Three Floyds Gumballhead

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

funky nose, got me excited. spicey piney, a bit musty, really crazy. spicey the whole way with a bit of hops. damn good

Dark golden, slightly hazy with some little yeast floaties. Massive light brown head. Big hop aroma is slightly sweet with a candyish, toffee quality. The dry wheat flavor takes a back seat to the slightly agressive hop character, giving a nice balance to the citric stickiness. Tingly, slightly carbonated mouthfeel. Wheat comes out in all its glory in the finish. A unique take on the style, and one that I really enjoyed. IWA (Imperial Wheat Ale) anyone?

Clear gold-copper, slightly off whitish head leaves nice lacing. Nose is distinctly non-wheaty, primarily quite hoppy and somewhat citric, far more like an IPA or even an IIPA than a wheat of any sort. Flavor is also quite IPA-ish, certainly loads of hops, some toasty malts at end, sweet and sticky. There’s a bit more of a sweetness to it in the background than most IPAs, but this, while quite good, doesn’t taste anything like a wheat beer. Can we just call it a wheat IPA and get over it?

Golden yellow color. Hazy after the pour but quickly clearing. No head. Attractive citrus aroma, smooth refreshing palate. Mild citrus flavor. This didn’t have that off-putting wheat character that I can’t stand. This was delicious and very easy drinking. Easily my favorite wheat.

We all have our favorites in life; and for me when it comes to beer it’s 3 Floyds. The offerings from these master brewers never fail to hit the spot. Gumballhead is no exception. Just writing this rating is making me thirsty. Nose of grapefruit & lime, I really couldn’t smell the wheat - just primarily citrus. Pours a hazy clover honey. The large white rocky & sticky head is very stiff, fully lasting and leaves behind great lace. The flavor is both very pleasant & very refreshing. Finally I taste a wheat offering with some balls. Good balance & depth, moderate acidity; the finish is mostly lemon citrus zing. The light body is soft and dry. These guys at 3 Floyds just don’t fuck around! They are so ahead of the curve.

Hazy golden color with a large white head. The aroma was full of citrus...particularly grapefruit, with a sweet character in the background...bubblegum, ashes, and toasted wheat. The flavor was wonderfully balanced between the aggressive citrus hop tones and the sweeter wheat tones. Lively, crisp feel with a semi-dry finish. Wonderful American Wheat! Thanks BBB63.

2004 bottle. Pours a moderately deep copper-orange with some light red tints, must be from the wheat. Good off-white head, mostly disipating. Slight haze from the yeast injection, but quite filtered other than that. Aroma of light citrus, from the dominant amarillo hops. Light nectarine, tangerine and honey notes as well as a dry wheatiness. Flavor starts out with light grapefruit, sweet and succulent fresh hops, plenty of light malt sweetness. Great amount of hard red wheat flavor on the finish, with tons of grassy tones. The malt is tremendously well represented, creating a wonderful backbone to match the loads of amarillos in here. Finish is wheaty, grassy and lightly bitter, mostly dry. Medium to medium-full body, with some thinning as it warms. Yeast apparency is very low and while everything else in this beer screams #1 american wheat beer I’ve tried, ultimately Bell’s Oberon imparts an aggressive yeastiness that adds another layer of complexity, lacking in the gumbalhead. Granted Oberon uses a German yeast, so it is a partially-unfair comparison. But yeast or no yeast, the highly unfiltered nature of Oberon in the bottle puts it a notch above Gumbalhead.

This brew pours with a golden body topped by a thin white head with some lacing. The aroma is sweet yet bitter and hoppy with nice citrus notes and a little grass. Nice aroma...different for a wheat beer. The flavor is sweet and fruity with a little citrus, some grass and a little bitter hoppiness. Light to medium bodied and dry.