Great Notion: Calf & Half

This was the first one my wife and I tried. Very strong blueberry aroma. Not as strong in the taste but still there. Was an enjoyable sipper for the evening.

 

I finished night one with this, and I loved it. GN stouts are fantastic with great viscosity and mouthfeel. Absolutely great blueberry flavor, and a fantastic nightcap.

 

Opps, dropped a can while admiring my collection and it spring a leak. Guess I'll be tasting this one first

I can def taste the blueberry; satiny mouth feel, it is a sipper. Feel a pleasant burn on the aftertaste. Not where I would want to start, this is a nice desert beer to finish the night with. At first I thought the blueberry was a bit too much, but now I confess this beer is growing on me with every sip.

I'll be saving the rest of the box for a tasting with my brother-in-law in two weeks. He is going to be sorry he missed this one.

 

Got my box today and opened this one first. A fantastic stout that you can definitely taste the addition of the blueberry and coconut. A very silky mouthfeel. Overall a very delicious first crack. Hope the rest live up to this one

 

Beer #1 for us also. Shareable across two very different beer style preferences. Both really enjoyed the heavy mouthfeel.

 

Really enjoyed this Stout

 

First out the box here, too. Think it was the name that compelled me to start with this one and I was in the mood for something with punch. Definitely packs a punch with the aroma immediately. Wife says it smells like our favorite hotel ( Destino tower in Orlando), and I’m not arguing with her. This was definitely an auspicious start!

 

1st one for me. I am not a fan of this one. I think it has an extremely strong blueberry smell and flavor. It's a little more pleasant in the finish where it gets more boozy, coconut, and chocolate. But the blueberry is too potent throughout for me. I'm reluctant to actually rate it, because I think it's a style that's just not for me.

 

I have to agree with @IckityAckityOop on this one. It leaves me wanting more coconut and less blueberry. Definitely nails the blueberry stout profile though. Very syrupy and sweet, makes me want a salty snack after to recover.

 

Wow. Second stout I've had from Great Notion, and they've both been fantastic. That berry nose, that mouthfeel, the way the flavors roll past on the tongue...nice.

 

Blueberry roasty stout. I don't get a lot of coconut personally. Love the smell. Just like their blueberry muffin. Liked the sweetness of Double Maple Pusher more from the last extreme box. I wish we could get more Great Notion stouts on the east coast. I need another in person extreme fest so I can get some Double Stack back in my life.

 

This is the first one that I tried out of the box. Holy blueberry! That was dominant aroma for me, although my wife picked up on coconut in the smell. I did get some coconut in the background of the taste, but wished there was more. I liked this beer but I think it's a splitter. Unfortunately my wife didn't like it so and I had to soldier on by myself... I started with this one because, like others have commented, I loved Double Maple Pusher last year. This one's not as good IMO but I love that Great Notion isn't afraid of packing their stouts with lots of flavor and sweetness!

 

Dark, dark pour into the tulip, little head even with a kinda aggressive pour. Smells great, really- blueberry and blackberry, some coconut and a lot of chocolate. Fudge brownie. The alcohol is there but not as much as a couple of others in the box. Flavors of blackberry and blueberry chocolate pudding. Toasty malts and coconut too. Smooth feel, the alcohol is somewhat subtle. Better sip this one or it will creep up and knock you down. Very well-rounded with a great bourbon finish. Well done, Great Notion.

 

I’m not the biggest fan of berries in my stout but this works well. The coconut seems to round out the blueberry. Sweet, thick. Not picking up the barrel much. Almost like there’s something giving this beer some heat. Well done stout.

 

As soon as I opened the can, I got hit with a strong blueberry aroma. I don't think I've ever been hit that hard with an aroma when an opening a can. I've been sipping on it and letting it warm up. The blueberries are still strong, but perhaps mellowed a bit. I'm going to guess that in addition to actual blueberries or puree, they also threw in some extract. If you don't like blueberries, I'd consider keeping this in the cellar for awhile to let them calm down or to let it warm up before drinking. I do like blueberries, so overall, this has turned into a nice sipper for me.

 

#2 out of the box. Mainly because I got two of them . Holy Blueberry Jam Batman! Anyone know what type of barrel this is aged in? Maybe rum?

 

Beer #2 for me. The aroma is explosive blueberry, which really whet my appetite.

The taste is a different matter. I felt the blueberry & coconut really clashed together, and didn't really work for my tastes. I still drank it all. My wife thought it was absolutely gross, though. Last year's maple & boysenberry worked a lot better. Not complaining, but just calling it as I see... taste it.

 

Here I am outside my comfort zone again. And enjoying the hell out of it again! Pretty much all blueberry in the aroma and plenty of it. When tasting, the blueberry is even more potent. But there is so more going on here. The coconut and chocolatey base stout more than hold their own. The barrel impact is suitably subtle. Damn good.

 

This was a really great choice for an extreme beer box. I love that Great Notion just owned the hell out of the flavors here. You pop it and you get blueberry, you take your first drink and you are hammered with blueberry but then it starts to open up and that barrel aging and chocolate start to come in beautifully. I didn't get much coconut but I did pick it up in hints here and there. A really good beer!