Booze Reviews: Three Floyds’ Gumball Head

2Aug/113

Three Floyds is a brewery that's been pumping out amazing beer since 1996. After 15 years of brewing they're kind of a big deal. “How Big?” you may ask. Well, their “Dark Lord' brew is widely regarded as one of the best beers in the world, is only available one day of the year, and is instantly resold at a premium by beer-scalping-pirates. I've not had it, but I'm considering selling my firstborn and using the proceeds to buy a case.

Anyway, I had occasion to visit their brewpub in Munster, Indiana not too long ago and I was not disappointed. The food was great, sure, but the beer was fantastic.The first beer I had was their Gumballhead, which is an American Wheat Ale that Three Floyds with the goal of making an American Wheat Ale that “doesn't suck.”. It was unlike any wheat ale I've ever had before. Namely, because of the hops. With a wheat beer, what you typically expect is a light malty flavor, sometimes with some fruit and occasionally (if you're into Belgian Ales) some living yeast flavors (which tends to add a kind of banana-esque flavor to the beer).

You don't usually expect the sweet citrus and bitterness that comes from an excess of hoppage in a wheat beer. But holy shit do the Floyd boys love their hops. I don't believe I have ever experienced a beer this hoppy before with the exception of a homebrewed Pale Ale my uncle gave me (and to be fair, that was a fucking hoppy beer). If your personal "Good Wheat Beer Equation" is: Good Wheat + Hops = AWESOME WHEAT BEER then you'll love Gumballhead.

He's totally gonna fuck that beer when you stop looking.

Their website says that the Gumball Head has grapefruit, lemon zest, marmalade, and peach, but all I was able to taste was the grapefruit and peach. Actually there was a fairly low bitterness for as many hops as were in it, which was definitely not what I was expecting from an extraordinarily hoppy beer. This can be said for almost any of the beers made by Three Floyds: if hops aren't your thing, then stay the fuck away. You might die. Seriously. Bottom line? It's a wheat ale that doesn't suck. Huzzah!

Our Rating: **** out of 5 (Buy It If You See It) www.3floyds.com