Kelso Mosaic India Pale Ale
KelSo Beer Company

Decent IPA. Kind of lost between East and West styles, but still enjoyable. Citrus and pine. Strong enough bitterness, with some malt in the background.

Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) can into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint; canned on 03/17/20 (yes, they were canning on St. Patrick's Day -- there was no parade, so one can hardly blame them).
A: Pours a hazy, dark golden to amber color with orange highlights and a foamy, two to three finger, eggshell white head, solid, islands of retention, and foamy, if less robust lacing.
S: Aromas of grapefruit, caramel, and pine, but with a vegetal, say onion or garlic note (not unpleasant, mind you, but unsure of intent).
T: Semisweet to semidry. The palate certainly follows the nose, but the caramel now front and center and more raisin or toffee in the mix. Solid bitterness is nicely balanced.
M: Medium bodied with excellent carbonation and full, creamy presence.
O: First timer for Kelso and I am impressed. Reminds me of Torpedo, although (am I allowed to say this?) more complex on the nose and palate.

 

A thanks to the amazing woodychandler for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a bronze color with a 1 inch head. Smell is of pine, malts. Taste is the same as the aroma, a bit minty, moderate bitterness. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.

The CANQuest (tm) is finally getting back on track! I feel sort of overwhelmed by the backlog, but at the same time, I am heartened by all of the craft CANs that are awaiting my attention. This one came from one of my favorite local places, the Friendly Greek Bottle Shop (FGBS).

From the CAN: "Intricately Crafted[,] Simply Good Est Brooklyn 2006"; "58 IBU 6 SRM"; "Hoppy, with aromas of tropical fruit and pine, light malt, and a dry finish."; "This IPA leads off with the complex Mosaic hop, bringing forward aromas of tropical fruit, citrus and pine. Then the Amarillo and old school Cascade lend more fruit and spice. The resulting beer is balanced with British Golden Promise malt, and finishes with notes of stone fruit and tropical melon. Simply Good. That's KelSo BEER."

The tab actually fought me a little on the Crack!ing open of the vent & I girded myself for a gusher. Thankfully, that did not come to pass, but I went with an extremely slow, gentle Glug to avoid any potential disasters. It worked out beautifully, forming two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, tawny head all on its own & then hanging in with great retention before exhaling, leaving a load of lacing in its wake. Color was Amber to Deep Amber/Light Copper (SRM = > 9, < 13) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was VERY tropical fruity with just hints of pine and no citrus. Such is the nature of Mosaic hops & I was a little leery when I saw the name, but joined with Amarillo & Cascade CAN & may make a difference. Mouthfeel was really big with carbonation, quite creamy, in an unexpected way! Was I b**ching about it being too fruity on the nose? Well, disregard that! The taste was really bitter with grapefruit, cut by the coolness of pine and the sweetness of tropical fruit. This is the sort of AIPA that I really like, going back to my introduction to them at Victory BC with their Hop Devil in 1998/'99. I really liked the way that the flavors melded together harmoniously, rather than being discordant. Finish was dry & bitter & if that doesn't make it for you, then imagine how I feel when you lay a tart/sour on me! YMMV.