16 replies to this topic

[Bklmt2000]

At the LHBS yesterday, I picked up a 1 lb HopUnion bag of Mosaic pellets, (11.6% AA).  Mostly on a whim.

 

This is an entirely new hop to me; what does everyone think of them?

 

Favorite styles, recipes, and/or use for this hop (bittering, FWH, whirlpool, DH)?

 

The guy at the LHBS who rang up my order indicated that if I liked Citra (and I do), that I'd like Mosaic.

 

What say you all?

[positiveContact]

I think drez has a mosaic pale ale that's really good - I think that's what the hop was anyway....

[neddles]

I find Citra and Mosaic to be a fair bit different. Both are very nice and work on well their own but I would prefer an all Citra beer over an all Mosaic beer. (I have made beers that were exclusively one or the other.) Mosaic to me has some Simcoe-like qualities which is no surprise since they are related. However I find Mosaic to have less grapefruitiness and a little more lemon maybe. I even get a faint earthy dankness from Mosaic. The one defining feature of Mosaic is the berry note you get on the finish. FWIW, I have only used Mosaic in the whirlpool and dry.

 

I made this https://www.brews-br...ic-sunshine-pa/

 and provided a review of it a few posts down.

 

If you can locate Founder's Mosaic Promise it is very similar to the recipe I posted. I think it was a one time only beer though and may be getting a little long in the tooth especially if it was stored warm. Check bottle date before buying.

[neddles]

Also, Ken posted a recipe here https://www.brews-br...e-pa/?p=1806841

Maybe he could chime in an give his thoughts on Mosaic too.

[HVB]

I think drez has a mosaic pale ale that's really good - I think that's what the hop was anyway....

Yes it was and thank you. Recipe is posted in the recipe section.

[dmtaylor]

I don't like Mosaic at all.  Cat piss and armpits and lemon.  But most people seem to love it.  Enjoy.

[neddles]

I don't like Mosaic at all.  Cat piss and armpits and lemon.  But most people seem to love it.  Enjoy.

Funny. I get the lemon but I get no armpit from it. The cat pee?… I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a little in there. I didn't find it offensive.

[Poptop]

Mosaic is not for everyone that's for sure. Not good by itself. IMHO absolutely dances well with Citra and or Amarillo. Too much and you'll be tasting my "Meyer Lemon, Armpit Hair Infused, Persian Purring Cat Piss Pale Ale."

[HVB]

I don't like Mosaic at all. Cat piss and armpits and lemon. But most people seem to love it. Enjoy.

Funny,I don't get any of that.

[Poptop]

I agree

[Big Nake]

The beer of mine that nettles linked to is cold, kegged, carbed and waiting for an open tap. I sampled a bit of it from the keg and it tasted like a very nice late APA hop to me. I have more in the freezer and other beers planned with it but I have not had enough contact with it yet. Bklmt2000... I'm surprised you would have picked up a pound of it without knowing what it was like... unless the price was so good you couldn't pass it up. The pound of Belma I bought from PF was $5.25 (about 32¢ an ounce!) and I found out why. It's not that it's THAT bad but it's just nothing special, IMO. If you're concerned about armpits, lemons, cat pee, mothballs, dandruff or whatever Mosaic tastes like... I would agree that blending it with something else would give you some insurance. I think the next one I have planned combines Mosaic with either Amarillo or Citra which should dance nicely.EDIT: I know I posted this somewhere else but did anyone catch the description of Mosaic on the HopUnion packaging? An artistic assortment of enticing aromas. I LOL every time I read that.

Edited by KenLenard, 20 November 2014 - 08:56 PM.

[HVB]

. I would agree that blending it with something else would give you some insurance. I think the next one I have planned combines Mosaic with either Amarillo or Citra which should dance nicely. 

 

Simcoe, Amarillo and Mosaic

[Bklmt2000]

The beer of mine that nettles linked to is cold, kegged, carbed and waiting for an open tap. I sampled a bit of it from the keg and it tasted like a very nice late APA hop to me. I have more in the freezer and other beers planned with it but I have not had enough contact with it yet. Bklmt2000... I'm surprised you would have picked up a pound of it without knowing what it was like... unless the price was so good you couldn't pass it up. The pound of Belma I bought from PF was $5.25 (about 32¢ an ounce!) and I found out why. It's not that it's THAT bad but it's just nothing special, IMO. If you're concerned about armpits, lemons, cat pee, mothballs, dandruff or whatever Mosaic tastes like... I would agree that blending it with something else would give you some insurance. I think the next one I have planned combines Mosaic with either Amarillo or Citra which should dance nicely.EDIT: I know I posted this somewhere else but did anyone catch the description of Mosaic on the HopUnion packaging? An artistic assortment of enticing aromas. I LOL every time I read that.

 

I know, it was something of an impulse buy.  I've read good things about Mosaic, both recently here, and on the web the last couple of years, but I never did get around to buying some until this week.

 

If I end up not liking them for some reason, no big deal, but I figured it was worth taking a chance. 

 

And, my LHBS is a lot farther away since I moved 2 years ago, so when I'm there, i like to stock up and get what i need while i'm there.

 

I figure I'll try them on an IPA i've got lined up, as late addition/whirlpool hops, and see how it goes.  I'm optimistic.

[Big Nake]

I know, it was something of an impulse buy.  I've read good things about Mosaic, both recently here, and on the web the last couple of years, but I never did get around to buying some until this week. If I end up not liking them for some reason, no big deal, but I figured it was worth taking a chance.  And, my LHBS is a lot farther away since I moved 2 years ago, so when I'm there, i like to stock up and get what i need while i'm there. I figure I'll try them on an IPA i've got lined up, as late addition/whirlpool hops, and see how it goes.  I'm optimistic.

I'm starting to dig some of these places that either have various packaging (1 oz, 4 oz, 1 pound, etc) or they will pack up as many ounces as you want from a loose bag and vacuum seal them. At my LHBS, almost everything is packaged in 1-oz bags which make it more expensive for sure. Most online places let you choose the number of ounces and then it just arrives in a foil, oxygen-purged & vacuum-sealed bag which is nice and eco-nom-nom-nomical too. Hey, make a couple of APA/IPA batches and do one with only late Mosaic so you can get a feel for it and on the other ones, blend Mosaic with some of these others. My guess is that you cannot go wrong.

[Bklmt2000]

Bumping this post with an update:  Brewed an IPA today to give the Mosaic hop a trial run.  Grist was mostly pils, with some munich and C-60 to an OG of ~1.075 and ~80 IBU's.

 

One ounce of Columbus pellets was the bittering charge, and I did a hopburst of Mosaic of 0.5 oz additions at 15, 10, 5 minutes, and another 0.5 oz for a 30-minute hopstand.

 

US-05 will handle the heavy lifting in the primary.

-----------------

My impressions of Mosaic hops so far: I like them so far.  From the aroma, it has the dank character of Columbus, with some of the tropical fruit notes of Citra (but more subdued than Citra).  I don't get much Simcoe-ish character at all, save for a slight hint of pine. 

 

If anyone is interested, I can update this thread when I put the beer on tap in a few weeks.

[neddles]

Bumping this post with an update:  Brewed an IPA today to give the Mosaic hop a trial run.  Grist was mostly pils, with some munich and C-60 to an OG of ~1.075 and ~80 IBU's.

 

One ounce of Columbus pellets was the bittering charge, and I did a hopburst of Mosaic of 0.5 oz additions at 15, 10, 5 minutes, and another 0.5 oz for a 30-minute hopstand.

 

US-05 will handle the heavy lifting in the primary.

-----------------

My impressions of Mosaic hops so far: I like them so far.  From the aroma, it has the dank character of Columbus, with some of the tropical fruit notes of Citra (but more subdued than Citra).  I don't get much Simcoe-ish character at all, save for a slight hint of pine. 

 

If anyone is interested, I can update this thread when I put the beer on tap in a few weeks.

Sounds like a nice beer. I always like an update so please do. You didn't solicit and opinion so feel free to tell me to shut it, but were it mine I would dry hop that with at least couple ozs. of Mosaic as well. It is a nice hop done dry and I think that may help you get a feel for all it can deliver. 

[Bklmt2000]

Sounds like a nice beer. I always like an update so please do. You didn't solicit and opinion so feel free to tell me to shut it, but were it mine I would dry hop that with at least couple ozs. of Mosaic as well. It is a nice hop done dry and I think that may help you get a feel for all it can deliver. 

No problem, i appreciate the suggestion.  

A dry-hop w/ Mosaic sounds quite nice.  If i think of it, I will post a picture of the finished product when I update.