Christmas is coming. Although we have a week to go until C-Day, it's evening now. My home's quiet and dark. My kid's nestled, all snug in his bed. Visions of sugar plums (or, at least, monster trucks) are probably dancing through his head.

I'm not yet in my cap and ready to call it a night myself. I have a beer post yet to write and some music to enjoy. I suggest you get your favorite Christmas album spinning and settle in for tonight's beer: Urban Artifact's Sugar Plum.

Urban Artifact (here's a link to their "Our Story" page) a brewery operating out of a defunct church in Cincinnati, OH's Northside neighborhood. They were founded in 2015 and specialize in sour ales, forging the path of the now-heralded (in certain circles, at least) Midwest Fruit Tart. They also pioneered the pickle beer.

I can't find where Sugar Plum might live on Urban Artifact's website, so to Untappd we go! This lists the 7.2% ABV fruit beer as being brewed with plum, vanilla, and spice. How does it compare to an actual sugar plum? I'm an American Millennial, so I wouldn't be able to tell you.

The nose is pretty unassuming. I'm picking up on spice (nutmeg and allspice), vanilla, and a ton of sour. There's no fruit present. I think it's fun but it doesn't stand out from other Urban Artifact ales I've had. Purrl refused to sniff my can, so this isn't her thing.

My first swig of Sugar Plum is much more robust than the bouquet let on. I get vanilla and plum, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, honey, and brown sugar. There's a sourness lurking along the edges of the palate that lingers into the finish with the sweetness from the plum and vanilla. This tastes like taking a bite of a sweet, yet sour, berry pie. It's delicious.

There's a sharp mouthfeel on this ale, biting the tip of my tongue with each pull. It's filling and quaffable. Perfect for the flavor profile the brewery's built into the beer.

My father-in-law makes pies for my wife's extended family gatherings. We help out when we're around and able to do so. A few years ago, for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, he made a gooseberry pie. It was a hit (I was a big fan)--my hopes of taking leftovers home with us were quickly dashed as my wife's family quickly emptied the pie tin. It was tart from the berries but sweet from the sugar and crust. Tonight's beer is reminiscent of it.

I may have never had a true sugar plum, but I can honestly say Urban Artifact's Sugar Plum is great. Like, 9.0/10 great. It's sweet. It's sour. It's flavorful. It's so much more than I thought it'd be from the nose alone. If you're looking for a killer Christmas ale that's different from the rest, put this at the top of your to-drink list.