Questions & Confusion With Great Notion Brewing

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by JasonJYoung, Sep 25, 2016.

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  1. JasonJYoung

    JasonJYoung Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2015 Washington
    Trader

    [​IMG] Yes, there is a 14 page thread that provides some clues........but what is the deal?

    Drove down from Seattle yesterday morning for the Juice Box release and arrived at 11:55 a.m. Only one other person standing at the front door waiting to get in. Handed over $60 for the following:
    2 x Juice Box
    1 x Space Invader
    1 x Don't Haze Me Bro

    Hung around for a little while and never witnessed heavy foot traffic in or out of the brewery.

    Visited Belmont, John's Market, The Beer Mongers, and a couple others places after leaving. Here are the primary "unscientific" takeaways from speaking with various people (patrons and staff) at these establishments:

    * Crowlers priced too high
    * Limited selection for crowler fills
    * Style of beer not being embraced (New England, East Coast, Hazy, etc)

    I drove back over a couple hours later for on-premise drinks and still surprised at the turn-out. Honestly, I love Great Notion's beers! But...... are they really receiving blowback based primarily on the above issues?

    Sure, you can get a 4-pack of Block 15's Sticky Hands (64oz) down the street for around $13 vs Juice Box at $15 for 32 ounces. Or, head into Washington State and grab a Three Magnets Little Juice 22oz at $6, which I personally found similar to Big Juice. Then again, couldn't we have this same argument with plenty of other breweries that a majority of consumers have little issues with (ie: price, style, etc)?

    ** I've personally enjoyed almost everything Great Notion has produced thus far**
     
    #1 JasonJYoung, Sep 25, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2016
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  2. StJamesGate

    StJamesGate Grand Pooh-Bah (3,766) Oct 8, 2007 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I was there in May; Great Notion were good beers but didn't blow me away.
    I'm from NY, so I've had a few NE-style IPAs; theirs were decent but not amazing examples.
    Juice Box is single hop Mosaic; maybe that hop just isn't as attention-grabbing as it was a few years ago.
    I actually thought Double Stack was Great Notion's best beer - it's hard to get lots of flavor from maple syrup because it often ferments out clean.

    For hopheads visiting Oregon, I'd recommend Barley Brown's, Boneyard, or even Fat Head's (carpetbaggers, I know) before Great Notion. Just my two cents.
     
    #2 StJamesGate, Sep 25, 2016
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  3. JasonJYoung

    JasonJYoung Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2015 Washington
    Trader

    @StJamesGate, you mentioned 'Double Stack' as this was my BIGGEST disappointment yesterday because I didn't get to try it! I noticed it listed on the tap list this morning, but didn't see it yesterday. Under the impression that Double Stack is a daily offering in the brewery/on tap?

    Can't wait to try some stuff from Barley Brown's.
     
    #3 JasonJYoung, Sep 25, 2016
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  4. honkduh

    honkduh Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2011 Oregon

    yes!
     
    #4 honkduh, Sep 26, 2016
  5. dphi

    dphi Zealot (534) Apr 14, 2013 Oregon

    They've only been open since January, so some of the issues you heard about were at one point true, and were enough to turn some people off from them. I actually seem to have bad luck every time I go there in that beers listed as being on tap that I'm interested in are actually out but the food has been good and the staff have been very cool so I can't complain.
     
    #5 dphi, Sep 26, 2016
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  6. squaremile

    squaremile Initiate (0) Aug 25, 2007 Oregon

    I live down the street and am there now and then. Awesome beers. There was no one there because juice box is on all the time, so for those of us in town it's not a big deal. The block 15 collaboration and that DeGarde collaboration were insanely packed. They are also pretty much minting money in there most of the time, so you got lucky.
     
    #6 squaremile, Sep 26, 2016
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  7. vurt

    vurt Grand Pooh-Bah (4,504) Apr 11, 2004 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I didn't find the place "insanely packed" for the Block 15 collab release. Perhaps I got there in the sweet spot between "insanely packed" and sold out?

    In my opinion, they make beers that go from "Meh" to "Very Good." They produce styles which seem calculated to appeal to newer beer drinkers, but do them generally well. I would not put them in the top tier of Portland breweries yet. I am definitely glad they're around. And yeah, the food is good too, although I was sorry to see the Cubano sandwich missing from the menu last time I was there.

    Shrug. Just my 2 cents' worth.
     
    #7 vurt, Sep 26, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2016
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  8. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Your (the OP) experience has been identical to mine, the few times I've stopped by. I went there right after they opened, and there was a nice size crowd. However, the times I've been by since then, I've been surprised by how empty the place was. This was during what I expected should have been prime time (like 5:30 or 6:00 on a Friday). Your guess is as good as mine as to what the problem is. The times I went, the food was OK, service was good, and the beer was fine. I'm not the biggest fan of the style they're trying to emulate, but undeniably, what they're making is pretty good. Yes, the prices are a bit high, but I've seen much worse. The limited crowler selection and high crowler prices are an annoyance, but it's hard for me to believe that's a deal killer for most people.

    I don't get it either.
     
    #8 John_M, Sep 26, 2016
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  9. SeaAle

    SeaAle Maven (1,381) Jun 24, 2012 Oregon

    I highly doubt they're hurting for business. Their shortage of beer proves that. Stopped by tonight for dinner and the place was pretty full. People aren't going to be lining up before opening for the return of Juice Box. By the way, their new beer Space Invader was excellent. Nice seeing them going back to the New England style. Their last few new releases IPA have been a little weird.
     
    #9 SeaAle, Sep 26, 2016
  10. Reidrover

    Reidrover Grand Pooh-Bah (4,886) Jan 14, 2003 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Its cool no crowds equals easy drinking.
    PNW. beer scene..gotta love it
     
    #10 Reidrover, Sep 26, 2016
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