Amarillo...

Tasting Notes:

Color:  Pretty much the same as the Mosaic beer.  Orange hue.  Hazy.  White head.

Aroma:  I thought this beer would be an aroma bomb but not really.  It had that sort of peach/apricot thing going on with some citrus in the background.  Good enough but not amazing.

Mouthfeel:  This malt bill felt a little thinner and the yeast brought it down to 1.009 so that must have had something to do with it.  Dry on the finish.  Good carbonation.

Flavor:  This is where this beer shined.  I really enjoyed it once it sat for a week on gas.  It WAS all citrus like; hints of oranges and tangerines.  The drying finish helped it to appear to taste like oranges with a slight bit of pithy finish.  Going to brew this again.

Overall:  The Conan yeast didn't seem to make a big impact on this beer.  The next time I brew it I'll just use 007 or 1318.

Amarillo...

Ready for a swim.

There's so much talk about hops like Mosaic, Galaxy and Citra but Amarillo has this sort of quiet fervor about it.  It plays well with so many hops but there aren't as many single hopped pale ales made with Amarillo as the other hops mentioned above.  Not sure why.

For this batch I was able to try out my new Torpedo keg.  I'd have to say not the best quality.  The quick disconnects are tight and the gas poppet sticks sometimes when disconnecting the fitting.  I've seen reviews that the lid doesn't close properly unless putting it to high pressure.  This hasn't been a problem for me since I have made a habit of turning the pressure up when sealing keg lids.  Although the edge of the metal rim the lid sits against is pretty rough and has small bends or dents in it....it's just not smooth and I could see someone having trouble getting it to seal.

Anyone have any crackers?

On brew day, man the Amarillo smelled good in the whirlpool!  The orange and grapefruit aroma just wafting up with the steam was amazing.  It will be interesting the see how the GY054 pairs with this hop.


AMARILLO IPA

2.5 Gallons
O.G. 1.060
F.G. 1.009

Mash:
2-Row        80% (5 lbs. 9.7 oz.)
Marris Otter 10% (11.2 oz.)
White Wheat  10% (11.2 oz.)

Mash at 152 F for 60 min

BOIL:
Warrior @60 min for 60 IBUs     

WHIRLPOOL:
2.00 oz. Amarillo for 10 min     

FERMENTATION:
1.0 pkg. of GY054           

DRY HOPS:
1.50 oz. Amarillo for 5.0 Days     
1.50 oz. Amarillo in serving keg

Mosaic Once Again...

Tasting Notes:

Color:  Orange.  Opaque.  Nice white head.

Aroma:   I get the fruity/blueberry up front, the bubble gum, then a slight hint of dry grass.  The grass aroma could also be described as grain like...something I get from Mosaic not from the malt.  In a fresh bag of pellets this aroma is there....I may not be describing it right but it's there.

Mouthfeel:   This beer is soft.  Drinks easy and finishes dry.  The carbonation pops at the end.  This beer really does it for me.  For me these type of beers drink best with a little higher carbonation...the perceived sweetness blends better.

Flavor:   I get a mix of berry fruits.  The bubblegum and dry grass/grain like flavor seem to both come at once as it finishes with the soft bitterness accentuated by the carbonation.

Overall:   This beer came out good and I enjoy it.  I feel it represents Mosaic's aroma and flavor.  Having had this side by side with the previous Citra beer, I can say I like this beer better.  The aroma is not as strong as Citra but more pleasant to me; the flavor rounded and accessible.  The Citra harsher and lingering.  My previous attempts at a Mosaic beer didn't come out this nice.