Gumballhead - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

Star80

Illinois

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

Hmm. Where do I start? First off I must admit that I was a fan of Skin Graft records long before Gumballhead was even bottled. Rob Syers (Gumballhead the Cat) and Mark Fisher (Hot Satan) have always been some of my favorite comic book superheroes. That said, the beer itself lives up to it's name. The beer pours a clear gold color with a fluffy white head from the malted wheat. The lacing clings to the glass. The smell is quite citric with a lemony zest to it and also reminds me a little of tangerine. The taste is more balanced. Definitely has those signature Three Floyd malts which remind me of cotton candy. Mouthfeel is just right for a wheat ale. Very drinkable, though for the price I wish it had a little more a.b.v.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2005 23:55:53 | More by Star80

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pale yellow with visible particulate, a dense, lumpy white head, and tumultuous CO2. Gumballhead imparts a bright wheat aroma and a modest tart flavor with a piquant edge. The taste is clean and bears a slight resemblance to lemon tea. For this reason I might recommend a lemon compliment.

Notable for its impressive lace and sustained head retention. Special thanks to cmaruschak.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2005 23:17:19 | More by RedDiamond

piwodevo

Illinois

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

with no further ado, gumballhead returns. This incarnation (just released today) is stripped clean, filtered a bright High Life straw color with a thin white head that still manages to lace the glass. The aroma is classic 3F. Amarillo! Malt is barely discernable in the aroma, slightly more so in the flavor. The hops carry this beer. If you're not a hop fan, steer clear, because that's what this beer is all about. The flavor is all hops, the wheat and malt have to be there SOMEWHERE, but my attention turns to that aromatic and just plain dreamy hoppiness. TASTY.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2005 02:11:13 | More by piwodevo

Hefe

Maryland

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

22oz. Bomber with no freshness date that I could discern. Poured into a weizen glass.

The beer fills the glass with hazy golden goodness topped with a pillowy 2 inch white head. Nice yeasty, wheaty aroma, with banana, papaya, and a floral hop nose. Fresh and sprightly in the mouth without sacrificing body. Wheat and tropical fruits mostly with a subtle hoppiness and a dash of lemon on the finish. Creamy and finely carbonated, excessively drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2005 02:47:28 | More by Hefe

LuckySevens82

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle
Pours a cloudy golden straw color into a Schneider Weiss wheat beer glass. A very nice, 2 finger, dense white head tops this one. Carbonation abounds and crawls its way up the sides of the glass.
Smell is very pale malts, wheat, banana, clove, of couse some bubble gum, and hops.
Taste is very crisp. Banana, wheat, clove dominate. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of this beer I think is how hoppy it is. Hops are very nice and do their best not to dominate the other intricate flavors of the beer, which they do not.
I must admit, I don't normally like American Wheat Beers, but this is outstanding! A fine example. I would try it again if I had access.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2005 01:37:28 | More by LuckySevens82

trancefishy

Colorado

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

well, this one has been buried in the cellar for a while, oops. i'm sure it's still fine.

appearance: yellow. not much of a head.

aroma; pinetrees and lemon drops, hops hops hops, and something "extra"

taste. hops again, surprise surprise. these are the ones that are really bright, acidic, and taste like tart lemons and pine trees. there is some fruity sweetness hiding behind all those hops. there is also this really weird taste. it was much more dominant in the fresher version, and seems to have subsided a bit in this one (6 months old or so). cherimoya, that is it. it tastes like cherimoya fruit. this beer has an excellent flavour balance. just flows from one end to the other, with lots goign on in between, but not overly complicated. very juicy tasting. oh yes, i like this a lot.

mouthfeel is great, yum yum, good body.

this puppy is well crafted. oh yeah, drinkability is really good. certainly a unique brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2005 03:43:54 | More by trancefishy

cracker

Pennsylvania

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

This beer is very unusual for a wheat beer and probably doesn't fit the style guidelines at all. But that being said it is probably as good if not better than most 'wheat beers' out there.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow with no head and little lace. Smells of citrus and pine trees. Taste is very lemony with a hint of honey and apricots. Doesn't have any of the clove and banana taste that most wheat beers seem to have. I'd say it resembles more an american pale ale in that the aroma and bittering hops hit you in the face but the subtleties of the wheat do come through. Extremely drinkable and a definitely a great summer brew. No wonder this beer is so sought after.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2005 22:57:42 | More by cracker

sabrills70

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a slightly hazy medium gold with very little head and almost non existant lace. Smells of aromatic hops and some slight citrus wheat malt. Taste is unique for an American wheat, that is to say it is more heavily hopped than the typical but it is wonderful. A very crisp, clean hop presence that finishes with some nice lemony overtones. It does not leave an overwhelming hop aftertaste (I am not a hop head). Very nicely balanced and huge drinkability. I will, with out a doubt pick up some more for the summertime. An excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2005 01:59:09 | More by sabrills70

pezoids

Pennsylvania

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

Well now. I am witnessing perfection. It is in a glass right in front of me. Not perfect in respect to beer guidelines, or style specifications. It’s just friggin’ perfect! Believe me, I know of FFFs’ propensity to over-hop anything that travels through their tanks, but this is working for me big time - The floral and piney hoppiness that comes out of this beer is so soft and matches so well with the rest of the beer. There's also touches of apricot and clover honey. This beer is very light in color – pale and golden, with a slight haziness making an appearance after the 2nd pour, due to the rousing of the yeast. The initial pour and tasting was from a perfectly lucid beer. The wheat malt lays a perfectly sweet foundation for those floral gummy hops. Not too sweet or too hoppy by any means. Any bitterness is beaten down with a sweet wheat malt stick. The finish is clean and has just the right amount of sour tang. It seems like most hefs’ have an abundance of sourness. It’s not a bad thing, but the tempered sourness in this beer, along with the hops, made drinking this beer an extremely enjoyable experience. Perfection…

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2005 03:34:17 | More by pezoids

Dithyramb

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased the bomber the other day from Wells in Baltimore. Has the same labeling as pictured, with no born on or freshness dating.
Pours a cloudy yellow gold with a tight white lacing. Nice lines of big bubbles on the sides of the glass.
Nice hoppy aroma that was very citrus (oranges) and light pine mixed with wheaty malt
Big mix of flavors. Initially sugary sweet, then with a rush of piney hops. Detected a very fruit like flavor half way through that made me think of peaches or star fruit.
Medium body though the hops and carbonation tingle the tongue and it goes down creamy and smooth. Some lingering sweetness and/or hop bitterness, depending on the swig. Tasty and worth another.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2005 17:53:23 | More by Dithyramb

santoslhalper

Pennsylvania

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

Appearence: Pours a brilliant orange with a wonderfully placed white head.

Smell: This is possibly the best smelling beer I've had to date. The hops are perfect. Wow.

Taste and Mouthfeel: The taste has a suprising pilsener type quality to it at first. The hops really bite first and mellow out at the end. The bready maltiness really clings in the aftertaste. The taste is not as powerful and brilliant as the smell would make you think, but still a great tasting beer. The mouthfeel is full and firm.

Drinkability and Overall: This is an obvious summer beer, but I just happened to acquire one in a trade (thank you PatYoda!!). While this may not have been the freshest sample in the world, it was still excellent. The best part was the smell, but I'd have to say the initial hop bite is the only thing that turned me off.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2005 22:49:32 | More by santoslhalper

mattcrill

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 22 oz. bottle. Cool looking smoking cat on the front. Not sure I understand why but it's kind of funny. Just read the side of the bottle...apparently, it's a comic hero.

Appearance: Pours a clear pale golden color with a slightly clouding middle section. A crusty white head caps the top of this lovely looking beer.

Smell: Fresh flowery hops smell is the dominate characteristic. A little hint of alcohol is noted as the beer is agitated.

Taste: Just a flash of wheat/yeast taste before the hops start to take over. A nice, lightly hopped pine presence throughout the sip. Hints of orange and grapefruit bounce around but don't dominate. There isn't much in the way of wheat going on here which is good for me. I'm definitely enjoying the piney and citrusy aspects of this beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with a nice crisp finish. A nice balance of carbonation that makes the palate dance.

Drinkability: I can see this being a nice summer beer. It's loaded with character but not so dominating that it couldn't be a session.

Notes: Not a big fan of wheat beers but I don't think this one quite fits the bill. It seems more like a straight up APA to me. That being said, it's a fabulous beer that I would recommend to anyone. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2005 20:45:41 | More by mattcrill

Quaffer

Nevada

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle. Not available here in Wichita.

Appearance: This beer was a glowing, hazy amber-orange color. I was quite a bit darker than I was expecting it to be. The white head rose up easily and became dense as it quickly dissipated. There was a very heavy bead that sustained a nice, thick cap of sticky foam over the beer for most of the drink. Tons of lacing.

Smell: Juicy, citrus hops dominated the aroma. Not something that I am used to smelling in a wheat beer. There were some light undertones of wheat, lemon, and roasted malts, but the hops by far overpowered these.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a bit of chewiness to it. Very smooth for the style.

Taste: It took a few drinks to get used to the idea of a hopped up wheat beer. Sour lemon and citrus hops kicked in first. The hops were present more in the flavor than in any bitterness, though they did provide some of the latter. Sweet grasses and roasted malts arose in the middle. The finish was when the wheat really kicked in. Big and chewy, it lingered well into the aftertaste where it mingled with a mild hops bitterness and the aforementioned sweet grasses.

Very nice and very different. It took some time to wrap my head around the concept of a wheat beer with this much hops presence. Not much time, though :-)

Thanks for the bottle, Rob!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2005 23:04:32 | More by Quaffer

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

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

so this is what wheat beer should taste like...


I cracked a 22oz of this while brewing a batch of belgian trappist ale. This beer is so freakin cool it is scary. The whole time you are drinking it, you think that it is an APA but then you switch back to thinking it is a wheat beer. The hops definatelymix well with the wheat and produces a wonderful sweet finish. The appearance is golden and there is tiny particles of pulp free-floating in the glass. I had some spicy chinese while drinking this and it was a perfect compliment. This beer is by far, one of the best session beers that I have had. And by the way, the label is so bad-ass!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2005 01:34:02 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

GClarkage

California

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

01/08/05- Received in trade from fellow BA member Meathookjones.

Presentation- 22oz bomber with no date. Possibly my favorite bottle design to date. Funky looking cat or something smoking a cigarette. Then there is a cartoon of a cat riding a motorcycle on the side. Hysterical! Poured into my Red Tail Ale pint glass.

Appearance- Almost DIPA appearance. Semi-cloudy yellow-orange color. Nice thick creamy 1 inch head and better than expected lacing.

Smell- Huh? I smell hops! Hops in a wheat beer?!?! Damn, it smells freakin good! A bit of spices and some muted fruit scent in the background. Overall it's mosty pine hops though.

Taste- Wow! Is this an IPA/Hefe? Whatever it is it's pretty darn phenomonal. A hoppy wheat beer, who'd have thought? Not a heavy hop presense, but more than enough to throw your taste buds for a loop. A nice added touch of candied sweetness also. And at the same time that typical bit of nice yeast flavor that most wheat beers are known for.

Mouthfeel- This beer keeps getting better. Because of the sweetness, it feels fairly creamy. Almost mouthwatering. The carbonation is much lower than normal wheat beers. Thus it makes it oh so easy to drain.

Drinkability- If I had easy access to this beer I would have a case on hand at all times. A true taste experience. So much flavor in this beer. Thank you so much Meathookjones for this sample. Truly an all time great one.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2005 21:25:22 | More by GClarkage

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A top 10% beer for me. An easy drink with lower than average alcohol. Just a great taste and wonderful grapefuit aroma. The wheat, some nice complementary spice and beautifully hopped. Too big a bottle to finish on my own, but I can drink this anywhere anytime. Medium mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2004 03:39:43 | More by northyorksammy

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

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

This beer poured a hazy, peach-amber color with white foam that settled. The smell was fruity and aromatic with some spice and peppery hops. The taste was spicy and hoppy and peppery and fruity (melon?) with hints of wheat and a hoppy finish. A taste like no other American Wheat beer that I have tried. The mouthfeel was smooth with medium body and moderate carbonation. The hops lingered in the finish. This was a very nice wheat ale!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 03:50:49 | More by UncleJimbo

lungboy

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

As a general rule I would not choose a wheat beer. I usually taste circus peanut and fake banana even in the most subtle of brews. Gumball head, however, is like a punk rocker in a Laura Ashley mall-outlet store when it comes to this category. I want to watch it rip the living hell out of the pastel bunting and fling poo on the marbled wallpaper facades.

This beer has a sturdy astringent backbone sinewed with sweet and hearty muscle that has been arrived at honestly. No high-altitude/HGH treatments here. I drank a 22oz. bomber and really look forward to the next. This is not a wheat beer. Yeah, it was made with wheat, but if you put a lemon in it, I wouldn't be surprised if it gave you a black eye.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2004 02:25:22 | More by lungboy

RBorsato

Virginia

4.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Clear bright gold with a nice off white head and subdued carbonation. Huge citrusy flowery hop aroma and flavor. A very nice American Pale Ale with lots of fruits: mostly apples with grapefruit and lemons. Light bodied and refreshing with a lightly bitter finish and a bit lemony.

An awesome hoppy wheat !!

Per label: "Red Wheat and boat loads of Amarillo hops"

(22 oz. bottle)

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2004 18:54:02 | More by RBorsato

clvand0

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This one was aged only a few months. It poured an amber color with a fluffy white head that dies off after a few minutes. The aroma was very hoppy - some kind of a grapefruit character in the hops. The flavor is quite a bit hoppy as well, with a pine feel. There is a bit of malt character, but this doesn't really fit the category that it's in. Not a bad beer, but it's not what I expected.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2004 13:03:42 | More by clvand0

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

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

Well, fellow BA Goz was kind enough to share a bottle of this with us yesterday at our BA fest meeting, and I finally got to try some. This is the least wheat beer like wheat beer I have ever tried, but the aroma seemed pretty consistent with what can be expected from Three Floyds. And I Iike that abv! Anyway clear golden when poured, no head (I didn't see any in anyone else's glass either). Heady hop aroma, full of spun sugar and cinnamon. Taste wise, it starts out as a typical hoppy 3F's (I am thinking about dreadnaught)...the one thing that reveals it's wheat moniker in my opinion is that it finishes light, as opposed to bitter or syurpy. Very enjoyable, especially if you appreciate candied hops.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2004 17:35:53 | More by PatandDavid

karengarys

Indiana

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

I'm glad they are finally bottling this stuff...

Pours rich amber, slightly hazy. Leaves a very fluffy rocky white 1 finger head. It LOOKS like it has a lot of character.

Smells great. Crisp, hoppy, perhaps grapefruit rind, with a slight sweetness I can't place.

Mouthfeel: The epitome of what I think mouthfeel should be. Very dry and crisp and fizzy and creamy. It remains crisp throughout the drink.

Taste: I'm not a wheat fan, but I love this stuff. I'm not a hophead either, but this is very hoppy - but the hop is of a style that isn't bitter, but rather very dry. It gives it a very clean taste. The flavor then includes more grapefruit rind, other citrus. A few other hints I can't make out. Spice? Bread? Grass? I can't tell, but it is faint.

Finish: Clean. The bitterness fades into a dry sweetness that leaves no aftertaste, and a slight thirst (for more!).

I could drink this all day. If I could afford a kegerator, I would get it soley to have this beer on tap at my home. Yes, it is a summer beer, but I like it so much I would drink it year 'round. ....I guess it isn't available in the winter, though - so robert the bruce would have to fill in that gap.... I'll stop dreaming now.

If you are lucky enough to see this beer on the shelf, please try one. If you want more, hurry back because I understand the supply is limited.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2004 00:36:26 | More by karengarys

Boilermaker88

California

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

Presented in a 22oz bomber and poured into one of my hefeweizen glasses. Gumballhead had a lightly hazy honey color with a rapidly diminishing white head and some random large clots of carbonation.
The smell had a dominant lemon and pine aroma that was really appealing. It clearly outpaced the modest wheat and malt nose lurking underneath all that citrusy scent. The taste was definitely an American wheat beer, just amped up on hops. The juicy citrus flavor and more moderate pine taste melded with a lightly honeyed malt and spice for a delicious take on wheat beers. There was a nice perky tartness I couldn't pin down that further added to the brew's complexity. The feel was medium/light in body, dry, crisp and clean.
Gumballhead is far and away the best American wheat beer I've tried. It had just the right balance. I've got one left and I doubt it will survive the first quarter of tonight's MNF game. Big thanks to qarre for the hook-up!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2004 18:40:54 | More by Boilermaker88

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

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

22oz bomber. A dreary golden color with a fantastic white head atop that refuses to die. The aroma is powerful, complex, and simply put, great. Just a touch of wheat in the nose, yielding more of a piney hop aroma and fresh citrus fruits. This is a wheat beer right? Upon sipping it, I am reminded of this fact. The aroma is deceiving from the flavor, and I must say I did expect a bit more complexity in the taste. Wheat malts and a pleasant, lingering sweetness are the story here. Mouthfeel is slightly dry, crisp, and extremely refreshing. One of the best session beers ever I am guessing, and one of the most unique beers of its kind. Very impressive.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2004 01:24:47 | More by IrishRedRock

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a big ole double duece bottle that touts an odd humourous cartoon character cigarette smoker.

Odd hazy unfiltered pour with plenty of yeast scrod chunks suspended in the brew. THe head that settles quickly to a halo ring pour into a pint glass. Ivory white scattered lace is left over.

Stringent "make my nose pucker" hops dry aroma, lemon hard candy malt twinge.

First swigs: Lemon Starburst candy dusty bitter malts & hops shiver pucker. Medium slick finish lemon rind. Dry aftertaste. Honey in the middle of the finish.

Light to medium body rather drinkable.

Last swigs: A bit one dimensional, but over, a malty pucker lemony hops brew that is extremely flavorful.

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2004 04:49:29 | More by blitheringidiot