Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Wheat Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

Tap @ Bandera in Chicago, very clear (unfiltered?), pale yellow, no lacing. Minor aroma and even less on the taste, high in carbonation. Some sort of earthy aftertaste; general not appealing and very disappointing for GI...

12 oz bottle

Goose Island generally makes solid beers but this is very disappointing. It is not a terrible beer but once again the first word that came to mind after I was done was ’mediocre’. While it is totally inoffensive that means all potential for enjoyment has been sucked out of it. This is a beer that you could hand to a non-beer geek friend, let him drink out the bottle and they would probably enjoy it. On the other hand, if you are looking for a standout beer check elsewhere.

Aroma / Appearance - An opaque golden body sits in the glass with a disappointingly minimal amount of carbonation. Muted grains, a faint yeastiness and dull malt profile form a very safe nose that goes out of its way to not offend even the weakest of noses. It is bland and offensive which is perhaps giving it a little more credit than it deserves.

Flavor / Palate - Wheat, rye and honeycomb cereal create an ephemeral sensation on the tongue that washes away in seconds. A faintly bitter finish like the dregs of a package of Fischers nuts is all that remains. If you focus it is possible to detect lemon juice and orange rinds. In fact, it reminds more of an orange-based degreaser than anything that someone should drink/eat. Goose Island has a beer for the masses here which is not to say that it is bad but that you should not have any expectations.

Just a pretty standard american wheat style here. Nothing special about it. It’s got just a slight wheat flavor, and good bite.

not a big fan of wheat beers. pours golden with white head. hazy color, slight floral and lemony-fruit (as opposed to lemony hop) smells. smooth body and a slightly dry finish. ok but nothing special

Bottle. Lots of wheat and yeast in a malty nose, lemon and grain with some piney orange Cascade (the mystery ingredient!). Particulate pale yellow with lots of carbonation and a sticky white head. Lots of citrus up front with some acidity to match the doughy, bready malt. Light cascade presence. Some wheat in the finish but not really dry. Not sure what to make of this one, doesn’t really conform to a rigid style and, despite the carbonation and light body, isn’t really refreshing. On the whole, crafted but dull.

Pours orange-yellow. Thin wheat flavor with very little body. Refreshing in a sense that it wouldn’t be bad on a summer day, but it isn’t horribly satisfying.

Not very imressive, had on draft in Chi. IL. Off yellow color, overly carbonated one of the worst Goose Island has to offer

sure doesn’t match that fab description. thin watery, shallow, fizzy. a slight haze, but no indication of yeast. It’s a good thing it’s not like any other goose brews. and it was less than I expected. This was a sample.