MTNS is one of the newer beers in the Helix Brewing lineup, added in January 2021, and it shows the brewery reaching beyond its San Diego hop roots toward New Zealand. The name is short for mountains, and the beer is built on New Zealand Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops. Our notes listed it as a standard IPA at 6.7% ABV and 55 IBU, but the verified numbers are 7% ABV and 50 IBU. Untappd drinkers rate it 3.85 out of 5 across 208 ratings.

The basics

• Brewery: Helix Brewing Co. (La Mesa, CA)
• Style: IPA
• ABV: 7%
• IBU: 50

What to expect

MTNS pours a pale gold with a white head. The Nelson Sauvin and Motueka hops bring fresh crushed grape and tropical lime, the two notes the brewery calls out, with a white wine character that runs through the whole glass. It is fresh, bright, and crisp rather than dank or resinous, and the bitterness sits at a moderate 50 IBU, enough to keep the fruit in check without drying the beer out. The finish is clean with a lingering hint of lime. It is a different kind of IPA from the rest of the Helix tap list, and that is the point: it tastes like the New Zealand hops it is built on.

Our rating

6.8/10

Rated by Alex (7) and Nick (6.5). Alex gave this one a 7 and Nick gave it a 6.5, and we think the average of 6.8 is a fair read. MTNS is a well-executed New Zealand hopped IPA with a distinct white wine and lime character, and it is a nice change of pace from the brewery’s West Coast leaning core beers. It does not quite reach the heights of the best beers on the Helix list, but it is an easy, refreshing pour and a good pick for anyone who likes their IPAs bright and grapey rather than bitter.