Name: Italian Spaghetti
Brewer: Knotted Root Brewing Company (United States)
Style: Alternative Grain Beer (Base Style: American IPA)
ABV: 7.2%
Review Year: 2021
Italian Spaghetti is a double dry-hopped IPA brewed with white wheat, flaked oats, and a blend of Amarillo, Chinook, and El Dorado hops. This “outcasty” hoppy creation was made by Knotted Root Brewing Company from Nederland, Colorado.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an Alternative Grain Beer (31A) with the American IPA (21A) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Hazy pale straw; medium white head with good retention. Moderate aromas of grapefruit, orange pith, and mango were noted up front with a hint of herbal and cantaloupe tones. Medium-bodied; moderate carbonation. Moderate orange citrus and pith without the acidity were the most dominant flavors and were accompanied by moderate impressions of herbs (e.g., basil), pine hops, cantaloupe, and a subtle savory character that complemented the herbal notes. Malt backbone was bready and moderately low. A moderate bitterness likewise enhanced the perceived dryness of this beer, while the aftertaste lingered with orange citrus, herbs, and a low peppery “hop burn.”
THE VERDICT
Italian Spaghetti is a showcase of the familiar “West Coast” characteristics of grapefruit/ citrus and pine presented in a moderately bitter and dry manner. Like One Plain Slice, a beer also from Knotted Root, Italian Spaghetti is closer to an American IPA than a New England IPA (21B) (NEIPA) despite the hazy appearance. This beer felt more bitter and drier than a typical NEIPA and lacked the juicy qualities that style is known for.
White wheat is not a typical ingredient of a classic American IPA. This ingredient may have enhanced the haziness, head retention, and bready malt backbone of this beer. This, however, is not a White IPA (21B) since Italian Spaghetti does not have the fruity and spicy esters Belgian yeast strains are known to contribute. Overall, Italian Spaghetti is a very good beer that was brewed seemingly to be enjoyed with food rather than on its own.
Recommended Readings:
- The best Colorado beers and breweries in 2020 and what to watch in 2021 (Colorado Sun, 2020)
- Brewer’s Perspective: West Coast Haze (Craft Beer & Brewing, 2020)
Related Reviews:
Knotted Root Brewing Company
Craft Beer from the United States
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