Kwen
Urban Artifact

For some stupid reason I left this lovely fruit beer in the back of my fridge for months. Now it's time to bring out a new-to-me brew from Cincinnati's great fruit specialists at Urban Artifact.

It pours a deep, purplish red with a little head and lacing. The aroma is fruity as can be. The taste is a nice tart fruitiness that bites the tongue just enough.

Recommended. Like most Urban Artifacts it is a great experience. This one still bein good after a good four months in the fridge shows it will keep. I think it was kind of expensive ($5/can) and maybe not a great value.

 

When dark berries and grapes get together, a fruity taste is expected. But with Urban Artifact, that fruitiness has to share the stage with sourness- big, big midwestern sourness.

Golden-straw and white plum in a subtle blush pour, Kwen struggles to form and keep a loose and popping foam ahead of a sharp and sour twinge of the nose. Even as the fruits of blueberry and white grape bring a juicy scent, that juiciness carries over to a wafer-thin sweetness with a hint of powdered sugar and sourdough.

The middle palate brings an intensification of acidity with an acute lime, lemon, crabapple, white grape, gooseberry sourness. Nearly spicy in its tart taste, the peppery tanginess is balanced by the presence of residual fructose in a juicy and dry sense of palatability.

Medium-light in body, the beer’s winey effects are all over the session. With the drying nature of sourness and alcohol, the ale is daringly drinkable despite its strength. A quick aftertaste of whtie grape and sourdough decorate a quick and fleeting finish.