De Proef Brouwerij / Mikkeller Mosaic American Double/Imperial IPA at 8.9% ABV ($5.50 from Highlander Wine & Spirits)
Pours slightly hazy pale amber with a fat fingers of loose off-white head gradually diminishing to a thin cap and well-defined lacing. Nose is citrus, tropical fruit and caramel malt. Taste is moderate caramel sweet, resin and tropical bitter hops. Medium body, moderate sustained carbonation, and a dry, lingering bitter finish and only a very mild, late alcohol warming.
OK, I’m confused. This is a DIPA, with nearly double the ABV of the Mikkeller Peter, Pale and Mary that I just had – and yet it tastes almost exactly the same. If anything, it’s a touch smoother on the palate, without the hint of funk that I seemed to get with the PP&M. It’s basically the same colour, too, except without the same kind of head explosion and retention. About the only difference I can really pin down is that the PP&M seemed to have a slight thinness to the flavour that isn’t the case with this one. As well, this doesn’t have the one-dimensional flavour I normally associate with single-hop ales – it seems that Mosaic really is the “wonder hop”. Very well-behaved and potentially very dangerous DIPA. And double the booze for the same price? Yeah, I don’t think I’d ever choose the PP&M over this one, given the choice.
8.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
