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

Lukr schnitt at Brighton, 12/17/24. Clear, ruby-highlighted dark, dark amber. Large, dark beige head, creamy, well-retained. Man these guys crush the tmavy/cerne style...so much mineral, and so tastefully done on the dark malt. Hint of coffee, dark bread and vanilla with a bit of herb and lingering toffee and snappy yeast. Rich, big, malty, satisfying. Light roast with tons of hop character and deep cocoa and vanilla. Lingering mineral, roast, toast, yeast and more satisfying, chocolate-laced base maltiness. Very clean.

Tried on 17 Dec 2024 at 22:38


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

Brighton draught 12/17/24. Deep amber-maple. Clear. Medium-sized, dark beige head. Fruity and just a hint of roast. Clean, snappy, lots of mineral and herbaceous, spicy hops. Lingering baguette and butter toffee (no diacetyl). Malty, lightly to moderately toasty with mild berry and herbal notes. Pretty good depth of malt and strong attenuation. Notch is good about not overdoing the specialty malt and this is no exception, though there is a hint of soap and or bitter toast on the very end.

Tried on 17 Dec 2024 at 22:24


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

Brighton draught, 12/17/24. Clear amber-bronze-peach. Good sized, bitter-tinted head. Not too toasted with light red fruit and lightly spicy hops. Clean and yeasty with good mineral and perceived dryness. Malty, with zesty, herbal hop bitterness balancing the nicely derp malts. Good dryness and yeast finish with fruity, minimally toasted malt lingering. Lots more breadiness coming on late which kind of breaks up the sumptuous of the base malt a bit.

Tried on 17 Dec 2024 at 21:58


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

Just bought from trusted spot but canned back in March. Will I ever check dates prior to purchase? Doubtful. Cloudy yellow pour and some fluffy head. Nose is star fruit and cantaloupe. Tastes similar with some herbal tones also thrown in. Medium palate

Tried from Can on 16 Dec 2024 at 04:18


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

Pours clear gold into a willi. Bright white micro head with excellent retention recedes leaving sheet lacing. Straw, resin and biscuit aromas. Medium bodied with sweet honey, straw, mineral and earthy seared vegetables upfront turning to bitter earth and bark in the dry, medium length finish.

Tried on 27 Nov 2024 at 22:00


7.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Sampled from the tap at Craft & Carry. Pours a clear deep brown with a tan head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has earthy dark grains and light roast with a bit of earthiness underlying. Flavor has earthy dark rains and light roast and a bit of bread backing.

Tried from Draft on 17 Nov 2024 at 21:31


6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

A little caramel, finishes with some sweetness. Pours golden copper with decent head. Decent balance. Tap at Snally.

Tried from Draft on 11 Nov 2024 at 17:24


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Notes from March 2011 Nice extra thrown in by my trading buddy up in Beantown. Ommegang Anniversary glass. Still pretty chilly. Big, lumpy, textured white head. Clear, classic amber body. Wiry waves of lace. Smell is green & herbal. Hops seem a tad sharp. Very dry biscuit malt & noticeable alcohol. Almost a notion of fruit as it warms, but no. :P Bittergreen, leafy, & a touch iron-y. A bit sharp. Sizable amount of hops used. Malt is cracker dry with barely any sweetness. I would of enjoyed a little more of a grain profile personally. Frothy, but not all that carbonated. Still pretty crispy because it's so fresh. Alcohol seems slightly bigger then the paltry 4% stated. Feels more acidic then your standard American brewed Pils. Pretty clean for a contract brew. Shouldn't be surprised, because Ipswich makes good beer.

Tried from Can on 01 Nov 2024 at 01:29


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

Pours clear gold into a willi. Bright white head with good retention recedes go skim surface. Hay and biscuit aromas. Soft with sweet hay and biscuit upfront turning to peppery earth in the dry, medium length finish

Tried on 26 Oct 2024 at 21:17


6.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

Pours hazy dark gold into a willi. Bright white head with medium retention recedes to skim surface. Banana bread aromas. Crisp with sweet banana bread and clove upfront turning to dry, sweet dried apricot in the medium length finish. Taste is similar to a wit or cloying, sweetish single.

Tried on 23 Oct 2024 at 21:34