Notch Tafelbier - Notch Brewing

tronester

Oklahoma

3.81/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear orange with a creamy, dense, white head. Aromas of cloves. Taste begins with some lemon zest, followed by some grainy wheat, followed by a tart sour apple finish. Mouthfeel is super rich for the abv. Overall an extremely flavorful beer for the alcoholic content. It was a bit tarter than I would have liked, but an entire 22oz bottle can be drank with lunch with no ill effects. Extreme sessionability!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 00:07:35 | More by tronester

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.76/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into an oversized wine glass. Color was a nice medium golden amber, with a 1 finger creamy slightly bubbly head. Plenty of bubbles rose from the etching in the bottom. Primarily picked up yeast and a bit of peppery sugar. Small bit of citrus flavor as well. Felt ok in the mouth. Enough mouth cling for the style, thinner than I prefer however. A reasonable bit of carbonation tingle as well. Overall a reasonable beer. Perhaps a bit subtler than I would expect.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 23:07:04 | More by mountdew1

Maxwell

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

The beer pours a golden yellow, with a nice big creamy yellow-white head that fizzles away to leave scrim of medium-sized soapy bubbles. The beer’s body is clear but very hazy with a strong and steady stream of bubbles traveling up the glass. On the nose, this beer smells properly Belgian with lovely funky citrus bready banana yeast esters with touches of clove. This nose is surprisingly complex. I’m not sure what I’m expecting in a 2.8% beer, but I feel like my expectations are already being shattered with the nose. The malts are light in the nose, but the hops definitely provide a light grassy quality that I’ve come to expect from Saaz. On the tongue the beer tastes of spritzy sweet and tart citrus. The flavor begins as fierce spritzy lemon before opening further into lemon citrus flavors. This beer tastes amazing citric, almost like strong lemon water. The finish is medium in length with more citrus and touches of bready yeast and malt. In the mouth, this beer feels fiercely carbonated and assaults the tongue. The beer’s body is light and the mouth is left clean except for a little dryness on the tongue, and a little bit of carbonation burn. Overall, this beer is incredible. It is full of citric flavor, and extremely light and drinkable. This beer is like a sprite with beer flavors added. It is fantastic. Notch has one hell of a repertoire, and this is one hell of an addition to it. This beer is great.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 01:50:45 | More by Maxwell

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Yankee Spirits, Sturbridge, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 1" off-white head over the clear golden amber brew. Head fizzes away gradually, with chunky sporadic lace. Aroma is spicy sweet.

Taste is sweet to start, spicy yeast in the middle, and closes with a crisp and clean light banana flavor. Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is way easy. I guess I need to have a table beer more often.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 22:53:07 | More by ppoitras

kslays

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fantastic flavor at this ABV, but not so strong or thick or lingering that it takes away the refreshing character. One of the most refreshing relaxed beers I've had. The unfiltered color is attractive. The head is a bit short. I will be buying this one again, and bringing it to parties.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 23:07:38 | More by kslays

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a half inch white head with decent lifespan. Hazy raw sienna yellow colored body. Smell is simple and mainly malt. Taste is pretty much a mild BMC, but then again what do you expect from a professed table beer? There's a slight touch of sour in the taste and finish. All in all yes, this would be decent on any table, yet not a stand out in any particular way.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 08:53:49 | More by MoreThanWine

mdfb79

New York

4.15/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 08/17/12 notes. 22 oz. bottle shared by jslot38 up in Boston this past weekend; thanks Justin.

a - Pours a hazy yellow-orange color with two fingers of fluffy off white head and low to moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for several minutes.

s - Smells of oranges, fruity malts, spices, Belgian style yeast, and some floral hops. Very nice nose.

t - Tastes of oranges, citrus hops, Belgian yeast, spices, fruity malts, floral hops. Very nice again; lots of flavor for 2.8% ABV.

m - Light body and light carbonation. Smooth and creamy, and VERY easy to drink. At 2.8% ABV and with the light body, you could definitely drink a whole bottle of this by yourself.

o - Overall a great session beer; reminds me of a Belgian style saison. Great summer beer I'd love to have again.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 20:42:56 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light fizzy 1/2 finger head that fades semi quickly, just a bit of lacing, hazy honey colored beer.

Nose light toasty pale malts, hints of pilsner malts, some light Belgian floral fruity like yeast aromas, hints of floral fruity hops.

Taste starts with toasty malts, light pilsner malts and hints of Belgian malts. Then plenty of Belgian yeast flavors, fruity with hints of esters, and a light bready malt flavor and bit of a honey malt. Then light floral fruity hops, the don't really get bitter but slightly herbal and earthy. Finish is fairly dry and lighter, light lingering fruity Belgian yeast flavors, hint of herbal grassy hops, and light bready malts.

Mouth is light bodied, decent carb.

Overall not bad, quite light and sessionable as it promises, the hops are light but add a bit too much herbal flavors, malts are fairly nice but could use a bit more flavor too, overall quite drinkable but could ramp up a bit more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 00:09:21 | More by jlindros

jslot38

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Notch's expanding lineup of session beers has a new addition, and comes in at a low 2.8% ABV. Like the other beers in the Notch lineup this one too makes you step back and think about the role high ABV plays in the craft beer market. Can a beer that is well below 5% still pack in the flavor? For me, definitely.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy burnt orange color with a white head that quickly disapates. Maybe not the best looking beer in the world, but it does have a nice color and leaves some lacing.

Smell: Belgian characteristics of fruit and a spice pop up and go right in line with the overall malty bread nose. Not much of a hop presence.

Taste: First off - there is a lot of complexity here regardless of the ABV. Has more of a saison like flavor to me versus a BPA. Plenty of lemon and orange, a hint of spice, a faint hop bitterness. Clove and pepper from the yeast are a little muted, but detectable.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, light on the tongue, flavor lingers a little.

Overall: Session beer at its finest - very refreshing, crisp and flavorful, yet not heavy and not high in alcohol. While drinkability is no longer on the rating scale, this would have been an easy 5. This needs to be put into 6 packs and would be a no brainer for a summer day outside. Based on the bottle and what I've read of this beer it is exactly what the brewer was aiming to deliver.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 21:43:48 | More by jslot38