Windy City and since my Dodgers were in town to face the Cubs it was the perfect opportunity to take the kids to a ball game. Beautiful weather, a couple of beers, the smell of stale piss, and hot dogs, made for a great day. Towards the end of the game my brother-in-law, Clem, asked if I would be interested in hitting a few bars around Wrigleyville. He was familiar with the area, and I wasn't, so we got the ok from the rest of the family and started our wonderful beer journey. We hit up Goose Island and then went to what is known as an Iowa bar?, Merkles (www.merkleschicago.com). Seeing a sign advertising $3 draws of Dogfish Head Aprihop made it a relatively easy decision. Anyway... after a few Aprihops I decided to try Gumballhead, this was before 3 Floyds blew up as a brewery, and I was blown away by it! Calling it an American-wheat is kind of misleading as this beer packs a pretty amazing hop punch, not much wheat present in this beer, maybe a bit on the palate at the end of the beer, but I don't care, this a very drinkable, thirst quenching, brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 18:47:16 | More by iabeerbaron

HopHeadCnK

Virginia

4.14/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Got my first 6 pack of this and did a head-to-head tasting against Lil Sumpin Sumpin to determine who the king of american wheat pale ale's was.

Light carbonation on the pour. Lots of piney notes on the nose and palate, that linger the longest with the aftertaste. Very easy drinking and enjoyable, do have to admit (only slightly) I preferred sumpin sumpin. Another great brew from FFF. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:19:20 | More by HopHeadCnK

weonfire

Kentucky

4.11/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Light golden color. crystal clear. pencil thin head that dissipates quickly. trickle of carbonation from bottom. Just a tiny bit of lacing.

S - Citrus. specifically lemon and orange.

T - Right off, wheat flavor is almost surprising- didn't smell it at all. Tiny sweet wheat quickly turns and lets the small bit of hops jump in the party giving a light bitter taste. Grapefruit, orange and lemon.

M - Nice amount of carbonation. A wee bit frothy.

O - Real easy to drink. Feels light. Low ABVs. Both wheat and hops combine really well. Carbonation gives a nice pop on the tongue. Would rate it higher but not a whole lot of smell. Regardless- very fine brew by FFF

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:38:36 | More by weonfire

falloutsnow

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From: Three Floyds brewpub
Date: None, but purchased from the brewery recently
Glass: Standard US pint glass

Three Floyds' Gumballhead is a very hop-forward American wheat ale, which focuses upon what might be the perfection of the hopburst technique by the resident brewmaster. While the malts are notable at occasion in the aroma and taste, they are clearly well in the back, as in most Three Floyds' beers, with the emphasis here on hops and tropical fruit flavors. I find this beer undeniably delicious, my only complaint being that like so many of the Three Floyds' beers, its nearly sole focus is on the hops, rendering the beer a bit one-dimensional on that flavor axis, as well as similar to many of the breweries' other offerings in its intense hoppiness.

Pours a tall, 3cm head of fairly clean white foam, made up of medium and large-sized bubbles, with average retention, fading within a minute or so to a thin ring around the glass and a fine film of foam atop the body. Lacing is good, several lines and Rorschach-like blots adorn the glass after the head recedes. The body is a golden orange color (light brings out pale yellow-gold hues), hazy, but still able to be seen through, with fairly vigorous and visible carbonation.

Aroma is enjoyable and complex, significant amarillo hop presence (a mixture of grapefruit, orange, lemon, coriander, Spanish moss, and a hint of dried onion) with mild malt sweetness and slight ammonia.

Tasting opens with a sweet, slightly grainy wheat and barley malt mixture, but I also detect some coriander and fruity hop contributions (lemon, orange, mango) making an appearance. Mid-palate picks up fairly intense amarillo hops (again, lemon, orange, pineapple, and mango) atop a grainy-tasting malt base that never quite balances out the hops. Back of palate picks up little bitterness, but plenty of continued hop flavor (lemon, orange, and mango), finishing with a grainy wheat flavor. Aftertaste of lingering citrus hops (grapefruit along with lemon and orange peel, primarily).

Body is medium-light with carbonation levels that are moderately high, leading to a mouthfeel that is at first briefly fizzy, then quickly becoming foamy and smooth. Finishes semi-dry, with little stickiness on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 06:05:14 | More by falloutsnow

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

Alextricity

Michigan

4.09/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: A pale, yellow color ... just about what you'd expect from a wheat ale. There's a pretty decent bubbly head on it, and patchy, slightly above average lacing. The label is probably my favorite on any beer that I've ever had.

Smell: Just an awesome nose on this one. You get some wheat characteristics, but there are plenty of hops of the grapefruit variety.

Taste/feel: It's likely just because of the name, and I know I'm drinking it, but I honestly feel like I get some bubblegum flavors out of this beer -- there's a lot of fruity hops at the front of the tongue, and then the wheat comes through on the finish. Maybe that bubblegum flavor is just the peach coming through, but I can pretend what I want! Anyway, just an awesomely refreshing beer without much bitterness. Any state that gets this beer shipped to them should consider themselves extremely lucky, as this would make for an ideal session beer... I'd drink it just about daily in the summer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:23:33 | More by Alextricity

zrbeer1579

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Very slight hazy light peach and gold with a two finger white head, which dissipated quickly. A little bit of yeast in suspension. Little lacing.

Aroma: Grapefruit, peach, citrus zest, and faint pine and floral. Some wheat and light malts in the background.

Taste: Very similar to the smell. Grapefruit, peach, and citrus zest. As well as some floral. Some wheat in the middle but mainly hops. A nice wheat taste in the finish. It is not strong but plenty to keep up with the hops.

Mouthfeel: Median- light bodied. Median carbonation. Very smooth. Bitterness is very light. Wet finish.

Overall: Definitely not a normal pale wheat, but it's quite lovely and refreshing. It deserves the attention it gets.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 04:26:55 | More by zrbeer1579

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A- Pours a deep golden color. Slight haze from the wheat and bottle conditioning. No sediment, but still mostly clear as opposed to hazed. About a 1.5 finger, frothy head develops on this one. Great retention and pretty good lacing.

S- Moderate hops bang right up front. Nothing too big, but the hops are definitely prominent. Hops bitterness is primarily of pine aromas with maybe a hint of floral depth and sweetness. Underlying sweeter, grainy flavor from the wheat and light malts.

T- Smooth blend of hops bitterness and wheat grain smoothness preside throughout the drink. Hops take the front seat to the grain on the front half, with low to moderate bitterness that matches the scent. Wheat emerges as the drink ends. Provides a smoothness and quells the hops bitterness a little. Slight grain bite ends the drink along with a slight resurgence of hops. On the back end, a very slight lemon flavor compliments the wheat, along with a hint of sweetness.

M- Smooth and light on the palate while still being on the creamy side. High carbonation and weight of the wheat grain make it sit in the stomach a little more than other pale ales, but not more than other wheats. Easy to drink and refreshing for a hot day while still providing a hops fix.

Overall, there is a reason people living near me in the Hoosier state clamor for this beer. It lives up to expectations and is an extremely smooth and satisfying beer. The sum of the parts is definitely greater than the whole with this beer. Perfect for the beer drinker who likes wheat beers and is looking to transition to pale ales and IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 00:20:48 | More by boilermakerbrew

ShaunNewman

Florida

4.36/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle to a tapered pub glass.

A- light gold, slightly cloudy. White quickly dissipating head. Left no lacing.

S- medium high orange zest and white grapefruit. Sight wheat spice.

T- grapefruit and a background of tropical fruits. Sight bready malt on the back.

M- medium high carbonation. Medium body.

O- a moderately high hop session beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 23:14:28 | More by ShaunNewman

Efay

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

I was first introduced to Gumballhead in the Chicago Reader. I used to love the comics of a badass cat and his feats. A short google search showed me that it was also a beer from a brewery only an hour away from my house. Gumballhead was my first craft beer and I hold it close to my heart. I thought this beer deserved a full review from me, so I had it at my local bar.

A- Transparent golden yellow, with 2 fingers worth of foam. White frothy foam that had great head retention.

S- Predominately honey and grapefruit. Some light malt and it ends with light piney hops.

T- Large amounts of honey, with limited amount of piney hops. The wheat, malt, and honey are more dominant and are complimented by the hops.

M- Extremely light and moderate amount of carbonation makes this go down really smooth.

O- I love this beer. This really has a decent complexity with not an overbearing amount of hops. I'm a malt guy and really enjoyed all that this has to offer. I don't know if this batch was better than my last one but it tasted so good.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 15:11:24 | More by Efay

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- pours a filtered clean golden color,1-finger head, minimal lacing.

S-Citrus hops all the way, grapefruit, lemon, and floral. No yeast or wheat in sight, or smell.
As it warms, the hops fade some to reveal a sweetness, maybe that's the wheat.

T- Citrus hop flavors, Bittersweet, like a halved grapefruit laced with sugar. I do not pick up the wheat.

M- Light and sweet, but this isn't coffee. It counters the sweetness with a hop finish. Easy drinking.

O- On its own, I enjoyed this beer. But a Pale Wheat Ale aka German-style hefe? Not IMO.
At just 28 ibu, the citrus hops dominate, which I like, although that trait doesn't marry with the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 19:39:42 | More by NiceTaps

rawfish

California

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear and golden color with a pillowey white foam atop, two fingers at maximum with average retention leaving some rings of lacing.

Amazing aroma for a wheat beer packed full of light floral hops this really does have a small lemony wheat and grain malt profile with a floral hop bouquet that is really reminiscent of bubblegum though I smell passion fruit, grapefruit and guava with some lemon zip.

Clean, slightly grainy malt with lemon rind from the wheat that is rather dull at the forefront. Slight hops with bright citrus and pine come through on the finish, neither terribly bitter or drying.

Light body, crisp feel with a very well carbonated beer that brings forth the aroma and the snappy lemon and wheat.

What a fun and snappy beer to have, finally an American wheat done right, if only others would follow suit. Gumballhead is as good as its reputation, would quickly get again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 03:28:32 | More by rawfish

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

FridayDave

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This the best wheat I've ever had.
Poured from a bottle from a case my bro-n-law was kind enough to ship down. into a shaker pint glass it poured amber looking creamy smooth with as much head as you would want. The smell is unexpectedly hoppy grapefruit, really perks up your nose and tastebuds. The first taste washes smooth over your tongue, refreshing and light, where are those hops? The boom the back of the tongue it's a full dose of them not too bitter just enough to leave you wanting more. The second sip clears the first, the carbonation bubbling across, then boom there are those light citrous hops again.
A really great version of the wheat variety, should be duplicated in more regions especially since 3floyds is so frugal in their distribution.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 23:17:11 | More by FridayDave

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - crisp-looking, light yellow-orange pour; nice quarter+-inch frothy white head; plenty of effervescent carbonation; hazy straw gold

S - fruity; kind of smells like bubble gum, although maybe that's just the title pervading my thoughts; nice, sweet floral aromas; subtle wheat notes

T - has some up-front bite; lemon zesty; slightly sugary; the bubble gum flavor is actually there and sticks to my mustache after the beer has gone down the trap; some slight grapefruit hints from the hops; citrus fruit

M - the bite note should probably go here, but yeah...it's got an up-front 'cut' of a feel to it; light bodied yet full of flavor; well-balanced; pleasantly carbonated; nuanced for something so fresh and easy on the palate

O - this is truly an exceptional wheat...it's as if FFF took a wheat and pounded it with the right amount of hops to draw out the basic lemon-wheat flavors in traditional wheat beers; this nice flavors, great balance, and an easy profile...a prime example of a summer sipping beer at the beach.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 22:10:28 | More by SkeeterBoganski

codysjb

Florida

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

Three Floyds Gumballhead
A: Pours a beautiful cloudy orange with little head.
S: Funk, like yeast and some farmhouse smells.
T: Not much just a nice balanced wheat flavor.
M: Some sour zest. Interesting with some minor hop notes on the end.
O: Good. Kinda reminds me of what a “table” beer should be, lots of balance.
B+

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:45:04 | More by codysjb

ThePorterSorter

New York

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

thanks merc for sharing.
the beer pours a straw yellow with a wispy white head that fades quickly. the nose is slightly musty with some citrus and mango that doesn't pop like I'd expected. the beer drinks like a champ with a healthy amount of juicy citrus fruit, just like I expected, and some a modest malty backbone. the mouthfeel is sweet and juicy with a semi-dry finish. I'd love to try this beer fresh, but its held up pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:13:19 | More by ThePorterSorter

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

TheBigLebrewski

Michigan

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

Well, it is pretty swell.

Appearance is mostly yellow with a medium-bubbled head that steadily shrinks but covers the surface. Excellent lacing.

Scent rocks. Definitely gummy. Some clove-ish nutmegishness. Exciting scent that I can't say I've encountered elsewhere.

Taste is also pretty unique; wonderful would be an understatement. Not generally a fan of wheat beers because of the sweetness and the unencumbered esters. There is practically nothing about the flavor of this beer that bothers me, which surprises me with a wheat.

Mouthfeel is very mellow without abandoning any desired presence. Doesn't leave any lingering cotton on the sides of the tongue that less refined wheat beers seem to do. (I realize many wheat beer fans might not want the style so clean - but I personally prefer this approach.)

In the interest of legitimating this review, I just tried Zombie Dust and found it slightly overrated (though certainly very good); this, on the other than, deserves the attention it gets. Anyway, believe the hype.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 07:27:09 | More by TheBigLebrewski

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

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass; no bottle dating, but was purchased recently. Pours lightly hazy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense white head with excellent retention, that reduces to a nice cap that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass, with some good streaming carbonation. Aromas of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon zest, orange zest, floral, pine, herbal, grass, and wheat. Damn nice aromas with good strength and hop/malt balance and complexity. Taste of pineapple, grapefruit, orange zest, lemon zest, floral, grass, pine, wheat, and herbal spiciness. Fair amount of floral bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pineapple, citrus zest, floral, grass, pine, wheat, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice amount of hop flavor and good complexity and balance; zero cloying flavors on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and crisp mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming on the finish. Overall this is an excellent pale wheat beer. Very nice hop flavor with good balance and complexity; extremely smooth and easy to drink. A highly enjoyable sessionable offering for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 05:59:20 | More by superspak