Many of us were shocked and saddened to hear of the demise of the County Down brewery Farmageddon earlier this year. Some fella wrote a blog post about it.
Fast forward a few months and it seems a phoenix is rising from the ashes. Now, Derrygonnelly-based Fermanagh Beer Company, known for the Inishmacsaint range of beers, has taken over the brewing, name, logo and most things Farmageddon to continue this iconic brand.
The first release after the takeover is the return of Mosaic IPA. This beer originally became a popular inclusion in Farmageddon’s core range after being born from the 2014 Mosaic SMASH. The Single Malt and Single Hop beer was an absolute cracker back then but I felt over the years it lost a lot of its citrus punch when transitioning to IPA. So how is the Fermanagh version of Farmageddon’s Mosaic IPA today?
Again, not as punchy. The ABV has been scaled down from 6.3% to 5.0% and on the first few sips its unmistakeably clear to see this is a Fermanagh beer. It’s incredibly similar in body and taste to Inishmacsaint’s Little Dog and Big Dog IPAs – straw yellow in colour with light melon/grapefruit/mandarin citrus tones and a faintest touch of black pepper bitterness at the end.
Is it on a par with pre-2023 Mosaic? Right now I’d say not quite but it’s always difficult to compare beers that have a different ABV. However it is certainly a beer you could drink all evening and at a mere £2.19 for this bottle (bought at The Vintage, Antrim) it’s exceptionally kind on the wallet.
If you see it out in the wild, give it a go for yourself and let me know your thoughts.
