(512) SMaSH Mosaic

This beer comes to us from (512) brewing company out of Austin, TX. SMaSH stands for Single Malt and Single Hop. The single malt in this ale is organic 2-row North American malted barley, and the single hop is, you guessed it, Mosaic.

This Texas beer comes in at 5.5% ABV, and 30 IBUs. (512) Brewing describes its flavor profile as fruity and refreshing with little flavor competition between the Mosaic and the malt sweetness. It comes ready and equipped with notes of pine, blueberry, mango, and citrus.

When I first cracked the top on this one, I could certainly smell the tropical fruit and berry aromas with the pine underneath, but the roles were reversed with the first drink. The power of the fresh pine took me by surprise with such a moderate IBU beer, but I have to say that (512) describes it accurately when they say the hops have little competition with the malt. I didn’t initially get a hit of the fruity or blueberry that I usually associate with Mosaic hops, but about the third or fourth drink those flavors started to land on my palate. 

The beer was clear and had a nice orange tinge to it, and upon pouring it formed a nice head that maintained for the first few drinks. I enjoy most beers that contain Mosaic hops because of the berry/fruity flavor that always seems to come from the back and slap my tongue around. In my humble opinion, I think the fruity tones from the Mosaic hops help to really even out the bitterness of the pine and earthy flavors.  I really love this beer and its simplicity. 

(512) is out of Austin, TX, and they work hard to create conscious beer that is 99% organic and vegan. Check them out online, or find them at a liquor store near you. They offer many beers from porters to pale ales and lagers to sours. They also have their regular beers and seasonal specialties. I certainly recommend trying the SMaSH Mosaic to sample this wonderful hop in its purest form, especially if you’re brewing with if yourself.

Cheers!

Mr. Brew