645. Urban Artifact (Cincinnati, OH) - Spinosaurus Mango IPA

“Spinosaurus is a Mango IPA brewed with real mango and zero sour character. It’s the first release in Urban Artifact’s Dino line - a brand new series of clean, fruit-forward beers built for drinkers who want big fruit flavor without tartness or funk.”

There are other notes on the website, but it’s basically just Urban Artifact caveat emptoring itself for making something that isn’t a sour. To quote an obscure Jack Nicholson movie from 1994, “It’s about fucking time.” I put one can of this into my shopping bag at Trader Joe’s this afternoon, and I knew I was going to wish I had bought more, though that’s not because I like it. It’s because I can’t make up my mind about it. It’s dry and moderately boozy (7.1% ABV), but it feels like those things take away from whatever fruit flavor might be there. I get a little more of it as the beer warms and the unfiltered sludge settles to the bottom of the mug, but based on this one can, there is no defending their claim of “big fruit flavor.” Am I going to look for more at Total Wine the next time I’m there? Yeah…probably. I don’t like to slam the door on anything after only one…but this one is wildly disappointing.