Mosaic Black IPA
Mikkeller ApS

Mosaic Black IPAMosaic Black IPA
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From:
Mikkeller ApS
 
Denmark
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
6.9%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 7.58%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
84
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 23, 2018
Added:
Aug 01, 2015
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  14
No description / notes.
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Ratings by swierczt:
Photo of swierczt
Rated by swierczt from Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Dec 30, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of HorseheadsHophead
Reviewed by HorseheadsHophead from Colorado

4.27/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The appearance is pitch black with a creamy tan head. Good retention, with lots of sticky lacing.

The aroma is an even balance of pine, dark malts, and dark fruits. Pine sap, black coffee, smoke, burnt toast; and then prune, raisin, and black cherry.

The flavor offers tons of plump and juicy dark fruits--plum, black cherry, raisin, black currant, and dates. The malt is the roasted and burnt end of the dark malt spectrum--no caramel or chocolate to be found here. Just burnt toast, coffee grounds, and wood smoke. Finishes mildly bitter with burnt malts, smoke, and pine.

Overall, a fantastic black IPA. I hope this is indicative of a resurgence in the style.
Jul 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by Wesmaze from New York

Jul 16, 2018
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

3.82/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Brewed and canned for Mikkeller by Sly Fox Brewing Company in Pottstown Pennsylvania. Only sense I can make out of the code on the bottom of the can, 1012303292006, is...nothing. Why does it have to be so complicated?

Doesn't quite make it to pitch black, impressive head of tannish foam, lacing is impressive too.

Roasted malt, cocoa and citrus hops in the smell. Interesting and inviting, I must say.

Big hop bite and bitterness up front, very much of roasted malt backing it up, cocoa or maybe bakers chocolate rounding things off. Served at room temperature so it seems that the flavours I mentioned vary in domination with each sip.

Substantial body here, and I am just noticing a coffee influence. Maybe it was there all the time?

Anywho, a nice single can purchase on my part.
Jul 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by Pro_Magnon from Texas

May 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by kjkinsey from Texas

May 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.85 by Andarel from New York

Apr 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by billbeers from Pennsylvania

Jan 08, 2018
 
Rated: 3.49 by BigMike from Pennsylvania

Dec 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by AyatollahGold from Indiana

Dec 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by Wizzle32 from Pennsylvania

Jul 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by hozersr from Pennsylvania

Jul 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by Wheels2532 from Pennsylvania

Jul 06, 2017
Photo of ichorNet
Reviewed by ichorNet from Massachusetts

4.17/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Always cool to see some hoppy Mikkeller beers kicking around as I usually feel he handles them at least decently-well. This is a Mosaic-focused black IPA clocking in a just under 7% ABV. Let's get right into it!

Pours a deep black color, definitely unfiltered, and topped off by an extremely generous tan-khaki head that leaves behind huge swaths of lace as it fades to a modest finger-and-a-half in my glass. I get some dark brown notes at the bottom of my glass if I hold this up to the light, but it's otherwise nearly pure black and very imposing. The surface of the beer bears a large iceberg-like chunk of tan foam that almost looks like a dollop of ice cream in this dark, menacing beer. Great pour!

Nose is smoky and chocolate-malt forward with some notes of pine, charred berries, plum and dark roast coffee up front. Behind that there's a bit of leafy hop, wet earth and woodiness. More dark fruit and suggestions of bright citrus. Coffee grounds, caramel, molasses and toffee. This seems absolutely awesome.

Flavor is more of the same with even more berry and orchard fruit notes, undoubtedly from the Mosaic hops. Charred malt and flavors of smoked meat, soy sauce, pine sap, blackberry and raspberry notes, bitter orange and grapefruit. Definitely drinks a bit more like a "hoppy porter" than a "black IPA" though, given that this is chewier and more viscous than most of those deft, dry Cascadian dark ales. So smoky; it's honestly my first thought with every sip, and the closing note usually seems to still have some vestigial smoky remnant to it as well. Though the coffee and chocolate flavors are pretty heavy, this never becomes "too much" for me and always seems to stay on the drinkable end despite its brutal flavors.

Feel is really good too, with a lighter body than expected from such an intense blend of malts. I assume this mostly uses heavily-kilned grains and doesn't use too much in the way of caramel malts as it feels very dry and dusty without much residual sweetness. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bit of rye in here, either, given that it's a bit spicy here and there and has that crackery, earthy kinda flavor going on. Very interesting beer. I kind of agree with some other reviewers that more Mosaic would be good, but I actually do think I pick it up here and there with this recipe. Enjoyable brew, nonetheless.
May 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.62 by ahommell from Mississippi

May 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by BeerTest from Florida

May 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.31 by afroskully from New York

Apr 02, 2017
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.52/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12 oz. can

Pours dark maroon black with a creamy frothy tan foam head. Smells like tropical mango, pineapple, passionfruit, guava, berry, orange citrus, grapefruit, caramel, molasses, toasted woody grains, vanilla, smoky roasted malts, dark chocolate, coffee, with resinous floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Tastes like smoky roasted malts, dark chocolate, dark roast coffee, caramel, molasses, vanilla, toasted woody grains, tropical mango, pineapple, passionfruit, guava, berries, orange citrus, grapefruit, with resinous floral earthy herbal grassy pine. Feels medium bodied, creamy and smooth with moderate low carbonation. Overall a nice black IPA.
Mar 28, 2017
Photo of TheWolf
Rated by TheWolf from Delaware

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Actually works. Great aftertaste Weak in feel.
Mar 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by sd123 from Georgia

Mar 09, 2017
Mosaic Black IPA from Mikkeller ApS
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 84 ratings