Mosaic Man
Glasstown Brewing Co.

 

 

Cracking open a pint can, the contents foam up and out. In fairness, it is at room temperature. But, this is behaving like a brew with oats and/or wheat as its backbone and that seldom makes a great IPA. Inside a clear glass Imperial pint mug, the opaque and dull apricot-amber color of the brew becomes apparent. For all the initial foam, there's no head. As with most of the modern hazies, the smell is muddled and somehow fruity. To drink it is to put those worries aside. It's not at all fruity, instead it has a resinous, yet clean hop bite. Whilst the body may not be amongst the best, it sure is better than expected and more than enough to carry its good dose of hops. This is a great example of how first impressions can mislead and why trying every beer can lead to some real nice finds. There’s no lacing in the glass, but there is residue consistent with a non-filtered brew at the bottom. This is only a little short of being a great one.

 

 

Glasstown Brewing Co. "Mosaic Man"
16 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$3.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: So what is this? There's no style listed, only the name and the alcohol content, but at 6.5% ABV it could be a pale ale or an IPA or something else. OK, let's see... it's poured a very hazy golden body with an orange sheen to it beneath a massive head of off-white foam. It looks like a German hefeweizen. The aroma is "dank" like weed which is a little weird. I've made the assumption, perhaps wrongly, that the name "Mosaic Man" referred to Mosaic hops but they're not usually that dank, and more often fruity, even including berry-like notes. I'm not finding fruitiness here though, just "dank" herbal notes. Maybe this is an old can? Without any kind of dating on the can I have no clue. OK, let's move onto flavor... the dankness remains but there is some fruitiness to it, and a bit of pine. It's oddly bitter, kind of rough, and it sticks with me rather than fading. I was about to pour the rest of the can into my glass but I've changed my mind, I'm not sure I want to drink all of this. So, what's wrong with it? Let me start back at the beginning of the flavor and work my way through. I'm getting that dank note mixed with some fruitiness (dull orange and grapefruit, dried out apple) but not too much, and a grainy, dull maltiness. Then the bitterness steps forward quickly, mid palate, and lingers well after I've swallowed although there's not that much of the rest of the beer lingering beyond a note of resin and pine. It seems astringent, tannic, and soapy. --- I've now rinsed my mouth out with water as I'd hate to trash a beer without being completely sure but this seems like it's a disaster. That bitterness is still with me as well, it just won't go and I've only had a few sips - actually 4 ounces, I just measured it. Alright, let me try it again... no, it's pretty much the same. I've gotten a little used to it and I'm finding a sliver more fruitiness but it still remains dull and oddly bitter. In the mouth it's medium bodied and crisp with a standard carbonation level, but also astringent - think of what your mouth feels like when your parched. There's definitely something wrong with this beer; I'm not sure where it's coming from, and hopefully it's just one batch, or even just a bad can from the beginning or end of the canning run, but it's not good. Surprisingly it has great reviews but I'll still recommend caution.
Review #6,558

 

 

 

 

Poured from undated 16 oz. can into Glasstown pint glass. It pours a murky, orange-brown color with a thin cap of eggshell colored head and light, creamy lacing. The nose features lemon, grapefruit, cracker malt, pine, a whiff of onion, and the distinct smell of Mosaic hops. This ale is nicely dank and its tastes include sweet cracker malt, lemon, grapefruit, earthy grass, and pine needles. The Mosaic hops are flavorful without a strong bite. There is a nice balance of citrus, malt, and bitter hops. What really shines is the mouth feel: rich and viscous, with pleasant carbonation, and it's an easy drinker at 6.5% ABV. In fact, Mosaic Man is positively crushable. While it lacks the nose and bold flavors of some of Glasstown's other IPAs, there is something familiar and thoroughly drinkable about it; it's a comfort beer. It's really hard to limit yourself to one pour.

 

 

 

 

Golden darker orange in color. Hazy in appearance. Lemon, grass, citrus zest, pine and grapefruit pith. Some cannabis qualities. Cracker malt. Dry, pine bitterness. Lower sweetness. Pretty good.