Peer
Urban Artifact

 

 

 

 

Putting two of the most popularly paired fruits together in a sour ale puts a lot of pressure on Urban Artifact. You could say it's beer pressure.

But as Peer pours from the can, a soothing, rounded and tangy scent of tropical smoothie starts tropical, berry-like and citrusy as its striking perfume drifts above a ruddy and milky peachy-pink body and a part frothy, part fizzy foam cap. A light sweetness of taffy, sourdough and agave decorate the earlry palate in a short-lived malt impact.

With its malts rapidly dissolving on the middle palate, the sourness builds upon with an undercurrent of green apple, lime and lemon. As the added flavors of strawberries bring a fruity tartness, hints of raspberry, rhubarb and red currant also come to mind. Reading more like vanilla than banana, the tropical influence provides a smooth cocktail character as the ale builds acidity heading into the late palate.

Medium-light, crisp, tart and refreshing, the beer carries a slightly earthy and pungent fruitiness that hurts its cleanliness, but its peppery tannic character aids in balance so that the sourness doesn't have to do it alone. A medium-short aftertaste of berry and burlap carries briefly into a winey aftertaste.

Pours a rather murky milky red color almost like a fruit smoothie with a 1/4 inch of foam that settles back to a decent lace ring. Smells of ripe berry Tart with some Fiber sweetness. Taste is pretty aggressively sour like under ripe Strawberry then quickly to a sweet almost gritty banana chip then finishes with a bit of sour raspberry. Definitely a full bodied Fruit sour tart but easy to sip and finish. Overall maybe could use more banana and ripened fruit but overall for under 3 bucks for the single I was pleasantly surprised