Tasting Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat

Now that AB/InBev/Evil Empire has gobbled up Goose Island I figured I'd better start sampling from my reserves before the craft beer Mod Squad (just dated myself) tells me I'm breaking some independent brewery loyalty law. Ahhhhh, let them try to get my Bourbon County Stout. They'll have to pry it from my cold dead hands. As long as Goose Island continues to produce a quality product I see no reason not to enjoy it. I'm always for the little guy and I've read and seen enough on AB/Inbev to understand why the distaste exists, though I have a hard time grasping some of the extreme hatred. However the powers that be at GI made a business decision they believe is beneficial to the company. Remember, it wasn't some kind of hostile takeover. We can only hope that AB doesn't infect the Goose with too much negative macro influence, ultimately screwing up a good thing. I'm more curious to see what all the beer heads will say if AB/InBev actually makes improvements, i.e., a boost to the standard product lineup, expanded distribution, more experimental beers or lower prices. Will those who have already sworn off Goose Island have a sudden change of heart? I'm sure many will still have a difficult time seeing anything good about a company that has been touched by the so called Evil Empire of brewing.

AB/InBev's purchasing power allowed them to get Goose Island for approximately $38.8 million. My purchasing power brought home a sixer of Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat from Whole Foods in NYC. With spring here and summer not far off it's time to roll out the wheat beers. 312, without trying to sound overly cliché, is spring/summer in a bottle. The pour is a slightly hazy yellow with a white, fluffy 2 finger head. The visual is a perfect lead in for the taste; mild, mild, mild. The hops are toned down and there's no big flavor rush. The crisp clean wheat, biscuit, lemon and grassy flavors never go beyond mellow. It's nothing fancy and may even swing macro drinkers over to the craft beer side. This 4.2% abv session beer will preform best on a summer day once the thermometer reaches 90 and a serious refresher is desired.