CulturAle Press

Three Notch’d Minuteman IPA: A Gentle Nor’Easter

Three Notch’s Minuteman IPA        Abv 7.0       IBU  20

 Three Notch’d Brewery in Charlottesville, Va. entered the market at a good time, with a good business plan and an exceptionally good brewer.   Naturally they’re expanding this summer.  We’ll post a bigger feature on them later in the year when they’re comfortably into their new digs,

We first encountered them a bit over three years ago and they impressed us from the start. We’ve tasted almost 30 of their beers since and have been impressed but the number of very different kinds of beer they do well.

These days it seems that if you have a small brewery you have to at least try to top Heddy.  We’re pretty sure this style is going to slide into the fad heap before too long, but in the short run the challenge for the brewer is to produce a beer that has enough “dank and juicy” hop flavors to keep people from driving to New England, while still producing beer that looks good enough and tastes good enough for people to enjoy it.

Head Brewer Dave Warwick has produced a wide range of excellent beers in Charlottesville’s Three Notch’d Brewery

Brewer Dave Warwick threaded the needle well with his Three Notch’d Minuteman IPA, a creamy, softly fruity yeasty IPA that’s quite moreish.  It’s got a haze, but it looks like a proper bottle-conditioned beer rather than the bottom dregs of a fermenting tank.   It has fruity and grassy hops, but it’s not so dank you can’t drink several of them.   Trust us on this one.  If you do attempt this bit of research, however, stay off the roads – at 7% abv, it can sneak up on you.

Tasting notes:  It pours a slightly hazy golden brown with an exceptionally good creamy head.   The hops show in the aroma with fruit, grass and spice and stay inviting as it drinks.   A steady creamy chalkiness smooths and tempers the fruit, though a late bitter tang does sneak through at the end.

Food Pairings:  The soft yeast and hoppiness could temper something spicy, and this would be a great deal better than the thin sharp lagers we used to have to tolerate with Thai food.  Unlike the DIPA palate wreckers, though, this is gentle enough to escort a milder dish such as roast chicken or charcoal grilled fish.  Review #0070  20170222

Tomorrow: Strangeways Imperial Stout from Richmond, and don’t miss Friday’s entry:  Beaverbrau?  Castorale? Nope– it’s Olde Mother’s Tainted Love– giving a whole new meaning to “Bottoms Up.”