Interesting combination of flavors

Ingredients
1

I brewed the Rye IPA below a few weeks ago.  It is basically Denny’s Rye IPA with a bit less rye, combined with hops that I simply made up based on what I had in the freezer and an idea in my mind of what I wanted a beer to taste like.  It was very much an experiment.

There is one very curious aspect to the taste that I’m at a loss to explain.  There is a very pronounced hop flavor.  I’ve brewed with Amarillo before, which are reputed to have that flavor, and I’ve also brewed with Amarillo + Cascade.  I’ve never brewed with Mosaic.  There is some synchronicity of flavors going on here that puzzles me.  Is it the combination of the hops with each other?  Or the rye?  I find this fascinating in the best possible way.

I quite like this beer and will enjoy drinking it.  That said, when I next brew it I’d like it to have a bit less of a monochromatic hop taste.  The bitterness is about where my palate likes it, but the flavors and aromas could definitely tickle more parts of the mouth and nose.  Comments and suggestions are hereby solicited.

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American IPA
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 6 gallons (fermentor volume)
Efficiency: 65% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.066
Final Gravity: 1.019
ABV (standard): 6.25%
IBU (tinseth): 64.61
SRM (morey): 8.95

FERMENTABLES:
11 lb - American - Pale 2-Row (65.7%)
2 lb - American - Munich - Light 10L (11.9%)
0.75 lb - American - Caramel / Crystal 40L (4.5%)
2 lb - American - Rye (11.9%)
0.5 lb - Belgian - Caramel Pils (3%)
0.5 lb - American - Wheat (3%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Columbus, Type: Pellet, AA: 15, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 22.37
0.5 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Aroma for 10 min, IBU: 7.03
0.5 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Aroma for 10 min, IBU: 4.65
0.5 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Aroma for 10 min, IBU: 3.78
0.75 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 180 °F, IBU: 12.17
0.75 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 180 °F, IBU: 8.05
0.75 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 180 °F, IBU: 6.55
1 oz - Mosaic, Type: Pellet, AA: 13, Use: Dry Hop for 0 days
1 oz - Amarillo, Type: Pellet, AA: 8.6, Use: Dry Hop for 0 days
1 oz - Cascade, Type: Pellet, AA: 7, Use: Dry Hop for 0 days

MASH GUIDELINES:

  1. Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 75 min
    Starting Mash Thickness: 1.5 qt/lb

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
1 each - Whirflock, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Other

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Light colored and hoppy
Ca2: 75
Mg2: 5
Na: 10
Cl: 50
SO4: 150
HCO3: 0
Water Notes:
1.5 t gypsum
1t CaCl2

2

It’s the Mosaic hops.  Mosaic is very overpowering, even in small amounts.  Use much much less, or eliminate it next time, for less insane hop character.

At 11%, you won’t be able to taste the rye at all, but it will add a more creamy mouthfeel and head.  If you want to taste it, shoot for closer to 20% rye next time.

The Munich malt will add a nice malt complexity, so you might possibly be noticing that as well, unless the Mosaic covered it up for you.

Others will disagree with me.  They are wrong.  8)

3

+1.  Mosaic is a very strong hop, so the ‘monochromatic’ hop character probably makes some sense - Mosaic may have been where most of the noticeable hop character came from. When I use it with something like Amarillo or Cascade, I blend the Mosaic at ~ half the amount of those hops.