Disciples Of Fu! - Simcoe Syndicate
North Park Beer Company

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American IPA
Glass: Firestone 16-oz. Spiegelau IPA glass
Price: $21.99 for a mixed 4-pack
From: North Park Beer Company in North Park (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: April 7, 2021
Consumed: April 22, 2021
Misc.: Canned on April 6, 2021

Snuck over to North Park to grab a mixed 4-pack of new releases from the past couple weeks. Had their Mosaic version before, giving it a 4.33, and missed the Citra one. North Park’s website called it “Disciples of Fu! - Simcoe Syndicate is the 3rd in our series of single hopped beers featuring the hops used to make Hop-Fu! This one is stuffed full of Simcoe hops!! We dosed the kettle with plenty of Simcoe Resinate and Simcoe Cryo, then we double dry hopped it with Simcoe and more Simcoe Cryo! The aroma is erupting with pine, Valencia orange zest, passion fruit, and the dankest oily hop resins. Pine forward, firm bitterness, and orangey citrus hoppy flavors completely delights the palate. Bright, clean, crisp and a dry finish will have you revisiting many, many times.”

Poured a medium yellow clear color with three fingers of frothy white head. Lots of fast-moving bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Excellent spotty lacing. World-class retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled Simcoe, pine, resin, garlic, orange citrus, tangerine, grapefruit rind, herbal and lime. Even better out of the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted better than the nose. Got Simcoe (you sure?), bitter pine, resin, orange citrus, tangerine, grapefruit rind, garlic, herbal, lime and some lingering peppery spice. (Taste - 4.25)

Medium body. Oily texture. Average-to-lively carbonation. Long, bitter finish. (Feel - 4.50)

This was an excellent West Coast IPA. (Overall - 4.25)

4.22 | 94 | A-

Thanks to whomever sent this to me: my door, mouth, & stomach will always be open to WC IPAs. 16 oz. can split with my wife.

The pour is a more beautiful gold than the One Ring & much less likely to bring the wrath of the Eye down upon me. Mostly gentle pine on the nose with a whiff of fruity esters. I knew an Ester once. In grade school. Haven’t thought about her in decades.

Disciples of Fu! Simcoe Syndicate is full on pine. Pine, bitterness, hop oil, slight hint of The Pantanai with a finishing slug of stone fruit. Dry. Very, very dry. The kind of beer you could get a keg of & swill happily but mindlessly during a backyard cookout.

Nothing groundbreaking or magnificent here but a good brew.

This was a curious one for an East Coaster on the West Coast, seeking out as many west coast style IPA I could fit into a five day business trip (and still be able to conduct business). Some of this review is reaction to the initial opening and some to letting it sit around for 1/2 getting some of the chill off. The nose was pungent- hemp like stickiness, in your face. I chalk that up to many an over abundance of Simcoe? Very unique if that’s the case. Started tight on the flavor notes - typical but still overpowering resin. As the ale warmed up though it began to express more nuance. I found that hoppiness smooth out and it revealed fruity vegetative notes. Not quite ripe stone fruit (wouldn’t want that in the fruit itself but in a beer it’s wonderful) with some mellowing malt profile made the second half of the beer a real treat.