Great Notion Ripe
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Tasting Notes
Ripe pours hazy and leads with an aroma heavy on tropical fruit — mango, passionfruit, and a hint of overripe citrus that's closer to fruit salad than fruit juice. On the palate it's full and pillowy, with low bitterness and a sweetness that reads more like stone fruit than malt. The hops — likely a Citra and Mosaic-forward blend — dominate without turning sharp or resinous. The finish is soft and brief, leaving behind a faint tropical warmth rather than any lingering bite.
About the Brewery
Great Notion is based in Portland, Oregon, with additional locations in the greater Portland area. Founded around 2016, the brewery built a strong reputation quickly on the strength of its hazy IPAs and pastry stouts, becoming one of the more talked-about craft operations in the Pacific Northwest. They're known for pushing fruit-forward and dessert-style beers, and their canned releases have developed a following well beyond Oregon.
Food Pairings
The low bitterness and tropical fruit character here work well with spicy Thai or Vietnamese dishes, where the soft sweetness offsets chili heat without amplifying it. Fish tacos with mango salsa echo the beer's fruit notes in a way that feels cohesive rather than redundant. A creamy brie or mild washed-rind cheese plays well against the pillowy body and keeps the fruit in focus. Grilled shrimp with a citrus marinade bridges the beer's aroma profile to the plate without either competing.
Style Guide
New England IPA — sometimes called NEIPA or hazy IPA — is defined by its deliberately cloudy appearance, soft and full body, and emphasis on hop aroma and flavor over bitterness. Dry-hopping heavily with varieties like Citra, Mosaic, and Galaxy gives the style its signature tropical and stone-fruit character, while the use of oats or wheat in the grain bill contributes to that pillowy mouthfeel. It diverges from West Coast IPA primarily in bitterness level and texture: where West Coast leans dry and resinous, NEIPA stays round and fruit-forward. The style was popularized in New England in the early 2010s, largely through breweries like The Alchemist and Trillium, before spreading nationwide.