Three Floyds Gumballhead

Brewed by Three Floyds Brewing Company
Style: Wheat Ale
Munster, Indiana USA

Any time I can secure a Chicago Reader, I start with Section 4 and proceed directly to ’News of the Weird’, ’Life in Hell’ and ’Gumballhead the Cat’. The three of these always crack me up and let me get on with my day with a healthy dose of urban humor. (IMO, ’Ernie Pook’ has always sucked and is the sole downfall to the lineup. Bring back ’Zippy the Pinhead’!)

An average looking beer, with a typical amber body and a quick white head. But the aromas are what knock you on your ass, with a heavy dose of pine hops and "new leather smell". I thought that I might have gotten a mislabeled bottle (Alpha King?), but I later noticed the yeast which appeared as a few large chunks rather than as the cloudiness I’d expected from a wheat. Damn good citrus bitter flavors and a dry, biting finish.

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On tap at Map Room (Chicago). This cloudy yellow ale poured with a decent off-white head. The flavor is quite interesting - fairly hoppy with a candy-like taste and a sharp bite at the finish.

Clear golden body with a dense off-white head that sticks to the glass in big weeping sheets. The aroma is citurs hops,lemon. and some spiciness. No wheat detecable. The flavor is an intersting combo of citrus hops and nutty wheat malt. Very nice dry crisp finish complements the medium body. An oddball style wise but I really like it.

Thanks ucusty. Pours a hazy copper amber with a two finger creamy white head. The aroma is wheaty, sour, citrusy, slightly hoppy. Very citrusy, hoppy, I love amarillo hops, wheaty, a bit sour, yeasty, good flavor. Nice hop presence in a wheat. The palate is not too carbonated with a bit of a crispness from the hops. Citrusy finish.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Poured a hazy amber with an off-white head. Aroma of wheat, citrus, and hops. Flavor is bitter, citrus, wheat.

Bottle sampled with Beerded-one. Poured a hazy light amber with a small well retained off white head, smells of wheat, citrus, pine, and spice, the taste was hoppy, citrusy, a little sweetness, & bitterness. Excellent brew.

22oz bomber, no date, though I believe it’s from 2005. Pours a hazy golden with a moderate white head. Aroma of grapefruit and pine--like all 3F brews-- with some caramel malts and grassy sweetness. This tastes like it’s going to be an APA up front, but the bitterness never really kicks in. Lots of sweetness and grassy wheat in there to balance it out. Very good

A nice combination of an apricotty, hoppy pale and a light summer American style wheat. Not cloudy and thick or lemony like a German wheat, but clean and refreshing nonetheless! The signature hoppiness that I love from 3F with the slight biscuity (but not drying) touch that must be the wheat. I can't wait until we have some hot weather here, because this will be a perfect thirst quencher.