312 Urban Wheat | Goose Island Beer Co.
Brewed by:
Goose Island Beer Co.
Illinois, United States
gooseisland.com
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.20%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Crisp, bright flavor shines like city lights on Lake Michigan. Hazy and unfiltered, our award-winning Urban Wheat Ale's flavor flows from start to finish.
18 IBU
Added by DrunkMcDermott on 04-16-2004
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 4,622 | Reviews: 937
Reviews by andrewjraab:
3.11/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A - golden yellow with good carbonation and clarity. Foamy white head that shrinks to a wispy white cloud.
S - wheat, lemon peel, grass, grains, some fruit.
T - Follows the nose - wheat, yeast, bitter finish.
O - This is a sessionable pale wheat ale. Decent, but not great.
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look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A - golden yellow with good carbonation and clarity. Foamy white head that shrinks to a wispy white cloud.
S - wheat, lemon peel, grass, grains, some fruit.
T - Follows the nose - wheat, yeast, bitter finish.
O - This is a sessionable pale wheat ale. Decent, but not great.
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More User Reviews:
3.6/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Light, wheat smell with hints of lemon. Smooth taste with grapefruit flavors.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Light, wheat smell with hints of lemon. Smooth taste with grapefruit flavors.
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3.29/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I picked up a Goose Island variety pack recently and this one was included. I'm generally not a wheat beer drinker, but I thought this was a good opportunity to give a different wheat a shot and see how it goes. I'm always up for trying something new and different so why not?
This beer pours a hazy straw/golden hue that shows off light carbonation and an ultra-white, foamy head that dissipates somewhat quickly. For a wheat, this is a bit surprising in terms of dissipation rate. 3.5/5 The aroma leans more towards sweet instead of sharp and is moderate in strength with malt notes of cereal grains, white bread, and a bit of toast (although not much) and hop aromas of lemon, grass, and a herbal quality. The aroma weakens quite quickly. 3.25/5 Flavor intensity is faint to moderate with the malt providing a good sweetness to the beer with the same grainy and bready notes from the aroma and just a bit of caramel, although not much. Hop notes of lemon (fruit, not really the peel), grass, and just a slight spiciness come through with the lemon being the strongest. Bitterness is very light and does not build at all, rather weakening with time. Bitterness does not linger and the flavor really doesn't linger. 3.25/5 This is a light bodied wheat beer that is a bit creamy and wetting but not really mouthcoating which tends to come with creaminess. The finish is quite wet and thirst quenching with minimal carbonation. 3.5/5 I don't dislike this beer, but I don't necessarily like it either. I'm perfectly ambivalent towards this beer which lands it in a bit of purgatory in terms of my reviews. It has the qualities that a wheat beer should possess, while also being a bit boring and weak. It's not a beer that I would buy a 6 pack of, but am perfectly happy with it being in a 12 bottle variety pack where 3 of the bottles are this beer. 3.25/5
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I picked up a Goose Island variety pack recently and this one was included. I'm generally not a wheat beer drinker, but I thought this was a good opportunity to give a different wheat a shot and see how it goes. I'm always up for trying something new and different so why not?
This beer pours a hazy straw/golden hue that shows off light carbonation and an ultra-white, foamy head that dissipates somewhat quickly. For a wheat, this is a bit surprising in terms of dissipation rate. 3.5/5 The aroma leans more towards sweet instead of sharp and is moderate in strength with malt notes of cereal grains, white bread, and a bit of toast (although not much) and hop aromas of lemon, grass, and a herbal quality. The aroma weakens quite quickly. 3.25/5 Flavor intensity is faint to moderate with the malt providing a good sweetness to the beer with the same grainy and bready notes from the aroma and just a bit of caramel, although not much. Hop notes of lemon (fruit, not really the peel), grass, and just a slight spiciness come through with the lemon being the strongest. Bitterness is very light and does not build at all, rather weakening with time. Bitterness does not linger and the flavor really doesn't linger. 3.25/5 This is a light bodied wheat beer that is a bit creamy and wetting but not really mouthcoating which tends to come with creaminess. The finish is quite wet and thirst quenching with minimal carbonation. 3.5/5 I don't dislike this beer, but I don't necessarily like it either. I'm perfectly ambivalent towards this beer which lands it in a bit of purgatory in terms of my reviews. It has the qualities that a wheat beer should possess, while also being a bit boring and weak. It's not a beer that I would buy a 6 pack of, but am perfectly happy with it being in a 12 bottle variety pack where 3 of the bottles are this beer. 3.25/5
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3.91/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
One of my standards that I keep around. Just a good beer that doesn't disappoint. Pretty smooth with a nice aroma.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
One of my standards that I keep around. Just a good beer that doesn't disappoint. Pretty smooth with a nice aroma.
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3.72/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Had this beer for Sunday lunch. On tap bar Louis in Denver. I enjoyed it. Refreshing and easy drinking.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Had this beer for Sunday lunch. On tap bar Louis in Denver. I enjoyed it. Refreshing and easy drinking.
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2/5 rDev -41%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Appearance: Well, it looks something like a beer. The color of urine. Huge bubbles, chunky sediment. Just not that appetizing.
Smell: What smell? There's a slight breadiness that comes across.
Taste: Most wheat ales I've had are tasty. There's hops, there's fruit flavors, there's wheat and bread and maybe even clove. There's complexity. This beer has none of those qualities. It's bland, with only slight breadiness and no discernible fruit or floral qualities that I'd normally look for. A huge disappointment. Poor example of the style.
Feel: It's supposed to be creamy, but it comes off as only partially creamy. At least the bubbles feel nice, but I could get that from many other beers.
Overall: If I was blind-tasting this, I'd be able to guess it's an AB product. It's probably mind-blowing for people used to drinking Bud Light, but I'll be honest, I almost would rather drink a Bud Light because it's easier to swallow. I had to drain pour this, and I hate drain pouring beers.
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look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Appearance: Well, it looks something like a beer. The color of urine. Huge bubbles, chunky sediment. Just not that appetizing.
Smell: What smell? There's a slight breadiness that comes across.
Taste: Most wheat ales I've had are tasty. There's hops, there's fruit flavors, there's wheat and bread and maybe even clove. There's complexity. This beer has none of those qualities. It's bland, with only slight breadiness and no discernible fruit or floral qualities that I'd normally look for. A huge disappointment. Poor example of the style.
Feel: It's supposed to be creamy, but it comes off as only partially creamy. At least the bubbles feel nice, but I could get that from many other beers.
Overall: If I was blind-tasting this, I'd be able to guess it's an AB product. It's probably mind-blowing for people used to drinking Bud Light, but I'll be honest, I almost would rather drink a Bud Light because it's easier to swallow. I had to drain pour this, and I hate drain pouring beers.
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2.41/5 rDev -28.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Grassy aroma. And the flavor is dominated by "grassy" as well. Crisp finish. Almost no hop profile. Very light-bodied.
It'd be fair to compare it to a Kölsch except that a Kölsch is refreshing. And the grassy flavors here just make this… meh.
Also: hella foamy.
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look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Grassy aroma. And the flavor is dominated by "grassy" as well. Crisp finish. Almost no hop profile. Very light-bodied.
It'd be fair to compare it to a Kölsch except that a Kölsch is refreshing. And the grassy flavors here just make this… meh.
Also: hella foamy.
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3.17/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This wheat ale is not particularly memorable or remarkable in any way. It's actually the weakest of all of Goose Islands products that I have tried so far. Not to say it's bad, but their beers are usually very good. Ok, whatever beer here
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look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
This wheat ale is not particularly memorable or remarkable in any way. It's actually the weakest of all of Goose Islands products that I have tried so far. Not to say it's bad, but their beers are usually very good. Ok, whatever beer here
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4.39/5 rDev +29.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Hazy, tart, and crisp. Refreshing wheat ale.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Hazy, tart, and crisp. Refreshing wheat ale.
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3.93/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy golden straw color. Thick white foamy head with good retention and lacing. Lemony and orange aroma with a hint of white bread. Light, snappy citrusy taste - lemony with some sweeter citrus elements and a clean, dry finish. Refreshing and flavorful for a relatively light wheat ale.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy golden straw color. Thick white foamy head with good retention and lacing. Lemony and orange aroma with a hint of white bread. Light, snappy citrusy taste - lemony with some sweeter citrus elements and a clean, dry finish. Refreshing and flavorful for a relatively light wheat ale.
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2.75/5 rDev -18.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Pretty much what you would expect from a mass produced pale ale, not to sound dismissive or supercilious. Not much flavor beyond your standard grain bill with a little stale hop which adds very little
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look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Pretty much what you would expect from a mass produced pale ale, not to sound dismissive or supercilious. Not much flavor beyond your standard grain bill with a little stale hop which adds very little
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4.02/5 rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I'm a bit surprised at some of the earlier reviews for this beer. I don't know if it has been revised at some point but a lot of the descriptions don't seem to match the batch I'm drinking.
The appearance for starters, is a deep copper color. On the pour there's a full but fleeting head for this style. The smell is pleasant with strong notes of hops and citrus fruit.
The taste is excellent. Light as you would expect from a wheat beer, with greater depth from the malt, hops, and citrus. It comes just to the line of crossing over into being too "hoppy". I'm definitely a fan of this brewery now, having tried a few of their other offerings and this beer in particular. I know a beer is good when I'm surprised out how quickly I'm emptying a glass.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I'm a bit surprised at some of the earlier reviews for this beer. I don't know if it has been revised at some point but a lot of the descriptions don't seem to match the batch I'm drinking.
The appearance for starters, is a deep copper color. On the pour there's a full but fleeting head for this style. The smell is pleasant with strong notes of hops and citrus fruit.
The taste is excellent. Light as you would expect from a wheat beer, with greater depth from the malt, hops, and citrus. It comes just to the line of crossing over into being too "hoppy". I'm definitely a fan of this brewery now, having tried a few of their other offerings and this beer in particular. I know a beer is good when I'm surprised out how quickly I'm emptying a glass.
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3.55/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly dark straw color. Interesting aroma, a blend of earthy tones and some malt. Taste is wheaty, spicy and some elements of mineral water. An easy drinking light and crisp feel. Not a bad brew but a tad on the bland side.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Pours a slightly dark straw color. Interesting aroma, a blend of earthy tones and some malt. Taste is wheaty, spicy and some elements of mineral water. An easy drinking light and crisp feel. Not a bad brew but a tad on the bland side.
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3.56/5 rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Golden yellow in color with a light haze. Poured with a short, soapy, bright white foam with moderate retention. Medium light bready wheat malt aroma. No hop aroma. Medium bodied with a light creamy feel through the middle and soft, medium carbonation. Medium light bready malt flavors with medium light hop bitterness through the middle. No hop flavor. Light bready malt from the middle to the end. Finished cleanly with light bready notes. Pretty simple. No offensive characteristics which makes it easy drinking, but generally lacks character.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Golden yellow in color with a light haze. Poured with a short, soapy, bright white foam with moderate retention. Medium light bready wheat malt aroma. No hop aroma. Medium bodied with a light creamy feel through the middle and soft, medium carbonation. Medium light bready malt flavors with medium light hop bitterness through the middle. No hop flavor. Light bready malt from the middle to the end. Finished cleanly with light bready notes. Pretty simple. No offensive characteristics which makes it easy drinking, but generally lacks character.
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4/5 rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasty summer beer, really refreshing
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasty summer beer, really refreshing
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3.28/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On tap on 312 Day. Served in a Goose Island nonic pint glass 3/12/2015.
A- Clear light yellow-slight orange body, one finger white head, a bit of white lacing. Average retention.
S- Wheat, a bit of citrus and not much else. Nothing super impressive, but it does smell of crisp mild lemon.
F- Wheat, mild lemon, a bit of citrus, sweet pale malt, not particularly bitter. Very easy to drink, not superbly flavourful but it would do in a pinch on a warm spring/summer evening.
M- Thinner-medium bodied, refreshing and crisp, nice carbonation and pep to it. Again, easy to drink.
O- Solid beer, not as flavourful as say, Gumball Head; for what it is, its a solid beer with a nice mouthfeel and decent flavour to it. And it's cheap to boot.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On tap on 312 Day. Served in a Goose Island nonic pint glass 3/12/2015.
A- Clear light yellow-slight orange body, one finger white head, a bit of white lacing. Average retention.
S- Wheat, a bit of citrus and not much else. Nothing super impressive, but it does smell of crisp mild lemon.
F- Wheat, mild lemon, a bit of citrus, sweet pale malt, not particularly bitter. Very easy to drink, not superbly flavourful but it would do in a pinch on a warm spring/summer evening.
M- Thinner-medium bodied, refreshing and crisp, nice carbonation and pep to it. Again, easy to drink.
O- Solid beer, not as flavourful as say, Gumball Head; for what it is, its a solid beer with a nice mouthfeel and decent flavour to it. And it's cheap to boot.
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3.18/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Hazy straw color with a small white head. Smells like wheat malt with hints of lemon, but the scent is very faint. Very mild malt taste with some lemon flavor. Has a typical wheat beer mouth feel. Overall I feel like this beer left a bit to be desired in the taste department. I feel like a lemon wedge would have benefited this beer a great deal.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Hazy straw color with a small white head. Smells like wheat malt with hints of lemon, but the scent is very faint. Very mild malt taste with some lemon flavor. Has a typical wheat beer mouth feel. Overall I feel like this beer left a bit to be desired in the taste department. I feel like a lemon wedge would have benefited this beer a great deal.
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2.81/5 rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
Pale color, pale flavor. Really, very easy to drink but not anything to call home about
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look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75
Pale color, pale flavor. Really, very easy to drink but not anything to call home about
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4.14/5 rDev +22.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
nice taste...light, with lemon notes...slightly creamy as well!
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
nice taste...light, with lemon notes...slightly creamy as well!
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3/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
kinda grassy, but smooth
good beer to drink while doing yard work
Had at smokey bones
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
kinda grassy, but smooth
good beer to drink while doing yard work
Had at smokey bones
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3.74/5 rDev +10.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Tastes like a classy Budweiser.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Tastes like a classy Budweiser.
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3.14/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a nicely golden straw color, with a tiny bit of hazy. The head foamed up quickly but disappeared instantly. On the nose, there's a bit of a lack of substance. Just wheat and a tiny bit of citrus. On the palate, it's a little underwhelming. While delicious, there's not much going on here. It's a nice beer, and it'd go well with a mild dish, maybe a sandwich or something. If you haven't tried it, you're not really missing much. Goose island has so much better beer to offer!
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
This beer pours a nicely golden straw color, with a tiny bit of hazy. The head foamed up quickly but disappeared instantly. On the nose, there's a bit of a lack of substance. Just wheat and a tiny bit of citrus. On the palate, it's a little underwhelming. While delicious, there's not much going on here. It's a nice beer, and it'd go well with a mild dish, maybe a sandwich or something. If you haven't tried it, you're not really missing much. Goose island has so much better beer to offer!
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3.27/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Picked up a six pack of this for a discounted $6.99. Poured into a 24 oz snifter.
A: Pours a hazy gold with light white head. About what you'd expect. Very good.
S: Lemongrass, hay, grains and malts. Not bad, but subdued.
T: Hints of lemon, wheat flavor up front and a malty backdrop. Okay, but there are much better examples of this in the region, like Upland and Bells.
M: Fuller than you'd expect - almost creamy. A little heavier than I'd like.
This is average in every sense of the word.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Picked up a six pack of this for a discounted $6.99. Poured into a 24 oz snifter.
A: Pours a hazy gold with light white head. About what you'd expect. Very good.
S: Lemongrass, hay, grains and malts. Not bad, but subdued.
T: Hints of lemon, wheat flavor up front and a malty backdrop. Okay, but there are much better examples of this in the region, like Upland and Bells.
M: Fuller than you'd expect - almost creamy. A little heavier than I'd like.
This is average in every sense of the word.
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2/5 rDev -41%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Meh. Just another low abv bland wheat
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look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Meh. Just another low abv bland wheat
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2.57/5 rDev -24.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
I picked this up at my local shop; seem to have been a bit of a new arrival, so I wanted to give it a shot.
Look: Unfiltered, as it claims. Medium amber color with a bit of haze, but not close to what I've seen from other "unfiltered" beers.
Smell: Citrus aromas predominate. A subtle light scent of sweet malt can be found with much effort, but the majority of the nose is a smooth orange-grapefruit aroma.
Taste: Much less impressive than the nose would lead you to believe. It has a barely sour aftertaste which shows the lack of malt or yeast character in the beer. The citrus aroma is almost nonexistent in the taste of the beer, sadly.
Feel: Quite well carbonated with a light, fizzy feel on the tongue. Quite easy drinking, no real lingering texture.
Overall: Disappointingly one-dimensional; lacks the true character of a wheat beer while covering up its weak malts with an interesting, while unexpected, aroma hop profile. Probably will not buy again, but I can see this being popular during a summer party.
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look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
I picked this up at my local shop; seem to have been a bit of a new arrival, so I wanted to give it a shot.
Look: Unfiltered, as it claims. Medium amber color with a bit of haze, but not close to what I've seen from other "unfiltered" beers.
Smell: Citrus aromas predominate. A subtle light scent of sweet malt can be found with much effort, but the majority of the nose is a smooth orange-grapefruit aroma.
Taste: Much less impressive than the nose would lead you to believe. It has a barely sour aftertaste which shows the lack of malt or yeast character in the beer. The citrus aroma is almost nonexistent in the taste of the beer, sadly.
Feel: Quite well carbonated with a light, fizzy feel on the tongue. Quite easy drinking, no real lingering texture.
Overall: Disappointingly one-dimensional; lacks the true character of a wheat beer while covering up its weak malts with an interesting, while unexpected, aroma hop profile. Probably will not buy again, but I can see this being popular during a summer party.
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312 Urban Wheat from Goose Island Beer Co.
Beer rating:
3.39 out of
5 with
4,622 ratings
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