In a world of canned breakfast juice and liquid pastry sours, who would have thought that a bold 7.9% single-hop IPA could be so exciting?
The latest offering from Spotty Dog Brewers is the third addition in their single hop range, this time with a focus on Mosaic, the lovechild of Simcoe and Nugget. This well-crafted Mosaic IPA truly highlights the much-adored hop's complex profile, taking you on a journey through pine forests and flowering stone-fruit orchards, all the while chewing on a mild bubble gum (it really depends who you ask!)
Klimt from Spotty Dog Brewers said that the single hop range was conceived as a challenge to create hop complexity with just a single variety. As you’re unable to hide behind a delicious wall of hops, it forces technique to be key in successfully crafting a good brew.
The flavour and aroma profile in hops largely come from the variety's essential oil composition. It's estimated that there may over 1000 different compounds in hop oils and these different oils impart distinct flavours, ranging from the resinous and earthy aroma of hydrocarbons, like Myrcene, through to the more fruit-driven oxygenated compounds, such as linalool and citronellol.
Many brewers use a blend of hop varieties when chasing flavours. However, the combination of different hops can result in the synergy (the creation of new compounds when two or more compounds interact) or masking (the complete suppression of some compounds) of oils, leading to altered hop profiles. Therefore, single hop beers are educational, providing lessons for brewers and drinkers alike, as featuring a single hop in your beer is one of the best ways to understand the true potential of that hop variety.
You can purchase Spotty Dog's Mosaic IPA here - https://spottydogbrewers.com.au/shop/mosaic-ipa-1
For a more detailed explanation of hop oils see Scott Janish's blog or book - http://scottjanish.com/examination-of-studies-hopping-methods-and-concepts-for-achieving-maximum-hop-aroma-and-flavor/