Beer Review: Great Notion/Breakside The Soughten IPA
This collaboration brings together two heavy hitters of the Pacific Northwest beer scene. While Great Notion is the undisputed king of the “hazy and pastry” world, Breakside is widely considered one of the best technical brewers of the classic, award-winning West Coast IPA.
The Soughten is a result of these two worlds colliding: a modern West Coast IPA that emphasizes extreme aromatics without sacrificing the clean, bitter finish the style demands.
The Profile
Style: West Coast IPA
ABV: 6.8%
Hops: Citra, Amarillo, and Chinook
The Secret Sauce: Infused with “Euphorics” (highly concentrated hop aromatics developed by Haas) to amplify the nose.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Unlike Great Notion’s typical “orange juice” appearance, this pours a brilliant, translucent gold with a fluffy, white head that leaves behind persistent lacing. It looks like a classic Breakside IPA, signaling right away that this is a crispier affair.
Aroma
The nose is where the Great Notion influence shines. It is aggressively pungent. You get immediate hits of pink grapefruit peel and dank pine resin. Thanks to the Amarillo and the Euphorics, there are also bright, floral notes of orange blossom and a hint of stone fruit hiding in the background.
Flavor
The palate is lean and purposeful. There is almost zero residual sugar, allowing the hop profile to take center stage.
Front: Sharp citrus zest (lemon and grapefruit) and a touch of tropical mango.
Mid-palate: A clean, crackery malt base that provides just enough structure to keep the hops from feeling “thin.”
Finish: A firm, resinous bitterness that lingers on the back of the tongue. It is bone-dry, making it incredibly drinkable.
Mouthfeel
Medium-light body with high carbonation. It has a “scrubbing” effect on the palate, which is exactly what you want from a West Coast style. It feels lively and fresh, lacking the heavy, silken weight of a New England IPA.
The Verdict
The Soughten is a “best of both worlds” brew. It takes the explosive, aromatic hop-forwardness of Great Notion and applies it to the refined, technical West Coast framework that Breakside has mastered.
If you usually find West Coast IPAs too “old school” or bitter, the massive fruit aromatics here might change your mind. Conversely, if you are a “haze hater,” the clarity and dry finish of this beer will be a breath of fresh air.