Field To Ferment: Mosaic
Fremont Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

this is tip top ipa, i loved the centennial version, but this is even a step above that one, wow, one of the best ipas i have had all year. a little chill haze to an otherwise bright almost orange colored brew with a full creamy inch of white head with complex webs of lacing as it drinks down. heavy mosaic all the way, like touring the hop farm, juicy and citrusy and pungent, with canned pineapple juice, orange zest, and oily residue front and center. so obvious that these are fresh hops too, none of the dry grassy elements, and no bitterness without flavor attached to it, juicy, ripe, alive. it got some nice grain balance too, usually i dont care for much of that in my ipa, but here its a dry cerealy body that really does give the hops a little bit more staying power, extending an incredible flavor experience. the absolute essence of the mosaic hop. the problem for me now is that this is only limited availability, super seasonal, and now all the other mosaic beers out there (and there are an awful lot), are going to pale in comparison the rest of the year. fremont does everything well, one of the best out of state breweries we get to drink here in colorado. i could not be any higher on this amazing wet hop ipa. probably one of the last of the year, way to end it on a high note! as good as mosaic can be in a beer.

 

 

 

 

 

I brought one of my last cans of this to Kaua'i and man did it hit the spot. Dark orange, lost of particulate so its hazy. Aroma is green and juicy Mosaic hops. Flavor is more the same. If you like Mosaic hops you will like this: pine, blueberries, juicy fruits. Less vegetal than the Centennial version.

11-3

 

 

Hazy orange with two fingers of off-white head and heavy lacing. Mild aroma of cantaloupe, watermelon, peach skins and a peppery, herbal element with a hint of oregano and marjoram. The melon is present in the taste mid palate, coupled with some slight nuttiness and even slighter pineapple sweetness in the malt, then a mildly bitter, peppery backend. Thicker bodied than others in the series. This is my least favorite of the four.

Citra>Centennial>Simcoe>Mosaic

 

 

Pours a medium coppery amber with a one finger fine white head with great retention and lots of lacing. Aroma of mild caramel malt, citrus, lightly dank hops, orange citrus with a bit of green onion and celery, interesting. Flavor is citrus hops, light tropical fruit, mild orange and lemon citrus, a hint of onion. Finishes with somewhat resinous citrus rind hops with residual tropical and orange fruit flavors. Nice lightly creamy mouth feel as with the other versions. The final entry to this great series and the one I was looking forward to the most; my first mosaic hopped beers were not my favorites, but this hop has grown on me and this is a fine showcase to compare it to other varieties in a relatively short period of time. I think the light onion flavor may have been odd to me at first, but once again, I like a touch of it with the other fruity and citrus flavors in this fresh hop. Pleasant fresh tasting alpha oils and herbal hop flavors, perhaps the most like fresh hop bud of all of these. I still think the citra is my favorite from this series, but I really liked all of these. The nice medium creamy mouthfeel enhances the fresh flavors. As I write this, the aftertaste of the Mosaic is lingering and I like that even better than the initial hop kick. Like several other Fremont ales this year, for the first time, I almost missed this completely. Fremont's well deserved reputation and demand has made it impossible now for me to try everything they make. No cans of this showed up at my main craft beer store and checking cans all over town proved fruitless (why is that guy looking at the bottom of all the beer cans?). I lucked upon a blue capped bomber of this at a grocery store, so luckily got to review a complete run. Great idea and fun and flavorful to sample. Next year I can just pick up whatever comes to hand and be satisfied I'll enjoy it.