Nate ZESTina
Mirror Twin Brewing

Twinning up another slam-dunk of an IPA, Mirror Twin Brewing uses their Citranomical IPA as a base flavor, but then layering it with generous additions of lime zest to give their Citra hop fueled IPA another dimension to its citrusy ways.

Nate ZESTina pours with the same classic golden amber color and with a a similarly pillow white fluff as its predecessor. Its scent is tilted heavily toward those freshly zested limes along with the citronella perfume that comes along with the coveted hops, but then is rounded with notions of honey, caramel and cashew. Light in its malty sweetness to taste, those caramel, honey and nutty flavors come across in a crisp and supportive taste that makes the citrus fruits seem fresher, riper and freshly picked from the branch.

As the sweetness swiftly fades, its light toasty and nutty character add an underlying charm in balance. Tangerine, mango and apricot all rise to the occasion while its malts seem graham cracker-like while supporting the hops to near perfection. But the focus is on the lime treatment which gives the ale a margarita tilt. Trending spicy and smoothly bitter, and suggestive of grassiness, herbal and botanical taste, the flavors begin to dry as the finish approaches.

Crisp, clean and semi-dry, the ale finishes medium bodied and with a brisk, citrusy after zestiness. Firmly bitter, the IPA trails with a perfume of spruce and the unmistakable taste of lime peels. Nate ZESTina celebrates what's best about the fruit and hops but doesn't become a slave to the fruit either.