312 Urban Wheat Ale

Thank you Michael Gillhouse for this beer. Out of courtesy for letting him stay at our house over Bix weekend, conference and regional he bought my roommates and I a six pack. I've tried this several times before and previously thought it was similar to Shock Top and Blue Moon, but I’ve learned in the past 6 months that this certainly is untrue.

Appearance: A golden straw color with a large and in charge pillowy foam white head that emerges at a nicely maintained fingers worth. Prior to the dregs getting swooshed around the bottom of the bottle and added, this beer was sparklingly clear. Nevertheless after the dreg addition it exhibits a light hazy appearance. Sticky plastered lacing to the side of the glass
Aroma: Light pale malt with a brush of mild wheat sweetness. The beer has a corn like, and pungent lemon/zesty finish at the nose.
Taste: Wheat is the most prominent characteristic in this beer. The lemon zest emerges with a drying finish. Following on into the aftertaste I find a subtle pungent yeast aftertaste. Similarly there is also a resinous zest profile in the end taste as well. Bready but light and fruity. Wheat tannins and crispy sourness complement the basic malt backbone. Bitterness is very minimal, but what is there comes in the form of a grainy taste. Some nondescript funk lingers. Perhaps lemongrass and other spices may be notable upon the end.
Mouthfeel: Light, foamy and smooth, drinkability is at an all time high. Carbonation makes its appearance at every corner of the tongue, extinguishing the sweetness and leaving an undesirable aftertaste.
Overall Impression: A basic wheat but with several other characteristics. The pungent aftertaste may be something to get over, but that may be done easily. The drinkability of this beer in the first place makes it a popular choice among the inexperienced attempting an out of bounds variety. Nevertheless they’ll be left with something more similar in texture to the econo-beers than they thought, though more flavor to offer.


80/100