Knotted Root Brewing Company is the newest craft brewery tucked away where highway 119 meets route 72 in Nederland, Colorado. They held their grand opening on July 4 with (7) great offerings on tap. We stopped by on a beautiful day while we were enjoying a drive through Boulder Canyon, and the place was packed with locals admiring the artistic offerings from master brewer and owner, Chris Marchio.
Chris leveraged his years of experience brewing in Vermont and Washington and formal brewing education from Washington Central University to pursue his dream opening his own brewery in a classic red ski shack. We arrived in the early afternoon and we were lucky to find seats at the bar where we had a front row seat to watch the show. Easily marked as out-of-towners, several people asked us how we found the place. To their pleasure, we told them we read about it online - Knotted Root already shows up on Untapped and Google. We met Chris and then got the lowdown from the locals. The vibe was definitely local with a welcome feeling for visitors. The taps were getting a workout so when our turn came we ordered up a flight to taste all (7) initial brews. The headliner was a a Smoothie-style Berliner Weisse named Thick Strawberry Goo. Brewed with 420 pounds of Strawberry, Raspberry, and Passionfruit, a small addition of lactose, a dose of Madagascar vanilla beans, then dry hopped with Motueka (5.6%ABV). It could be a sour but it's more tart than sour with a strong raspberry start and sweet strawberry finish. Now that our taste buds were wide awake we moved down the line for a walk through the Belgium countryside. Hello! Hello! is our take on a German-style Unfiltered Kolsch. Brewed in a traditional manner, we used Calista hops in the boil, which provide a grassy, grape-like character. A light, full bodied, yet dry beer. Think lemon pith with a hint of saltine cracker. (5.2%) Lux Fiat: Amarillo is the first rendition of our single hop Pale Ale series. This beer is dedicated to the spirit of Green Mountain College in little Poultney, Vermont. Lux Fiat is designed to showcase a single hop variety in harmony with a fruity yeast profile. Think apricot juice and clementine rinds. (6.2%) Beyond Description is an unfiltered Pale Ale brewed with Simcoe and New Zealand Rakua hops that came high steppin’ into town like a rainbow full of sound. Oats provide a soft mouth feel. Think peach, grapefruit, and guava. (6.7%) Cloud Hands is our flagship Unfiltered IPA. With a blend of New Zealand, and American hops, it’s designed to showcase the melony aroma and tropical fruit flavors these varieties exhibit. It’s hazy in appearance with a full-bodied, soft finish. Think orange jam, ripe kiwi, and lime zest. Mahalo! (7.2%) Vast Cosmic Arena is an unfiltered Double IPA utilizing Mosaic and Citra hops. This beer was inspired by the philosophy of Carl Sagan and is an amplified version of our approach to IPAs, designed to maximize the aroma and flavor of specific hop oils. Think dank, papaya, and a mango creamsicle. (8%) Thick Strawberry Goo is a Smoothie-style Berliner Weisse. Brewed with 420 pounds of Strawberry, Raspberry, and Passionfruit. This beer is designed with more of a culinary vision than a scientific one. Tart and jammy, this beer is brewed with a small addition of lactose, a dose of Madagascar vanilla beans, then dry hopped with Motueka. Think of strawberry jam, red sour patch kids, and tart cherries (5.6%) Golden Forest in the Sun is a rustic farmhouse ale brewed with over 40# of local dandelions from our silver shining town, wildflower honey from Durango, and Barbe Rouge Hops from France. Think sourdough, berries, hay, and lemon. (5.2%) As the afternoon crowd started to pack the taproom we were lucky to have a seat at the bar. Chris served up his creations to the anxious patrons as he chatted with us between pours. If you're near Nederlands Colorado make sure you stop by for a rest and tell Chris we said hi. Can;t wait to return to Knotted Root.