Cosmos Crop Formation

Cosmos Brewing Crop Formation Honey Basil Lemon Wheat Beer.
Alc. 5.7% ABV. 20 IBU.
Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN.

Lightly hazed, bright golden color, huge ivory, long-lasting head.

In the nose: Sweet and spicy. Honey and lemon, for sure. No orange peel? Some coriander, or did the basil replace it? Nice, all the way.

In the mouth: Spice and fruit bombard the palate from the get-go. Big spice, intense fruit, smooth, wheat texture, mouthfeel. Light bodied, refreshing. But this one may be a bit too much on the sweet side for me to make it more than a one-time, or once-in-a-while time thing.

"Brewed wit grains from the geocentric circles of Ackling, CROP FORMATION exhibits characteristics unique to wheat manipulated by alien visitors. Thistle honey thrusts life into a simple and subtle sweetness that buzzes your buds. A suppressed hop profile allows basil to assimilate complexity as the gases collected from the Carbon Nations provide a satiating mouthfeel. Drinkers become beelievers! SAVE SPACE FOR BEER!" and..." A unique wit brew with a twist. Lemon peel, basil, and wildflower honey additions give this beer it's complexity."

Nice of them to give an Earth language description, after dropping that Isaac Asimov masterpiece on us.

Cosmos Muttnik Puppy Chow Porter

Cosmos Muttnik Puppy Chow Porter.

A lot of beers have dogs on the label, but few suggest that their contents are meant for puppies. I was told that it's the name for a snack meant for humans, but all I hear is Purina. We got a space-borne pooch in the illustration able to snatch a saucer in his jaws. That's cool.

Alc. 6.9% by Vol. 19 IBU. 22 fl. oz. Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN. Save Space for Beer!

Deep blackness, all-out opaque, slim brown ring surrounds.

In the nose: sweet. Vanilla? Cocoa? Peanut butter? Nice, whatever's going on here.

In the mouth: Much malt, medium bodied, a smidge of richness. Those flavors from the nose aren't as prominent in the flavor, though. There's some chocolate happening. It's a nicely malty brew, but not terribly special.

"Muttnik is our coveted puppy chow porter. 
Victory malt brings biscuit character and a lactose addition mocks powdered sugar. The combination of both chocolate malt and cacao nibs bring it all together."

Maybe I've been missing out all my life, but I've never heard of "puppy chow", or "muddy buddy" (both terrible names). Maybe I've had it before and never knew the name. I certainly never knew there was a style of beer called "puppy chow porter." Is this Cosmos' special way of joining the peanut butter beer sweepstakes?

It's not bad, but it's not more than good. Just doesn't stand out.

By the way, how is it "coveted"? They have no taproom to try it at, and it's only available in these bombers, as far as I know. No one is talking about this. Who's coveting it?

I investigated a bit and found that on Untappd quite a few had been singing it's praises from servings on tap at local Twin Cities establishments. Some found that it had too much "puppy chow" for them, the flavors were too forward. Interesting. Maybe it just didn't come through in the bottled form?

Oh, and if you want to see some very annoying people talk about a puppy chow recipe, that video up there is for you.

Cosmos IRA

Cosmos Brewing IPA Imperial Red Ale, Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN. 8% ABV.

Clear, crimson-hued, lush off-white head above.

In the nose: Malt sweetness, some bitterness. Nice little tango of the two.

In the mouth: There we have it, the fierce hoppiness, and the flush, sweet malt. Bitter, sweet, bitter, sweet, la ta da ti da. Medium bodied, long malty finish. There are familiar pieces here, but they are not quite so well put together. I wish they were. I want it to be. It's missing something compelling, though. Needs a little more. A little more out of everything. Doesn't quite get there. A bit too sweet. Needs the hops, needs the bitter. Without that, it's a bit blasé.

Nothing terribly wrong with it, but nothing really right, either. Gonna have to pass.

(Later, I notice that the bottle I received as a sample from the Sample Man lacks the back label and all of it's informational verbiage and obligatory government warnings. Was this sample bottle packaged differently than those meant to go to market? Possibly. )

IRA Red Ale - Imperial / Double
8% ABV  60 IBU  Cosmos Brewing Company  Hugo, MN  
Our imperial red ale is hoppier than most. The full flavor blends well with the higher ABV. Malty & fruity, the mosaic hops tie it all together.

Cosmos Crispy Dream Vanilla Cream Ale

Cosmos Crispy Dream Imperial Vanilla Cream Ale. All. 8.2% by Vol. 14 IBU. 22 fl. oz. Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN.

Clear, golden-hued, slim white head.

In the nose: Sweetness and malt, lemon-y citrus and hops. Touch of vanilla.

In the mouth: Citrus-y hop flavors, moderate bitterness, bright, sweet, malty. Clean and smooth, light bodied, and over-ly sweet.

"Imperial Vanilla Cream Ale." Huh. Never heard of one of those. And I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. Imperial Cream Ale. Bit of an anomaly there. Too strong. Too ...too.

I'll read from the label: A smooth and full flavored imperial ale that's creamy, but not overly sweet. Notes of vanilla make this a fun palate pleaser. 

I beg to differ. It is overly sweet, and I'm not really groovy on it. Pass. Hard pass.

Cosmos Buzzed Aldrin

Cosmos Buzzed Aldrin. Coffee Ale. Alc. 7% by Vol. 20 IBU. Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN.

Golden toned, lightly hazed, nice ivory head that slims down in due time.

In the nose: Earthy, nutty coffee notes hit first, with juicy malt just below. Smells of fresh ground beans. Delightful.

In the mouth: Straightforward, simple, and tasty as heck. Juicy malt mingled with coffee flavor. Virtually no hop presence, just the proverbial kiss. Maybe a little too sweet, though, but I get what they're going for. I'm really not liking lactose in beers these days, though there's no denying the affect it has, and the taste it delivers.

I like this. It's a bit like a beer Frappucino, but that's not going to be something I'll want too many of. One and done for me. (And I come off as a hypocrite for railing against "milkshake IPAs" while enjoying a beer like this.)

"Is there alien life out there?" Golden cappuccino ale is the best way to describe Buzzed Aldrin. A large coffee addition imparts both aroma and flavor, lactose bring sweetness and flaked grains round out the body. Looks like a pale, drinks like a stout. SAVE SPACE FOR BEER! Made with Alaska Artisan Coffee." 

Cosmos Martian Rambler Amber

Cosmos Brewing Martian Rambler Amber Ale. "Save Space For Beer!" 5.8% all. by vol. 25 IBU. Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN.

Clear, dark amber color, ivory head that starts big and settles quickly.

In the nose: Clean and malty, lightly sweet.

In the mouth: Smooth and malty, medium bodied, fairly faint finish. Slightly on the sweet side, this. There are hops here, too, just enough to keep it all in balance.

One flaw I find is that leans a little too far into the sweet side. Spicy rye malt keeps in interesting.

"Are we alone in the universe?" A true American amber, Martian rambler is crafted using only ingredients produced in the USA. Malt forward with a touch of hops, rye provides a hint of spice on the back end." 

Cosmos Brewing Planet XPA

Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN. At last, I have a sample of Cosmos. I had some brought in at work, but it was one of those things were they cracked open a growler, and you had to drink it with them. I've seen their cans and bottles on sale, but haven't taken the plunge to spend my own money on their beers just yet, not being a fan of what I'd had before. At last, a new sample man came around with cans, and now I drink the XPA, they call it, the Planet XPA. Let's drink....

In the eye: Clear-ish, copper-y coloring, slim white head. Looking alright for the style.

In the nose: ah, yes. There's plenty of citric hop notes here. Grapefruit, lemon, pine, and plenty of malt. Lovely.

In the mouth: Mmm. Juicy, hoppy, just enough malts, and very tasty. Light bodied, lean, clean, delicious. Nice and hoppy. You know what? This one is good. I like it. And I like to like a pale ale. I like to drink a good one, and I love to recommend them. Guess what I'm doing with this one? Drinking it and recommending it. Go drink it, people, it's a fine one.

Let's read some copy from the label: "Where did we come from?" You've discovered the real Planet-X! Don't be mistaken, this Aleien planet is not Nibeeru. XPA is the first step on your journey through the Cosmos. Explore these suds with your buds. {Editorial: GACK!} Then: SAVE SPACE FOR BEER! And then: "A heavily Citra hopped pale ale with balanced malt character and a floral citrus aroma. Oats provide a frothy head and a full mouth feel." Brewed by Cosmos Brewing, Hugo, MN, 55038. www.cosmosbrewing.com.

Pale Ale, 6.6% by Vol. 50 IBU.

As I said before, this one is good. Hope the rest are. Let's find out, a little bit later.