Mosaic & Idaho 7 IPA
The Hop Concept Brewing

 

 

Pint can poured in to a nonic glass. Freshest by 02/12/20

Look- Slightly hazy, medium amber color, modest bright white head with good retention and clumpy lacing. moderate carbonation streaming as it sits.

Smell- Light citrus (grapefruit, lemon and lime), pineapple, resinous pine, peach and berry, a bit of tropical fruits, bready malt and grassy/herbal notes.

Taste- The citrus and pineapple primarily, piney hops followed by some sweet malts and a hint of berry.

Feel- Medium bodied, somewhat crisp with a light bitter finish, pretty well balanced. Moderate carbonation on the tongue.

O- A very solid IPA, nothing really wows me but it's a nice easy drinking offering. I'd repurchase.

The Hop Concept "IPA" - Mosaic & Idaho 7
16 fl. oz. can, "FRESHEST BY 04/08/2020" and sampled on 02/07/2020
$3.49 @ @ Roger Wilco, Pennsauken, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: It's poured a clear golden body beneath a two finger-thick head of white foam. It's not absolutely clear, but close, and I'm surprised as so many beers are hazy these days. The aroma is hoppy with a lot of hop resins, but not a lot of fruitiness which is weird. I'm getting pine and a 'background' of citrusy/tropical fruit but that's all. The flavor, however, is much fuller. although it operates in a similar way. The fruitiness is both tropical (mainly pineapple I think) and citrusy (I'm not sure) but no really distinct flavors pop out. It's still good but I find it odd that a brewery named The Hop Concept hasn't put out a "slap you in the face" IPA. I do love the resinous side of it though, which I guess is coming from the Idaho 7 as Mosaic isn't known for that, and there is some berry-like flavor at the finish which is clearly Mosaic in origin. The malt is basic, and lightly sweet, serving as a platform for the hops. The two components are nicely combined, and it's pleasantly balanced in that regard. I should also note that sometimes "in your face" beers lean more to the hop side and lose some of that balance so this one is nice in that regard. It's not too bitter either. It's just a really nice, smooth, easy drinking IPA. In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp then smooth across the tongue. So what do I think of this overall? It's fairly nice actually. It's fairly straightforward as noted, but there's nothing wrong with that; look at Sierra Nevada Pale ale as an example.
Review #6,937