Altbier
Notch Brewing

 

Proper stange pour (0.3L) in Brighton. Beautiful beer and glass. Caramel/burnt sugar aromas. Same in the flavor. Big time Düsseldorf flavors. Dark bread, some dried citrus, even a hint of fresh vanilla bean. Rich but a joy to drink. Very true to style and seriously impressive for the US.

 

 

Dark amber/light brown color. Clear. Dense head that never fully fades. Plenty of spots remain on the glass throughout the tasting.

Dry caramel nose. Lighter toast and baked beans.

Darker caramel and dry. White pepper hop spice. Neutral body but with a higher carbonation. The hop while subtle provides for a longer aftertaste

 

Canned 1.19, best by 4.19, opened 5.14 , poured into a stange

Brewers Notes: Düsseldorf style Altbier: A copper colored ale that feels like a lager. Sweet vanilla balances earthy snappy bitterness with rounded notes of dark crusty bread and caramel. Single decoction, open fermented, extended cold lagering time, natural carbonation. The Düsseldorf style of Altbier tends to display more bitterness and less sweetness than other German Altbier.

Ranked #7 on BA for the style

Copper colored liquid with carbonation , three finger taupe frothy cap, settles to a thin layer with spotty lacings

Aroma is bready malt

Taste is bready malt , caramel, bit of pepper

Clean, crisp, gentle hop bite, semi dry finish
Good beer

 

Canned 1/19/22, best by 4/19/22

I really can't get enough of Notch lately. Every time I see a new beer from them on the shelves I just have to have it. This one is an Altbier, the 7th highest rated one on BA actually. Pretty cool. This isn't a style I have enough of so I'm always happy to see them. Let's get into it

Pours a cloudy brownish orange with 3 fingers of off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

Even for being towards the end of its shelf life, this is super vibrant in the nose. I'm picking up on aromas of brown bread, herbal hops, crackery malt, toffee, and light pear skin

It's a bit more muddled in taste, but it's still good for what it is. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting dark toast, raisin, peppery hops, and light toffee. The swallow brings notes of peppery hops, dark toast, pear skin, and light black tea

A light medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a crisp beer. Finishes mostly dry and quite herbal

This is very good, but nothing mindblowing. Notch has much better but this is a nice drink

 

 

 

A very flavorful, clean, malt forward ale. Very pronounced bread crust and lighter notes of caramel. Very light hop flavor and aroma, this beer is really about the malt. Well balanced and insanely quaffable.

 

Pours a lightly hazy reddish brown. White head with good retention. Caramel and toast on the nose. It's got some toasted bread notes with some sweet notes that aren't so much caramel as they are...perhaps more sweet breads? Some grassy hop character as well. This is solid and extremely drinkable. But it's not my favorite Alt either.

Altbier from Notch Brewing. Received on 9/4/21 from @Rub_This_BBQ in NBW BIF #13. 16 oz can stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 20/4/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “11:11 03/03/21”. Served at 43.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 54.5 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Pale Amber (SRM 9), clear. Unfiltered.
Body – Medium Amber (SRM 12), clear. When rear-lite, same. No chill haze
Head – Large (Maximum 4.5 cm, aggressive center pour), almond, high density, average retention, diminishing to a five to six mm undulating crown and a thin complete cap. Second pour produces a high density 0.8 cm head.
Lacing – Fair. A couple of narrow bands of tiny to small bubbles with long stalactites.
Aroma - 4 – Weak fruity esters and some hop cones. No malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 4.25 – Light apple ester(s) with ethyl -2-methyl butyrate predominating, slightly bitter, with no perceivable hop flavor, no yeast. No alcohol (4.5 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 Very good take on the altbiers. Good flavor and aroma.

 

l: clear deep brown to red highlights
s: dark toast some ester /yeast notes but faint
T: follows adding spicy notes from the hop
L light crisp but not over carb.


Just damn tasty that is for sure