Mosaic Kettle Sour
Surly Brewing Co.

 

Hazy, bright golden toned, slim white head.

In the nose: oh, it's got the fruit. All that Mosaic hop goodness, the mango, guava, passionfruit. But never too sweet, and not too bitter, there's still the tart and the dry to end it out.

In the mouth: Now, here comes the sour. Fresh fruit, then puckering sour, ending clean, dry, tasty. Light bodied, refreshing. Nice little dance between sour and fruit and the funk. Hey, guess what, I like it.

 

 

 

Mosaic Kettle Sour pours a slightly hazy copper color, with a long lasting fizzy and lacing head. Hints of spice and lemon. Flavor is a little more mellow, some light spices, creamy base, with hints of lemon, and just a bit of tart near the end. Good body and feel. Overall, a very approachable sour ale.

Type: 16-oz. can
Glass: AleSmith .25l tulip
From: My cousin Sam
Price: N/A
Purchased: N/A; Received July 21, 2018
Consumed: Aug. 11, 2018
Reviewed as: American Fruited Sour
Misc.: Canned on June 22, 2018 at 10:56 a.m. CT

Thanks, Sam!

Got this with another 10 from Sam. Saved this for last, mainly to share with Rachel. Was looking forward to it in that I love Mosaic and Surly, even though I was not much of a kettle sour fan. Online description called it, “This lightly tart beer is a fruit bomb with no fruit. Dry-hopped on heaps of Mosaic hops and fermented with Saccharomyces Trois yeast, it packs a funky mango punch and citrus fruit aromatics.”

Poured a bright gold semi-clear color with two fingers of frothy white head. Could see a few bubble streams moving at different speeds along the sides of the glass. Good spotty lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Smelled a mix of Mosaic and wild ale yeast. Also barnyard funk, basement aromas, sourdough bread, herbal, grass, lactose, cheese and spoiled milk. From the can got mainly Mosaic and bubblegum. (Smell - 3.75)

Taste a little better than the nose. More sour than IPA on the taste. Got very dry Mosaic, lemon tart, mango rind, barnyard funk, grapefruit, herbal, grass, spruce, lime, light cheese, bubblegum and sourdough bread. (Taste - 4.00)

Light body. Oily texture. Lively carbonation. Long, tart finish. (Feel - 4.00)

I think I overrated this slightly overall, but I liked this. (Overall - 4.00)

3.94 | 88 | B+

 

 

 

This beer pours a clear gold with a large head. The aroma is dominantly fruity, with lots of peach, guava, passionfruit, and lemon peel. The flavor is quite sour, with a load of lemon flesh and peel upfront, then underripe peach, cracker malts, and a bright, stinging bitterness. The mouthfeel is exceptionally light, with highly effervescent carbonation. Overall this is a decent sour, with really nice aroma, but a slightly spare taste, a bit too tart and bitter for the underripe quality of the fruit.

16oz can. Poured out a hazy, golden color with a large, off-white head of foam. It smelled of citrus, pineapple, lemon and sweet caramel. Tart lemon with sweet citrus and a hint of caramel.

 

 

Here’s another BC Small Batch from Surly. Poured straw yellow slightly hazy with a foamy white head.

Nose is straight up delicious tropical with citrus and mango yet there it is— an underlying punky, earthy, fustyness. Intriguing.

Taste is a quick wash of of grapefruit pithy citrus across the tongue, slightly marmalade and unripe papaya then hello to a pervasive funky sourness. The subtle transition from the tropical fruit to the frowzy punk fruit yep it happens and just works — awesome. Delicious. This is dry and the finish is mild lingering funk-sour intertwining with citrus pith sour.

What a great kettle sour IPA beer. Neither of the characteristics are over the top and both are synchronized— I’d drink this all the time if it were brought into regular rotation. Nice job.

As npachl said, the funk is real with this beer. Hits the nose with a big hop aroma, and then the taste leaves you questioning your palate.

While there may be other beers out there with this flavor profile, I've never had one. The kettled sour comes through along with the musty, dank hops at the same time.

I don't know how to describe it, but I'm digging it. Definitely not for everyone, but it's working for me for sure.

Drank directly from a 16 oz can. Look is based on a sample poured at my local liquor store.

 

Not a Surly fan boy, but they absolutely nailed this! Funk flavor is terrific.