Haze It Ain't So
Mirror Twin Brewing

In the full on quest to master the New England styled, or "hazy" IPA, Mirror Twin Brewing tweeks their hoppy regimen to bring out an ever more tropical, herbal taste along with a bitterness that's often missing from the smooth but often absent hop bite. So, is Mirror Twin straying from their hazy ways? Say it ain't so!

Hazy as ever and in a burnish gold matte austere, Haze It Ain't So floats a dense blanket of ecru froth with sparse retention and lace. Bright, hoppy and tangy, the nose leads with an under ripened scent of topical and citrus fruits along with a sharp, herbal and grassy demeanor. Sweet and doughy on the early palate, the beer's sweetness is of honey, cereal and cream candy.

Once on the middle palate, the hops grow to meet the level of malt sweetness and starchiness with the green taste of papaya, pineapple and mango. A tangy flavor of grapefruit, orange and lime also seem of the under mature variety to link up seamless with juniper, gooseberry and currant. Certainly sharper and slightly more bitter than the standard hazy IPA, the finish comes with a lemongrass, herbal and fresh grassiness for spice and acute resinous bite.

Medium bodied and bright on the palate, the beer trends malty dry with a minty evaporation that equates a peppery refreshment and a charming fruit filled after palate. Creamy and smooth also, the hop dominant side of balance wins out but only marginally in the end.