Mosaic India Pale Ale is like the shooter at a bank robbery: everyone acknowledges he was there, but no one can describe him. It tastes like a Michelob-Miller crossover designed in IPA format, and is quite good.
At the same time, would I buy it again? Probably not, since its character is not rough but smooth, and not purposive but strategic. This beer will offend no one, but I like a beer that calls me a pig fucker and slaps my face.
One of the cleaner beers on the market, Mosaic India Pale Ale goes down smooth and resists degradation with a little heat. But in the end, it has minimal character and maximal snooze f/x. Sorry guys.
Tags: beer, community beer company, india pale ale, mosaic india pale ale
Honestly, I’d probably pick this over any IPA on the market that isn’t Elissa for the same reason you dismiss it — it’s not unique in any way, but it’s brutally utilitarian, and 100% does the job I’m asking for an IPA to do. Every aspect of it is pleasant, and nothing is botched or out-of-balance in an intentional way to grab attention, which instantly puts it miles over anything Karbach, Lagunitas, Stone, New Belgium, or Dogfish Head have ever done.
Have to disagree here. Regular Karbach Hoppadillo is probably the most-balanced IPA with just a hint of molasses. Closer to the German beers. Elissa was not bad but also not compelling for me.
What did you think of Sierra Nevada IPA from ten years ago? It came in a darker green can to their lighter green pale ale. I can enjoy Sockeye – Hopnoxious from out of Boise. It reminds me of what that SN ipa was like but better.
Drank a lot of it in the 1990s. I used to like “Torpedo” as well. It was good stuff, light on the sugar and drama. I prefer Karbach but if you want a closer version, the Paradigm “Precision” nails it but has more ricelike sweetness.