312 Urban Wheat - Goose Island Beer Co.

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.76/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy golden color. A rocky two-finger white head is formed; it doesn't have the best retention by any means.

S: Bland. Touches of lemon esters augment some faint noble hopping...and that's about it.

T: It starts with a bit of lemon, and ends with wheat malt flavors. This is really damn bland, though hardly a bad brew.

M: A bit too chalky on the palate - as such, it's not as drinkable as it could be.

O: Did I mention bland? Yeah. It's completely inoffensive though, so this wouldn't be a bad choice if the only other offerings were BMC (wait a minute...)

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 20:54:33 | More by ThisWangsChung

jeranbrews

New York

3.38/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

A - golden lemonade effervesant tons of puffy whit head and slight lacing.

S - sweet tarts slightly sour. Old honey that's crystallized.

T - sweet simple. Malts and a hint of banana peel. Uninspired.

M - a bit thin watery with a fuzzy finish

D - easy to drink. A bit sweet and not really remarkable, but easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 01:12:08 | More by jeranbrews

jjamadorphd

Florida

3.51/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lately I haven't had much success with the new beers I've been trying, but I know I like ales and 312 might just break my losing streak - thankfully it did.

Out of the bottle the beer pours cloudy but bright yellow, very appealing actually. The head was thin, short-lived, but it was bright white and the lacing was thick and long-lasting. I smelled a strong odor of wheat (not surprising) but with a hint of sweetness to it (very surprising). Mouthfeel was good, sloshing around the mouth with just the right amount of carbonation The taste was decent - the wheat was definitely there, no sweetness, but it had that distinct strong taste with these types of ales. Overall, a better than average beer that I will be partaking of soon enough.

(Remember, if you drink don't drive, and if you're gonna drive, for cryin' out loud, please don't drink - stay safe.)

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 22:26:08 | More by jjamadorphd

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.35/5  rDev -31.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle purchased from Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA.

Pours a mildly hazed pale lemon yellow hue, with a reasonably frothy, messy head of white. Lacing is smudged in insect-like patterns. Body is extremely light and the carbonation streams through it at the speed of sound. I like the colour, and the haze is appropriate, but it does look like it's going to be a pretty light-on brew.

Nose is extremely weak. Faint wheaty grain characters and a slightly sweet lemon character, but very little else. Some crushed flour when it's swirled, and perhaps a slightly yeasty note: but not the pleasant phenols that would come from a German wheat beer yeast. This just smells dull and tired.

Taste is light and clean, but, hard to ignore it: dull. Faint carbonic bite, some very watered down lemon, and that's about it. It has about as much character as mineral water that has been in the same room as an uncut lemon.

Feel is light and empty, with a slight spritz from the carbonation.

Overall: it's sluggable, but it has so little flavour I wonder what's the point. I really don't want to say that there's only a minimal advantage in drinking this over Bud, but... I guess I just insinuated that anyway. Let's leave it at that.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 03:39:06 | More by lacqueredmouse

ehammond1

California

3.53/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On Tap

Angels Stadium of Anaheim
Anaheim, CA

Pale yellow. Slightly hazed. Sticky. Appropriate and pretty.

Sweet bread notes, and just a bit of citrus character.

Sweet bread, pale malts, a tiny bit of citrus. Moderate bitterness.

Medium bodied with fairly high carbonation.

Easy-drinking beer for at a baseball game. No complaints.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2013 21:11:07 | More by ehammond1

Hibernator

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat
12 oz brown bottle
Bottled 03/13/13
Served in a hotel glass

* #900 Beer Review *

I picked up a 6 pack of 312 Urban Wheat at a Trader Joe's close to our hotel after a nice record shopping experience at Jazz Record Mart.

Pours a cloudy mustard yellow with a bleach white head on top. Nice trails of sticky lacings cling to the side of the glassware.

A very clean and somewhat creamy profile. This beer has a dry finish and a hint of citrus flavors on the finish, mainly lemon or lime.

A drinkable and refreshing beer during our first day in Chicago when temperatures hit 80+.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 21:09:21 | More by Hibernator

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Since I hate wheat ales, I put off trying this for a long time. Nothing like a free tick to change that up.

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. It certainly is smooth and consistent. But the wheat character is pretty mild and almost seems like a cross between a wheat ale and a blonde. Easy drinker, for sure. Not overly interesting. Though I am sure they were appealing to the easy drinking mass market.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 20:41:13 | More by RblWthACoz

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.49/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter

A: Hazy gold. Almost no head or bubbles. Not much lacing.

S: Floral, wheaty

T: Smooth, sweet, light, refreshing. The wheat characteristics come though. A slight, hoppy finish.

M: Light to medium. Somwhat frothy.

O: Average, not too exciting. I hear it's better on draft. Sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 19:10:21 | More by brewskifan55

DoubleJ

California

4.08/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Getting that 312 feeling. From a 12 ounce bottle, on to the beer:

It's modestly cloudy with a somewhat paler yellow color in the body, only to be topped by a thick billowy white head which retains very well. Glops of lace hang around the glass as the beer level drops. The aroma smells almost like a spring day; there's a sweetness snap from crisp wheat, nicely played grasiness, and an edge of lemon.

312 Urban Wheat doesn't try to do too much. It's relatively simple, yet offers a great combination of refreshment and flavor while others of the style offer just the former. A snap of wheat hits and it brings along a lemon note too. Grass notes hit, and paired with the tight crisp carbonation makes for a great sensation.

It isn't often that I praise an American Pale Wheat Ale. With that in mind, it's even more impressive how I perceived 312 Urban Wheat. This is a definate pickup for warmer weather.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 00:19:52 | More by DoubleJ

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.79/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a lightly hazed golden yellow color with a big and billowy white head. The head has a great level of retention, slowly fading to leave a nice level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is of a grainy wheat smell with a strong hint of a lemon citrus and some sweeter fruit aromas of an orange nature. Mixed with all these are some aromas of a yeasty and grassy aroma as well.

Taste- The taste begins with a smooth bready flavor upfront. As the taste moves on, more grainy wheat flavors come to the tongue with some of the citrus detected in the nose coming to the tongue as well. The citrus is quite light however and is much less then would have been detected in the nose. The little bit of lemon and wheat flavors are soon joined by some grassy hop and more yeasty flavors in the end, leaving a rather smooth and crisp wheat bread flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The body of the beer is on the slightly lighter side in its thickness with a carbonation level that is on the average side. The thinner body is nice for keeping it a refreshing brew while the medium carbonation is good for balancing the drinkability with the nice grainy flavors.

Overall – A rather refreshing and quite nice drinking brew. It has a nice light body with a good blend of grainy wheat and light grassy and citrus flavors to make for a good session brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 00:55:29 | More by Darkmagus82

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

35.5cl bottle: BBD 27 Aug 2013. Poured into a 'Coors' Banquet flute at home on 2 Apr 2013.

Light golden hazy body with a full head of snow white bubbles on top, loads of carbonisation bubbles on the side of the glass and rising through the brew to replenish the head.

Lemon and other citrusy notes hit the nose, mixed with some yeastiness and hints of clove. Nothing overly strong, but combined they add up to an interesting aroma.

The taste follows the smell: citrus, yeasty, with some herb/spice characteristics to give the beer extra flavour.

I am not a big fan of wheat beers, or citrusy flavoured ales: this however blended the two nicely together and I quite enjoyed the experience.

Lively, crisp and refreshing: not bad at all, a summer drink though.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 18:50:42 | More by BlackHaddock

tronester

Oklahoma

3.51/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear yellow, with a thin white head. Smells like fresh grain. Taste begins with a dry cracker flavor, then some more grain, then a clean zesty hop finish. Mouthfeel is pretty good. Overall a pretty good beer, though a bit bland. For unfiltered, the beer is remarkably clear and there is no sediment in the bottle. Maybe a good beer to introduce to someone who is used to light lagers?

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 00:45:56 | More by tronester

BigDaddyJohn

South Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Had one at a social function and was pretty pleased (maybe it was partly due to the great atmosphere) so I decided to grab a sixer and give it a full review:
Bottled on date: 1/4/13...(nearly 3 mths old as of this rating) will get fresher batch next time
Look: Golden yellow hazy appearance as expected due to advertised unfiltered brew
Lacing: Thin but holds on longer than you would expect.
Smell: lemon hits ya upfront, herbal aroma slides in a bit later
Taste: lemon to the taste buds and nose as you taste it. Crisp enough with more carbonation that I prefer. Nice bite
Mouthfel: above average, nothing big to report here.

Overall: I'm not the world's biggest American Wheat Ale fan but did enjoy. I will drink again but at $9 a sixer, I won't go out of my way to keep it in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 20:38:50 | More by BigDaddyJohn

KidsDoc

California

3.05/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Finally grabbed one just for all the random hype now many months after the AB-Inbev buyout. This one brewed in Fort Collins.

Looks appealing with the small floaties expected for an unfiltered brew. Golden/straw color with thin bubbly white lacing.

Aroma: fairly bland - thought I had poured a Coors or MGD. Get some earthy grains, bready scents.

T: underwhelming wheat presence with more of a mild pale ale flavor. Hints of lemon, faint orange peel along a broader biscuity backbone. Expecting more full-on wheat for an unfiltered ale

M: medium to light with oily/slick finish

Expecting more flavor from an unfiltered wheat. I would prefer this brew over many generic offerings out there, but given the many options available that go well above and beyond in the wheat category, I will pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 05:33:36 | More by KidsDoc

Chiefy770

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle into a Weizen glass.

A: Light gold, hazy body topped off with a modest fluffy head. The head wears down to a thin, foamy lace.

S: A lemon/citrus scent dominates the overall nose of the beer. Grainy notes traces of herbs also break through.

T: A fairly tart lemon-driven taste is present on the first sip. Notes of bitterness from the hops even out the lemon taste and leave a pleasantly dry finish.

M: Light body with enough carbonation to make it a smooth and refreshing beer.

Overall: I generally recommend this beer to people. It's refreshing and non-offensive. It's worth a try, I like this in the summer. It also compliments fish and white meat well.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 02:42:05 | More by Chiefy770

HalfFull

California

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a new mix-o-case at Costco, brewed at AB in New York. 12 oz. pry off bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a hazy golden straw with a rich white cap of foam. Moderate retenion on the foam and light lace follow. Very light in color like a beech wood tone yet with a hint of amber.

Nose is wheaty up front and with an odd lemon character. A bit of exposure does mellow the smell and lessen the initially artificial lemon component to yield a pleasant wheat and hop nose.

Taste is simple with lemon bread up front, a smooth bready finish and again a flash of lemon on the aftertaste. Feel is light as expected given a 4.2% brew yet with enough of a grainy texture to keep it from being too thin. Wheat and lemony hop spice concludes a sip.

Easy drinking, light and sessionable. Not really memorable in a good nor a bad way. Basically Squirt with a few ABV's in the mix.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 03:55:35 | More by HalfFull

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.45/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Celebrator pokal. Pours a hazy light golden amber with a half finger white head that dissipates to a thick film with a ring around the glass. Aroma of wheat, bready malt and a hint of banana. Flavor of grassy hops, biscuit malt, wheat. Closer in taste to a light pilsner than a wheat beer. Light bodied. Pleasant, but would have liked a bit more wheat character, this leaned towards a light standard ale in flavor. Finished the glass and enjoyed it, but would probably not buy this if I was in the mood for a wheat ale again.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 23:50:56 | More by LiquidAmber

HopsGoblin

California

3.78/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Okay, let me say that I absolutely hate what happened to Goose Island. However, I completely understand from a business perspective that at some point you need to make some $.

That being said I am glad that their stuff is now being a little more widely distributed. The 312 Urban Wheat is a good beer in its class. The only draw back is you have to swig it quick or it does get a little funky on the end.

I do hope they continue to put out good product without compromising during the process. Great beer for the desert heat and make sure to serve COLD!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 04:07:09 | More by HopsGoblin

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.71/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

So excited that GI is distributed here now. Stopped by First Street for a pint of this after work. Poured into a tall 312 weizen glass.

A murky pale gold with a small white head on top. Good retention and decent spotty lace left behind. The nose is sweet and bready. Honey biscuits, grains, and a kiss of lemon zest.

Creamy feel. Good carbonation smack on the finish. Wheat, straw, mild spices, pale citrus, apple. A simple tasty beer. I couldn't see myself having multiples of these at a time, but a decent refreshing beer anyways.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2013 18:16:34 | More by Onenote81

silverking

Florida

3.66/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A- Hazy gold with a white head. Minimal lacing, but head retention is nice.

S- grainy, with hints of banana and citrus.

T- Pretty light. Wheat with some tart citrus. The finish shows some floral hops with a very light bitterness.

M- It's light and easy drinking with crisp carbonation.

O- Eh, not overly impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:35:01 | More by silverking

RyanTeeter

New York

2.93/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

a: Foggy appearance yet decent head. Dissipated quickly however.

s: Light smell, grassy with a sweet undertone. Not overwhelming nor underwhelming.

t: Cannot knock the beer too much however could definitely taste sour/skunk notes due to having a born on date that was 7 months past. Looking beyond that, grassy malts certainly stand out with a light sweet undertone. Decent to the taste however not much left after you swallow.

m: Weak in this area - very possibly due to the older nature of the product.

o: I would love to sample this ale just after produced to see how much I am missing by drinking an older one. Make sure to pay attention to the label and I have overlooked as the sour taste really took away from the enjoyment of this beer. I tried to rate this product without taking that into consideration as I do not want to hold Goose Island responsible.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:21:39 | More by RyanTeeter

fx20736

New York

3.19/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass, served at fridge temp.

Hazy lemon yellow with crazy amounts of carbonated bubbles. Towering, thick, white head. Nice lacing.

aroma: Pilsener like aroma of pale malt and Noble Hops, some lemon rind citrus.

mouthfeel is full.

taste: quite Pilsener-like with clean maltiness, fragrant Hops and a citric sourness.

notes: maybe I had a bad bottle. maybe my taste buds were off from the big Indian dinner I had but this one was sour and not enjoyable, my first bad experience with a Goose Island beer. I am going to give them the benefit of doubt and will try again and revise my review if necessary. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:28:43 | More by fx20736

TheSixthRing

California

3.48/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a hazy, pale straw yellow with a white half finger head. Fair retention. Thin film of bubbles sit atop the surface, more so clinging around the edge of the glass. Lacing is spotty with little stick.

Smell - wheaty aroma, with faint traces of lemon and banana.

Taste - Wheat dominates the profile from start to finish. Mild lemon zest mid-taste. Ghostly banana esters. Finish is crisp and wheaty.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium in body. Crisp carbonation. Somewhat watery finish.

Overall - A decent American wheat. Nothing off-putting, but nothing great, either. Session friendly, but there are several wheat brews I can think of that I'd rather session.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 22:45:20 | More by TheSixthRing

shand

Florida

3.76/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've gotta say, I'd be lying if I wasn't excited to try this. 312 is one of the most popular crafts in the Northeast, and I haven't had a chance to try it yet. There's gotta be some reason it's popular! It pours out a hazy yellow-golden color with a head that retains very well. The aroma is a citrus and wheat affair, with a light touch of citrus hoppiness. The taste is very nice, it manages to do a smooth wheat and citrus thing, but minus the graininess that often accompanies this flavor profile. I like grainy flavors, don't get me wrong, but this is a nice switch-up that really makes the beer seem delicate. There's also a nice subtle hop character that adds just a touch of spiciness. The mouthfeel is spot-on, this beer goes down way too easy. I really love trying a region's "gateway crafts," they're almost always very well-made if not especially to the average BA's taste. 312 is a solid and extremely drinkable wheat. I think we'll make good friends over the summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 17:03:34 | More by shand

acevenom

Louisiana

3.84/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a tulip glass. Pours cloudy golden with a thick white head. There are some visible bubbles rising in the glass. The beer smells of barley and wheat malt with some light citrus. The taste follows the nose. I get the barley and wheat as well as the citrus. There's just a touch of back end bitterness. The body is medium with moderate carbonation. The beer is smooth and refreshingly drinkable. This is a straightforward, yet very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:12:02 | More by acevenom