Notch Brewing

Microbrewery in Salem, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸
Associated with 2 Venues

Established in 2010

Contact
283R Derby St, Salem, MA, 01970, United States
Description
Launched in 2010, Notch Brewing – named for the nick made to keep a record when you're having more than one – was the first brewing company in the U.S. to focus exclusively on session beer. At the time, we simply wanted to brew the beers we loved to drink because finding them was a challenge. Session beer has been enjoyed in every great beer brewing nation for centuries, yet in the U.S. it was overlooked. So we set out to brew the world’s classic session styles from the Czech Republic, Germany, England, and Belgium, as well as explore how session beer could fit with the U.S.’s hoppy beer infatuation. Over a decade later, we have a brewery built on the back of session beer and it’s proven two things: beer consumers like options, and session beer is a great one.

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8.9
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Brighton draught, 1/4/23. Clear deep honey-bronze-maize. Big, creamy, light-beige head is well-retained. Big ol mineral and white grape with soft, gently spicy/herbal hops. Hint of honey, cracker, biscuit from the malt. Clean, no alcohol noted. Spicy hops and more bitterness than the nose suggests but it transitions to succulent, rich, honey and bready-like malt before a slight spicy hop reprieve mixing with strong mineral from the yeast. Stunningly clean and with tons of flavor and body for its size.

Tried on 04 Jan 2023 at 21:26


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

16 oz can poured, sent over by Jow. Thanks! Heard all about these guys, and thought I would only find them at the source. Somewhat cloudy but bright golden pour. Lasting foam head. Exceptionally clean pils, with some floral and citrus, with a juicy note as well. Extremely refreshing, with a mild grain in the palate to balance. At 4.4%, I could drink this all day. Excellent product here.

Tried from Can on 01 Jan 2023 at 01:19


5.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5.5

From a crowler filled off a freshly tapped keg. Pours slightly hazed gold into a stein. White head with little retention recedes to skim surface. Tangerine and (uh oh) manure aromas. Soft with earthy aged compost and tangerine peel and pith upfront turning to dry, sweet, dirty socks in the medium length finish. Not for me.

Tried from Crowler on 18 Dec 2022 at 22:43


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Can and draft since debut, most recently on draft at The Hill Tavern, late October 2022. Clear, bright, well-carbonated, blonde-golden with a sizeable, white head. Soft, delicate, floral hops and plentiful honey and biscuit-like-like malts balance. Clean, no alcohol. Soft, malty, quite hoppy with assertive but not overdone bitterness. Dense malts with lots of texture and good attenuation. A great beer, and one that shows up in a lot of places lacking in great beer.

Tried from Can on 28 Nov 2022 at 16:48


7.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Thought I’d had this one, but incorrect. Glad I tried now. Dark pour. Nose is cocoa and clean lager goodness. Tastes of roast coffee, cocoa powder, grass, steel barrel, touch of licorice. Smooth and fun.

Tried on 21 Nov 2022 at 05:20



7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Pours clear deep dark copper into a stein. Tan head with medium retention leaves soapy sheets as it recedes to pancake surface. Dark pit fruit and molasses aromas. Soft and dry with toasted raisin brown bread and caramel upfront turning to earthy bark and molasses in the medium length finish.
Earlier Rating: 3/9/2022 Total Score: 3.8
Pours deep mahogany into a lager glass. Soapy mocha head with medium retention recedes to skim surface. Dark caramel, brown bread and sweet dried pit fruit aromas. Soft with dark caramel, toasted raisin brown bread, and earthy bark front to back. Lasting bitter root finish.

Tried on 13 Nov 2022 at 22:28


7.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Bunch of cans over weekend ending on Halloween while watching monster movie. Light clear gold colored and smallish white head. Nose is grass and subtle fruit. Tastes of grass, lemon, gooseberry, malt, and herbs. All subdued for the style of course. But pleasant and crushable

Tried from Can on 01 Nov 2022 at 03:13


7.4
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Can drunk 10/26/22. Clear, light amber-brads-golden. Large, off-white head, good retention. Big, bready malts and rich honey contend with herbal hops in moderation. Clean, rich, low mineral. Interestingly, this is canned in Burlington, VT?! Soft, malty, heavy bready sourdough and toffee with fresh herbs and light to moderate bitterness. Maybe a bit intense for my liking but clean and malty with good attenuation.

Tried from Can on 26 Oct 2022 at 18:56


6.9
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 8.5

Can at home. Flattish looking dirty orange and minimal head. Nose is dried fruits and caramel. Tastes earthy, grass, caramel, dried golden raisins, apricot and floral. Lingering flavor.

Tried from Can on 23 Oct 2022 at 02:00