Saint Brewis

A St. Louis Craft Beer Blog

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Three Floyds Brewing Company – Gumballhead

Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Company
Location Munster, IN
Style American Wheat
 ABV 5.6%
 IBUs 35

 

Best Quote During Tasting

Every candle I have smells like that yankee shit.

Justin:

Aroma - A grapefruit hop aroma comes across nicely along with some white bread from the malt.  I may be picking up a smidge of diacetyl, too. 
Score: 9/12
Appearance -  A very light color, maybe straw to pale gold.  Not perfectly clear but close to it.  Thick bubbles maintain a thin, white head.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - The most prominent flavors are the fruity and citrus notes from the hops.  The malt comes across as bready/cracker-like and the balance is definitely toward those juicy hops.  No yeast character but there is that slight bit of diacetly again (not distracting and very low).
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel - Medium-high carbonation with medium-light body.  Finishes crisp.
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - Truth be told, this six pack was picked up for my wife while visiting the brewery.  I had my eyes set on hop bombs and chewy stouts, not some wheat beer.  However, after we got home and I had some of this one, I found myself wanting another one.  It's a little hoppy for the style but the choice of hops make it a good fit.  No matter your style preference, if you have a chance to try this one, do yourself a favor and give it a whirl because I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Score: 9/10

 

Blake:

Aroma -  Very fruity with a very strong presence of resiny hops. Not what'd you expect from a wheat beer at all.  It's very sweet with peach, melon, and citrus notes. The fruit and hop aromas overwhelm almost all of the normal wheat characteristics though. 
Score: 10/12
Appearance - Light yellow/gold with a nice white head. Minimal lacing. 
Score: 3/3
Flavor - This beer is sweet. You still get bitterness from the hops in the underlying flavors, but the first thing registered is sweetness. Once the sweetness dies off, you get plenty of the wheat characteristics with bread characteristics. 
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel -   Light to medium body with medium carbonation. Slightly dry finish. 
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - Truth be told I enjoy this one better than Alpha King, but I probably tend to lean to sweet flavors, which is why I enjoy this one so much. This one has a lot more going for it than most traditional wheat beers. Wheat beers like Blue Moon and Boulevard Wheat were my entry into craft beer over a decade ago, and I hardly ever drink them now because I'm so obsessed with my dark beers. However, if I were to have access to this beer more readily, I'd put it into rotation for sure.
Score: 9/10

 

Gumballhead Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.3
User Rating: 1.6 (14 votes)
Sending
Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

Comments

  2. This was my gateway beer into the FFF universe. Solid hoppy wheat! I’m a huge hop head and this started my downward spiral.

    Reply

  3. This is hands down my favorite every summer day beer… Which is crazy because I don’t typically like wheat beer. It is extremely smooth and has a very satisfying hoppy aroma and flavor. I love hops.. And the hop explosion from this brew makes me forget that this is a wheat brew.

    Reply

  4. Had this brew many times, and still cannot get into the ZD or this. I think the cult like following sorta deters me from enjoying this beverage. I find like most of FFF brews its a bit underwhelming, This American Pale Wheat ale was lost on me, I would reach for a Laugnitas Lil’ sumpin’ sumpin’ over this.. Cheers.

    Reply

    • I first had it at Three Floyds and wasn’t super impressed. I enjoyed it much more the second time around. Sometimes I have to remember to remove myself from the hype around certain beers.

      Reply

  5. This was my fiance’s gateway beer as well. It’s a nice, session able ale with a quality flavor. Would definitely recommend to someone who is getting into beer to try.

    Reply

  6. Gum all head is one of my favorite beers. Light a cud crisp wheat character with an awesome hop note that’s not to bitter

    Reply

  7. My second beer from 3 Floyds, followed within minutes of Zombie Dust at the brewery; I found Gumballhead to be lighter but still very flavorful. In the time since I first tried Gumballhead, I have grown to prefer Saisons/Farmhouse Ales as my go to brew. Gumballhead remains one of the beers that I absolutely must have stocked in my beer fridge.

    Reply

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