Beer of the Weekend #781: 312 Urban Pale Ale
At the same time it is expanding distribution of Green Line Pale Ale, the Goose Island Beer Company (i.e., AB InBev) of Chicago, Illinois, is discontinuing 312 Urban Pale Ale. Four-packs are on sale at a steep discount so I couldn’t resist the urge to buy some and try it while I still could.
The color is clear, golden-amber. A finger of off-white, shiny, bubble-spotted head dissipates somewhat unevenly. “15DEC16” is the canned on date printed on the bottom of the can, so this beer is past its 180-day “brewery fresh” prime. The aroma is fruity and grassy at first, with a prominent apple cider aroma. That’s odd for a pale ale, but perhaps not for a can this old. A floral character emerges as the beer warms but the apple scent remains. The flavor offers light bitterness, a tangy zest, a floral character, caramel, and light esters, mostly apple.
Fun facts about 312 Urban Pale Ale:
• Style: Pale Ale.
• Price: $4.99 per four-pack of 16-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
• A phone handset is printed on the push-tab, most likely a reference to the 312 area code in Chicago:
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
The color is clear, golden-amber. A finger of off-white, shiny, bubble-spotted head dissipates somewhat unevenly. “15DEC16” is the canned on date printed on the bottom of the can, so this beer is past its 180-day “brewery fresh” prime. The aroma is fruity and grassy at first, with a prominent apple cider aroma. That’s odd for a pale ale, but perhaps not for a can this old. A floral character emerges as the beer warms but the apple scent remains. The flavor offers light bitterness, a tangy zest, a floral character, caramel, and light esters, mostly apple.
Fun facts about 312 Urban Pale Ale:
• Style: Pale Ale.
• Price: $4.99 per four-pack of 16-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 5.4 percent ABV.
• A phone handset is printed on the push-tab, most likely a reference to the 312 area code in Chicago:
The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.
