Notch The Mule American Corn Lager
Notch Brewery
So, it's a Thursday night, and I wanted to go to Taco Mac. Nothing unusual about that, of course. Heavy Seas beers are the featured beer of the month for August, and tonight they have a really cool glass giveaway, which has become rather rare. Rest assured, there are still tchotchkes to be had every Thursday night, just not glasses so much. I got a Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin, and I got my glass, and now it was time for wings and another beer.
They have a Notch beer! Now you know when Taco Mac has a New England beer on tap I am going to get it, and tonight the Patriots just happened to be playing a preseason game. So, I ordered up a Chancellor mug full of Notch The Mule American Corn Lager. I do find the notion of craft breweries creating American adjunct lagers ironic. Craft breweries (then called microbreweries) originated as a response to the nigh monopolization of the American beer market by bland corn and rice lagers, only to have those beers be romanticized by craft brewers decades later.
All that said, The Mule American Corn Lager is creatively flavorful yet drinkable simultaneously. I assumed it would pair nicely with Taco Mac's legendary wings, and I was not in the least mistaken in that. Notch says you cannot taste corn in beer, but I beg to differ. I certainly can, and I did get some here.
Did I mention wings? Taco Mac had two new flavors, and we ordered ten of each. Mike's Hot Honey wings came saucy and more sweet than spicy, and while I did like them, I much preferred the dry rub Chesapeake Bay wings with Old Bay seasoning. Those were a delight and I ate mostly from them while my son, who preferred the hot honey wings, mostly ate those.
Notch The Mule American Corn Lager has an alcohol content of 4.2% by volume .
About Notch Brewery
Notch Brewing - for over 15 years brewing classic continental lager with classic methods, we are recognized as a leader in craft lager brewing. Notch is named for the nick made on coasters to keep track of your tab in the great beer halls of Europe. We have a strong point of view on how we brew and how we serve Notch, as well as the environment in which you enjoy our beer. Come take the lager ride with us.
Notch The Mule American Corn Lager in a Taco Mac Chancellor Mug
Tasting Notes
Notch The Mule American Corn Lager pours to a pale golden color with a light head of foam and a nose of soft tropical fruit and corn. Taking a sip, the beer is light to medium in body with soft bready malt, cooked corn, tropical fruit and a balanced finish.
Value & Verdict
I paid $8.94 for my 23-ounce mug at Taco Mac. Total Wine has it advertised for $11.99 a 4-pack at their Shrewsbury, Massachusetts location, but they are currently out of stock.
Notch The Mule American Corn Lager is a tasty enough example of the style, and fares well compared to craft brewed examples, and very well indeed judged against macrobrews like Bud and Miller. It washed down my wings admirably well, and I think I would indeed drink it again.
