5 of the most important things to know about Mosaic hops

The craft brewing scene has been inundated with new hop varieties over the last few years, but sometimes, you just can’t beat a classic.

The release year for Mosaic hops was 2012, and they’ve been immensely popular in the craft beer scene ever since. They offer up a wonderful profile that’s suitable for new drinkers and experienced beer geeks alike, and if you’ve ever had Final Gravity beer before, you’ll know that we’re big fans of them too.

Here’s 5 key things to know about Mosaic hops as a beer fan.

Mosaic hops are directly related to Simcoe and Nugget hops

Firstly, it’s important to note that Mosaic hops are a result of some ingenious hop breeding from Select Botanicals and the Hop Breeding Company.

They don’t occur naturally, and are a result of blending Simcoe and Nugget hops together. The Nugget hops in question came from a vibrant lineage, with ancestors such as Early Green, Tomahawk and Brewers Gold.

They’re suitable for lots of different beer styles

Something else that’s brilliant about Mosaic hops is that they are suitable for a wide variety of different beer styles. The most common styles that use Mosaic include;

• IPAs

• Pale ales, specifically APAs

• IPLs

• DIPAs

• Some stouts

Of course, this list is not exhaustive: there’s always new and innovative styles being brewed that bring popular hops into new positions.

Mosaic hops have a brilliantly complex profile

Mosaic hops got their name due to their complex and intriguing flavor profile.

Generally, Mosaic hops give off a wonderful bouquet of berries, tropical fruit and citrus notes. More specifically, they can give off notes of blueberries, mango, guava and papaya, with undertones of blossoms, earthiness or even bubblegum.

They’re tricky to replicate and have a lot of creative brewing potential.

You can use Mosaic for bittering and adding aroma

Interestingly, Mosaic hops are dual-purpose.

Unlike some hops which exclusively focus on adding aroma or bitterness to a brew, Mosaic hops are suitable for use at practically any stage during the brewing process to add both a delicious bitterness and a unique aroma.

Some breweries even opt to use Mosaic hops for dry hopping their beers. This is a brilliant way to use the complex flavor notes that Mosaic gives off, without focusing too heavily on producing a beer with a lot of bitterness.

We use exclusively Mosaic hops in our flagship IPA

Last but certainly not least, we use exclusively Mosaic hops in our flagship IPA, The Rock. This is one of our most popular beers to date, and it pays homage to the beauty of this American hop. Complex brews can be intriguing but simplicity can lead to some vivid tastes.

If you’ve not tried it before, why not come and visit one of our taprooms? We’ve got two locations, one in Decatur and one in Downtown Kalamazoo, and we’d love to see you. Feel free to drop us a message here with any questions.