Steve-Fu!
North Park Beer Company

Type: 16-oz. can
Reviewed as: American IPA
Glass: Pure Project 14-oz. snifter elemental (air) glass
Price: $22 for a 4-pack
From: North Park Beer Company in North Park (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: Aug. 12, 2022
Consumed: Aug. 12, 2022
Misc.: Collaboration with Fidens; Canned on Aug. 9, 2022; Split (2/4) with Sonny (1/4) and Kevin (1/4)

Grabbed a 4-pack of this and another since I really wanted both. North Park’s website called this one “For our 600th batch, we present to you a very special collaboration with our friends at Fidens. On a trip out to Cali, love was found between a man and his west coast ipa, so we could not think of a better way to commemorate our love of West Coast IPA and our buds from Albany than to brew up a crispy, clean and flavor packed beer affectionately named "Steve-Fu!". Our latest Triple Dry Hopped West Coast India Pale Ale is jam packed with Citra Incognito, Citra, Chinook, Amarillo, Strata, Strata CGX, Mosaic, Simcoe and Freestyle Nelson. Bright notes of ripe citrus, wild blueberries, juicy strawberry and resiny pine overwhelm the senses, while the finish is beautifully dry with a delicately assertive bitterness.”

Poured a medium-yellow semi-clear color with three fingers of frothy off-white head. Could see plenty of bubble streams coming up the sides of the glass at a pretty quick speed. Good watery-to-foggy lacing. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Smelled pretty damn good. Out of the seven hops, I could initially detect all except Chinook, in order Simcoe, Amarillo, Citra, Nelson, Strata and light Mosaic. Specifically got bitter pine, garlic, onion, bitter orange peel, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, dank weed, mixed berry, floral, rose blossom, Juicy Fruit and grass. Smelled just as good out of the can. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted just as good as the nose. In order got Simcoe, pine, garlic, onion, earthy pilsner malt, bitter aspirin, Amarillo, bitter orange peel, tangerine, Citra, Nelson, grapefruit, pineapple, Strata, dank weed, mixed viney berry, Mosaic, floral, rose blossom, Juicy Fruit, grass and lingering black pepper. (Taste - 4.25)

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

Damn. Just a really nice West Coast IPA. Excellent. (Overall - 4.25)

4.26 | 95 | A

Sweet tropical hoppy, orange-tangerine citrus, old-school hoppy, and mosaic-dank nose on this one! Taste follows with a well-balanced, old-school/new-school hoppy bitter swallow...this combination makes it really enjoyable to drink. This finishes a little dry, but it is very clean...that clean/crispness compliments that lingering hoppy bitterness on the finish. Good!