Pie Bird
Urban Artifact

 

 

12 fl oz can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours a deep plum color. It is topped with an inch of dark pink head that leaves spotty lacing.

Very fruity aroma. Smells like juice. Plenty of tart berry aroma.

Nice tartness. Tons of berry flavor. It is pretty sour after sipping it for a bit. Almost make me pucker.

Medium bodied with a dry mouthfeel

It is rare for me not to love an Urban Artifact beer. This one is no exception.

12 ounce can, canned on 11/24/21. Served in an Urban Artifact chalice, the beer pours a reddish/purple color with about an inch pink head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells mostly like boysenberries along with some vanilla and grainy malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also the addition of some earthy and a hint of citrus flavors. But I think as with the aroma, the boysenberry stands out in the flavor. It's a little more tart than sweet tasting. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. I liked this brew a lot, definitely worth picking up if you like tart boysenberry brews!

Using the northwestern boysenberry may not seem like a midwest fruit tart recipe design, but Urban Artifact is bringing these parts of the country together in what amounts to alcoholic jam.

Deep and burgundy mauve, Pie Bird shares the colors of red wine with a creamier pour. As is mauvish neon froth builds upon the brim, its scent is jammy-sweet, laced with pie crust and a creamier vanilla-like roundness. Flavors follow similarly with an achingly fruit flavor of condensed dark berries, concentrate in its nature and suggestive of taffy, preserves and pie filling.

Full and plump with the boysenberry fruits, the succulent and robust dark berries hinge on plum, blackberry, raspberry, currant and blueberry. A growing sense of sourness brings out a strong cidery flavor that also provides suggestions of lime, lemon, crabapple and sour grape. As the sweetness breaks apart, the alcohol lays down a strong and peppery alcohol spice that links up with the bracing acidity for a decidedly wine-like finish.

Full bodied but certainly not a slushie or smoothie sour, the plump and pure fruit flavors that keep the mouthfeel full and rounded early allows for a surprisingly dry and peppery finish with warming mulled wine warmth in the chest. Its a flavorful sour ale with a high sense of drinkability that's perfectly suited for the winter months.

Boysenberry Midwest Fruit Tart. Poured from a can into an Urban Artifact Thoroughbred tulip. The pour is very dark red with about a finger of fine pink foam on top. I definitely get boysenberries on the nose - lots of them! They somehow manage to cut through the natural acidic, vinegar-like notes of the base sour. If I didn't know better, I'd swear there was a cup of Dannon Boysenberry yogurt under my nose.​
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Medium-light body with a tart, fruity flavor. I get flavors of lemon, boysenberries, and a hint of black cherry. Like all the Midwest Fruit Tarts, the acidity is extremely well-integrated with the fruit, leaving you to wonder whether those delightful sour notes come from the beer or the berries. This one is comparable to Gadget, but in my estimation well below the citrusy masterpieces like Fire Iron. I am so proud and grateful to have this brewer such a short drive from my home. Every time I buy their beer, I feel like I'm doing my civic duty. Recommended for other devoted fans of this brewer.​

 

 

 

 

Chunky deep purple with a tall mauve foam leaving pulp on glass. Having just come from 450 North, this is putting up its own formidable dukes in that same arena.

Creamy and juicy, and not the chunky or lumpy mess it appears to be, it has a slick and smooth body that's almost crisp, not like some of the extremely thick 450 North Slushys. Flavors of herbal blackberry, boysenberry and all of the bushberries bombard the palate before finishing just semi-dry.