Blueberry Muffin
Great Notion Brewing

Excellent kettle sour. Perfect tartness, tastes just like a blueberry muffin.

Canned 6/24/22. “Muffin maestro” stamped on the side of the can

I’ve been seeing this beer for a while at like ~$8 a can, so naturally when I found it for $4 I had to spring for it. I was a little weary considering it wasn’t stored in a cooler, but I figured I might as well try it anyways. I’ve liked the few beers I’ve had from them before, so let’s see what this one is all about

Pours a cloudy orange gold with 2 fingers of creamy off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves minimal lacing

Well, it’s most definitely like a blueberry muffin in the nose, with just a hint of tartness. I’m picking up on aromas of blueberry muffin, lemon zest, vanilla, cereal grain, tart raspberry, and light wheat

It unfortunately trends quite a bit sweeter in taste but I’m still digging it anyways. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting jammy blueberry, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, light doughy malt, and cereal grain. The swallow brings notes of cereal grain, blueberry muffin, sweet honey, doughy malt, lemon zest, and wheat

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer. Finishes dry and a bit chalky

It’s definitely good, but nothing amazing. Not really tart and I know they can do tart. I’ve had much better from them

On tap at Lulu's, Allston. Pretty decent effort here from Great Notion -- this is one of those yogurty type of sours that isn't too puckering and really allows the breakfast-like quality of the fruits and bready malts to shine. Blueberry is front and center here, with a bit of vanilla, lemon, nutrigrain bar, and hop bitterness. Reminds me of some of Hudson Valley's stuff

81/100

 

 

Generally not a huge sour fan, but this leaned closer to a fruit beer to me. Poured a vibrant reddish purple with lots of berry on the nose. Loaded with sweet berry flavor. Good beer, liquid dessert.

 

 

 

Canned 6/24/22

L: Pours a murky red/amber/purple. White head dissipates to a ring.

S: Sweet blueberry, streusel topping

T: Blueberry yogurt up front. The muffin-like elements come through on the back end.

F: Medium bodied, slightly tart

O: Most breweries would mess this up, but not Great Notion. Well done!

Look: Murky blueish-red and the pour kicks off a billowing off-white head that forms a pillow, slowly settling to reveal good lacing left behind
Aroma: I could smell it when I popped the can. Rich and ripe blueberries, sweet baked bread, lactose (?) sweetness, and more blueberry
Taste: Starts out with a hit of blueberry puree that holds the spotlight before light but prickly tartness moves in alongside. Layers of sweet, muffin-centered bready malt follows suit and melds well with the blueberry. Outside of the tartness, this literally tastes like a blueberry muffin was liquified into my glass
Mouthfeel: Full but light, medium carbonation, mildly acidic but kept at bay by the sweetness, and finishes sweet
Overall: I dig it. This is definitely an interesting and unique beer and not surprising at all knowing these folks’ draw to odd and unique brews. It would be a one-and-done for me if I was drinking several beers and glad that I just scored the single can but it is a well-made and fun beer to drink for sure. Definitely worth trying

 

 

 

I see why this is rated so high. Big on flavor, tart, minimally sour, crisp, dry, and refreshing. It really is a blueberry muffin in a glass. Love it!

 

Pours a murky reddish brown color, minimal head. Massive sweet blueberry aroma. Wow. Very nice blueberry flavor, light and crisp, semi sweet, and slightly tart. Perfect! Appropriate carbonation. Overall a delicious beer. Would buy again.

7/8/22
16 oz can, no date, at least 4 months old.
4.25 rating

 

 

 

Fairly typical fair for the new-school sours hitting the market; dark purple/reddish body, opaque with an off-copper head color...lots of berry notes and some tartness on the nose...some Fruity Pebble funk with a slight acidity...cakey vanilla...refreshing mouthfeel on the palate...I've seen very high scores on this one but it honestly seems only slightly above average to me. It is well-executed and well-rounded, but the flavors and aromas are similar to a dozen other offerings I've tried.

 

 

Tasted in a Rastal Teku glass from a one pint can on July 20, 2021.

 

I instantly smelled this beer when I opened it and it reminded me of fruity pebbles, that smell lingered in the general vicinity of me pouring. Upon smelling it I definitely get blueberry flavor smells, I'm not sure if it is flavoring or not but it certainly smells that way. I would be shocked if it wasn't, we know our blueberries here in south jersey. There is definitely something sweet smelling as well, very muffin or cookie like.

Taste, OK this taste like Leinenkugles Sunset Wheat, like to a tee, except with a sourness to it. It may be a little sweeter too, very muffin like to be honest. I can't get over how much this reminds me of that Leinenkugel beer, this beer and that, fruity pebbles all the way. So much so that its taking me back, weird stuff what the brain can do.

Mouthfeel is light side of medium. It has a pleasant smooth carbonation and it goes down pretty easy. The sourness is subdued and pretty light, lighter than I would've expected. It has a weird medicinal feel to it, but I think that may just be the intense flavor, whether real or from the blueberries.

 

 

 

 

Murky burnt orange, white collar and spotted lacing. It actually does smell like blueberry muffin with hints of sourness, amazing. Tastes like blueberry muffin in a blueberry jello tart ale, the interaction of the biscuit and sour blueberry is amazing. Feel is full and sneaky heavy, has consistent tartness, and decently high carbonation. The wife loved it

Consumed 5/13/21

Pale orange with some pink/purple tones, kind of looks like fresh blueberry juice, hazy, small white head that fades to a tiny collar
Legitimately smells like a blueberry muffin, perhaps of the store-bought, prepackaged variety, complete with blueberry, blueberry skin, sweetness, and some cake, flavor is a bit different, lots of blueberry, tart blueberry, touch of sour (but more tart than sour), some acidity, more blueberry yogurt than blueberry muffin, fruity sweetness that does not become excessive
Light body, tart, low carbonation

Context seems really important for a beer like Blueberry Muffin. At a beer fest, a 2oz pour of this is a legitimate 5/5/5/5/5 masterpiece because it is so wildly unique. However, despite how much I have enjoyed samples of this beer in the past, do I actually want to drink 16oz of it? The tart yogurt flavor becomes more obvious over time and tragically reminds me that this is a kettle sour. But for that cursed style, this is still a standout.

What is this magic? Upon cracking open, an immediate aroma of blueberry muffins permeates the room. the beer pours a color hard to describe -- some sort of reddish-brown-amber is my guess. Definitely tart on taste, but not overly so. More blueberry muffin goodness trickles down the throat upon tasting. The beer is slightly hazy with minimal suds that do not linger. Definitely a unique beer that is gone before you know it.

 

 

Appearance: Pours the color of pressed blueberry juice with a thin film that fades to a ringlet; dotty lace

Smell: Smells more like blueberry yogurt than a blueberry muffin but the mind can be persuaded

Taste: Tart blueberry forward with the sourness from the yogurt aspect developing there is a biscuity tone that arrives, in the middle, to create the muffin impression; the finish is both sweet and tart

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not quite like a blueberry muffin to me but I still enjoyed it quite a bit

Thanks, BEER88, for the opportunity

 

Had on draft at Great Notion’s Georgetown taproom. Smell is sweet blueberry and sweet bread. Flavor is undeniably blueberry muffin, strikingly so. It’s rare that a beer hits the mark so accurately. Though it is sweet, it does not forget that it is a sour and has a nice tartness to it.

For those that are from the PNW you know Great Notion. Blueberry muffin is almost a flagship beer for them and if you really know blueberry and know muffin notes (biscuity character of a malty creative brew) you enjoy this beer. GN is our favorite place to go for food and a cool beverage (as well as the cool people) in the Portland area, so I guess keep that in mind as you read.

Look: brownish red cloudy hue with a 1/4 finger off white head and no lacing. The head dissipates quickly, but the fruity notes dominate the nose.
Smell: holy blueberries Batman, the blueberry is in your face straight away with some vanilla and biscuity notes.
Taste: acidic, tart and a bit sour on the front end with blueberry in the nose immediately. The blueberry lingers on the backside and then you really get hit with muffin (malty biscuit notes) in the middle, as we drink we get intense fruit on the back of the tongue with hints of vanilla, intense blueberry and biscuit (malty character).
Feel: acidic with a full fruity mouthfeel, crips finish and lingering smoothness. The carbonation hangs and tickles but it is not over the top by any means.

We read some reviews posted here but I will say that when we get a chance, nothing beats a cool tap of this one. We love both the NW and the Alberta location (we prefer Alberta, super chill people, great neighborhood and amazing people, not to mention great food and beer). Anyway, if you are into tart/sour and fruity beers, GN is the perfect place and the BBM is a great beer to sip on while having a few laughs with some chill people.