Notch Brewing (2020)

Cerne Pivo isn’t out. I placed an order and expect to get tomorrow via UPS.

 

I think he meant out as in released.

 

Looks like UPS was too full or planing around the storm - got notice of a planned shipment from Notch to be delivered today, and then "your pickup could not be completed". It's just beer, and I fully get how overwhelmed delivery services are.

 

I suspect that I won’t get my order until Saturday - which is totally fine. I’ll be waiting.

 

Other than the 12 packs brewed at Two Roads, we haven’t seen any American-style hoppy beers or Voll Project IPAs in ages. Not a complaint. Just wondering. The old-world style Notch beers are certainly amazing and there are more than enough hoppy beers in the world to go around, but I do like Chris’s Voll IPAs now and then. It does appear he’s sticking with almost exclusively European lagers for the time being, which I’m fine with, but I wouldn’t mind one or two IPAs thrown in every so often.

 

I wonder if they’re a taproom preference sort of thing. May or may not do as well in package stores/direct to consumer?

 

What I found most interesting about the article posted above is that there was a reference to eventually getting into Belgian beers. If we can suddenly add Notch to the list of New England breweries doing Belgians (and sub-genres of such) ... heck yeah

 

That’s a good point. I’m sure if people were screaming for it now, he’d brew some. I assume the demand just isn’t there at the moment.

 

I’m sure I’m in the minority, but I’d like to see him do some English pub ales. (I’m almost certain he’s done a bitter). How about an English Pale, a mild, etc. I’d be up for that!

 

I'm as happy to shit on Trillium's quality downturn as any, but iirc they got those taps for the purpose of their lager program and do brew lagers specifically for Fort Point to serve out of those taps. Maybe things have changed/will change, but could be wrong.

Notch tackling English styles would be amazing - right there with you on the idea of a Notch mild.

 

Yup changed my mind. In on this.

 

If Notch decided to geek out as hard on English pub ales as they do on European lagers, I'm not sure I'd visit any other brewery. Side pull lagers and English pales/bitters/milds on cask are pretty much all I need.

 

If that's the the minority I'm in it too. I desperately want more accessible English style session beers and Notch would be great at delivering.

 

Well I guess it’s not as much of a minority opinion as I thought!

I was thinking about English beer (I think about beer a lot), and bought some London Pride and Sam Smith’s Welcome Back. Both hit the spot but, of course, I’d love to see some locally brewed English styles. I cant’ remember the last time CBC brewed an English Pale or E.S.B. It was always a nice treat to get their E.S.B. dry-hopped with fuggles on cask. I used to drink a pour of that REALLY fast.

 

I have a very writerly dream that I will one day live in a small England town with a corner pub that makes its own 3.2% beauty and I’ll just sit there and drink every afternoon watching football. Maybe start smoking a pipe.

 

Let's do it. I'll move to the town.

 

Though I’m not one for cold weather. When I am to depart this Valley of Ashes, it will be for warmer climates. I’ll settle for a Pacifico beer overlooking the Pacific.

 

I imagine part of brewing IPAs is for the taproom. People come, they expect IPAs for better or worse. Since taproom traffic has and will dwindle, I imagine there's less demand for it when they can brew and sell styles that turnover quickly. It's always interesting to see what turns over at Notch because it feels backwards to what's going on in the market. Or at least I don't know what to expect. The VP Hefe Weisse lasted much longer than I would've expected. The Festbier disappeared so fast that Chris and staff members didn't even get some (nor did I ). It's weird. It's cool.

They've done a few in that realm:
Gates of the West (Bitter)
Pale Mild
Dark Mild
English Dream (Bitter)
Vincent (Dark Mild)

I remember enjoying a Vincent on Labor Day a few years ago.

Definitely this - but who knows - they might find a way to package it in a way that meets their expectations and can provide a traditional experience. I feel like Notch finds ways to innovate in a traditional space.