Triple-Fu!
North Park Beer Company

Poured into my Surly Darkness tulip, I'm seeing a clear, bright golden amber beer that has fair head retention and light lacing. The nose is more impressive, as I pick up onion, light dank earth and a hint of pine and light honey. On the palate, this is a sizeable and impressive imperial IPA (TIPA in this case I guess). There's some initial sweetness, but then there's an explosion of hoppy bitterness on the finish. This is a full bodied IPA, but there's no heat or heaviness on the finish. You can tell the abv is up there of course, but there's no alcoholic burn in this beer. As a result, this is an entirely too easy to drink imperial IPA.

Another excellent beer from the folks at North Park. The brewer clearly has a knack when it comes to making WCIPA'S. Impressive.

Had on tap originally, 4 pack to go from NP taproom. Packaged Feb 12/24.
Pours a crystal clear orange golden with scant half finger white head.
Aroma is an explosion of hop oils - pine, orange, some blueberry, and a not insignificant dankness - resinous and a touch herbal and floral.
Taste is citrus sweet but with a spicy kick, some tropical fruit, a good whack of pine resin, and an herbal bitterness. Background notes of berries and melon.
Medium full mouthfeel with tingling carbonation and a beautifully creamy and boozy bittersweet finish.

Type: 10-oz. draft
Reviewed as: American Triple / Imperial IPA
Glass: 10-oz. clear snifter glass
Price: $9.00
From: North Park Beer Company in North Park (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: March 8, 2022
Consumed: March 8, 2022
Misc.: n/a

Stopped by North Park on my way home from two long days at a work event. Had this once before, giving a pour a 4.50 on Untappd on Feb. 11 with Nick and just writing, “Earlier. Damn it was good.” Their website called this “It is that time of year again so without further ado, we proudly present to you "Triple-Fu!" TDH West Coast TIPA with Chinook, Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic, Columbus, and Strata Hop Hash. This one is packing the same piney and citrusy aroma, only bigger, with delicious tasting notes of orange, blueberry, grape jolly ranchers, and red skittles. We just know you are going to love it just as much as we do but be careful though because the "hop-fu" in this one will sneak up on ya!”

Poured a medium yellow clear color with 1-to-2 fingers of frothy off-white head when I got it. Slow moving bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Decent watery lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Citra stood out on the smell, but Strata and Simcoe are in there. Also strawberry, red grapefruit, mango, papaya, pine, dank resin, red berry and floral. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted even better than the nose. In order got spicy Simcoe, papaya, red grapefruit, dank pine, Strata, strawberry, floral, Mosaic, black pepper, Citra, mango, herbal and orange rind. (Taste - 4.50)

Medium body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Slightly bitter finish. (Feel - 5.00)

This was an exceptional beer. About everything you’d want from a West Coast Triple IPA. (Overall - 4.50)

4.46 | 99 | A

Another selection from the 2022 dipa festival. I don't think I've ever seen a packaged North Park beer up my way, so you better get those draft selections at festivals when you get a chance. I just don't make it down that way as much anymore.

Pours a dark golden color with the slightest lean into bronze. Good clarity, 2/3" white head. Pretty beer. At like 7 different hop varieties, you get the expected hodgepodge of every hop flavor sometimes clashing giving a sum is less than the parts kind of result. Might be fun to list that many, but it doesn't result in a better product. Peanuts and gum are good, but not together. Nuts and gum, together at last, I'm a man aged 18-49. Derp.

The taste is an improvement, you can make a better case for identifying the hops. The pine and citrus play their parts. That accounts for Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Citra essentially. CTZ, Amarillo and Strata divy up the remainder. A tiny bit of weed. Some hay and berries. Didn't really go as heavy as the commercial tug job said the tropical notes would. Great job hiding the alcohol, minimal heft to the malt bill, just right for such a thing, could be dangerous in the canned pint format. A better version of this beer would have 2-3 hops.

 

Thanks, Chris, Cassidy.

A clear light orange with a dense white head that falls off leaving little lacing. The nose is great with a lovely blend of citrus, pine, stone fruit,a little melon and grape. Along with the prominent hop character, there's a confident malt presence lending a light complementary sweetness. The palate opens soft and bitter with a big pine and citrus hop blast, mildly oily with grapefruit oil, orange oil, pine to go with the blend of melon and grape. Strata lends a mild tropical note. To balance the massive hop profile, there is some malt, light, creamy, delicately sweet and yet unobtrusive. The mouthfeel is just outrageous. Clean, bitter, balanced. A lower level of carbonation than is typical allows the smoothness from the hops and malt shine. Outrageously drinkable.

Sweet piney, tropical hoppy, old school hoppy, hint of citrus, and mosaic-dank nose on this one! Taste follows with a beautifully balanced, hoppy and piney, citrus bitter finish. This is just so clean...and for a triple, it is so crushable and easy to drink. This incorporates and blends new school hops and old school hops to produce something that transcends eras. LOL! I mean...I wasn't expecting this! This is just wonderful...everything I want a westie TIPA to be...and the big ABV is well hidden. This is absolutely great!

2/12/24 Batch (ratings reflect this batch! Previous was 4.71) Sweet and piney tropical hoppy, a hint of old-school hoppy, and a blueberry, Mosaic-dank nose on this one! Taste follows exactly with a piney-dank and crisp bitter finish. Wow! This is super-clean...and super hop expressive for a triple! The balance between the malt profile and the hop profile is darn near perfect...that combined with a well-hidden ABV makes this TIPA almost crushable! I mean...I had to caution myself not to drink this too fast! Ha! Dare I say just as good as batch 1?! Maybe a touch better?! Outstanding batch! Might be my favorite so far!