Great Notion

I'm gonna stop at Great Notion Friday afternoon for a pint and growler fill on the way down to the Oregon coast for a camping/De Garde visit.

Pretty excited, I love NE style IPAs, but I also like a nicely done west coast style IPA.

 

Trillium too, John. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts about their hoppy beers. The thing I can't get past is the gritty, chewy, grassy texture that those milkshake IPAs have. It's almost like someone tried to do a wheatgrass juice cleanse but in beer form.

 

I was actually talking about how the current so called NE style evolved so yes, I'm talking about how the scene there became what it is today, which would absolutely be influenced by the fact that there were very few hoppy options brewed there locally in years past. And honestly, the first time I visited Boston five years ago I was hard pressed to find anything brewed locally that quenched my thirst for hops. Pretty sure Trillium and Tree House didn't even exist or if they did, they were in their infancy.

To be really honest I wasn't very enamored with the things I could get in MA that were from the East Coast as a whole that were supposed to be good hoppy offerings. Stuff like Flower Power (which IIRC was talked about very highly) or Finest Kind were decent at best but not really what I was looking for.

Anyway, it would make sense that local brewers would aim for something lower in bitterness since that region tended to brew stuff at the lower end of the bitterness scale anyway (don't want to say IBU because as many would probably agree IBUs don't really tell the whole story).

Edit to add:
Not only did I have Heady on tap at the Alchemist but I bought a case and a half to take with me. Every single can I tried drank the same way, with more sweetness than bitterness in the finish. I found it tough to get through an entire can pretty much every time.

 

This Saturday is the release of Juice Box DIPA at Great Notion Brewing. You don't want to miss this one!
Juice Box Double IPA
Bursting with pungent American hops, with aromas of peach, mango, and passion fruit. Juice Box is brewed with over 4 pounds of hops per barrel. The mellow bitterness and soft mouth feel makes this DIPA dangerously drinkable!
8.2% ABV

 

Juice box was on earlier this evening. It is DELICIOUS! Took 2 crowlers home with me.

 

Awesome to hear. So their crowler machine is up and running now?

 

Yep. Limit 2 per beer, per customer, per day. $15/ea for juice box seems pretty steep, but I obliged so I could enjoy at home this weekend.

 

$7.50 a pint is pretty steep. How much is a pint at Great Notion? And how much are they charging for the crowler itself?

 

I didn't get a full pint. They were served in tulips. Probably 12oz, and $6/ea pour if I remember correctly. I'm very happy to support Great Notion. Their beer, food, and service has been top notch. I am going to happily enjoy those crowlers over the weekend. I was just a little sticker shocked at $15 crowlers, especially when I can get crowlers of notorious for $10-$12 around town.

 

If that's the case, the crowler is actually a better deal.

 

$6 for 12oz and $15 for a crowler? That's a game I don't think I'd play. Sucks to see east coast prices happening some place like Portland.

 

Just measured the volume in the tulip I have. 14oz. So $6 pour is ~43cents/oz, $15 crowler would be ~47cents/oz, but they do have to factor in the can costs.

 

Been looking forward to this one for awhile! Exceeded my expectations.

 

Adding hype to the fire, Juice Box is indeed incredible. I can't believe how delicious and drinkable this stuff is.

 

Definitely stopping after Farmhouse Fest next month.

 

Juice Box was well worth whatever they were charging for it. One of the best IIPA's I've ever had. Hopefully they keep it up.

 

I admire the work that they are doing but I don't appreciate them taking advantage of the hype to charge the prices they are charging for the beers. Yeah I know you can tell me that they hop the shit out their beer and that's why its expensive but don't other brewers I the region do the same without charging $30.00 a growler. Come on guys I agree with you guys bringing the NE IPA flavor but not the NE prices. Please don't be dicks because as much as I like your beer is not mind blowing for me to spend almost twice as much for it as I spend for my favorite double ipas(sticky hands and notorious) please don't be opportunistic.

 

Agreed. Obviously they can charge whatever they want and it's the consumers choice to purchase or not. But either way, those types of prices are absolutely beyond ridiculous.

 

This beer sucks, stay away.