Steelhead IPA - Mad River Brewing Company

Beer #2 in my bi-weekly Naja's run - Poured into a pint glass off tap at Najas.  Lacey head that grips the side of the glass as you'd expect out of any standard IPA.  The beer itself is an amber opaque orange.  The nose is not nearly as hoppy as you would expect out of an IPA - it's present but not pronounced.  A slight sour edge exists as well.  The beer defeinitely has good hop presence in the flavor, and one can't help but wonder if it is due to a longer bittering cycle.  The aftertaste is truly a wonderful example of good lasting hoppy bitterness on the back of the palate.  The effervecence tickles every tastebud yet maintains a solid mouthfeel of a substantial beer - not massive but still solid.  All in all, I'd say this would make a good session IPA for experienced IPA drinkers and a good primer for those who want to get hop newbies into the beer.  This beer would be great on a hot summer barbecue with some barbecued chicken or something spicy.