Belt’s Beer Garden: A Work of (F)Art

Sometimes you see a beer so unique that it’s impossible not to buy it. And that’s exactly how I ended up with this week’s selection - Unicorn Farts from DuClaw Brewing.

DuClaw Brewing Co. was founded way back in 1996 in Baltimore, Maryland by Dave Benfield after he decided he’d rather brew than go into the family business as an electrical contractor. And, after nearly 25 years of success, you can find his beers in Washington, D.C. and 20 states - almost every state east of the Mississippi River.

Today I have a collaboration between them and Diablo Doughnuts, also out of Baltimore, called Unicorn Farts.

The doughnut shop has a doughnut called Unicorn Farts - a doughnut with a vanilla glaze that’s then covered in Fruity Pebbles cereal. DuClaw took that concept and then ran with it for a beer in their Sour Me Series - sour ales with different modifiers.

For the beer version of Unicorn Farts, DuClaw took their sour ale base and added Fruity Pebbles, a trio of fruits, and EDIBLE GLITTER for some extra flair! A four-pack costs $13 and each can has a decent 5.5% ABV.

Unicorn Farts poured a darker golden straw color with just over a finger of off-white head topping it off. The foam quickly fizzles down to a razor thin line that circles the edge of the glass, with a few clouds floating towards the center of the glass.

As you can see in the picture above, the glitter wasn’t too noticeable normally but then, when held up to the light, this beer really began to sparkle! I couldn’t get over how shiny and sparkly this beer was when the light hit it.

Here’s another picture that shows what happens when a light is shined directly at the beer:

JUST LOOK HOW SPARKLY IT IS!! HOW IS THIS A DRINK FOR ADULTS???

Anyway...the aroma is that of a super citrusy cereal - like if your bowl of Fruity Pebbles was only made of yellow and orange ones. There was a tangy lemon scent that really popped here with some flaked grains, orange, and lime also peeking through. It was like someone blended Fruity Pebbles with Lemonheads and Sweetarts.

My first sip began with a nice, slightly puckering, sour note. The tart shock faded quickly and gave way to flavors of lemon, orange, and lime.

After that initial tart shock and wave of citrus fruits, Unicorn Farts switched and almost had an exclusively lemon cake/lemon doughnut flavor to it, with just a hint of the other fruits occasionally popping up here and there.

The change came when the grist appeared about midway through. It joined the fruits and off that bready/cereal-like flavor. It was like returning to my childhood and downing a bowl of (slightly more tart) Fruity Pebbles. Except this has the added bonus of booze inside.

From there, the beer ends with just a slightly dry finish and a moderate sticky feeling that lingers until your next sip.

However, this was a delicious find from a brewery that just began distribution in Illinois. I hope to see more of them around, as this was only my second DuClaw brew.

If you’re a fan of tart beers and/or Fruity Pebbles, this is the beer for you! The sparkly glitter is just a fun little flair and added bonus to the otherwise tasty beer.