Nano brewing at its finest: Nano 108 Brewing Company
Nano 108 Brewing may be Colorado Springs' latest craft brewery, but just walking in the doors of the nondescript industrial park building with "BEER" above the door will persuade you other wise.Keith Altemose, Nano 108's owner has been around the block a time or two, and it shows. He's a big proponent of helping out wherever its needed, and it helped him learn how to do things right the first time with Nano 108.Keith originally helped open the Rock Bottom location here in town back in 2005, but soon decided to set out on his own, and started planning and learning for what would become Nano 108. Unlike many startups that go through adjustment phases after opening, he decided to get all of the kinks out before opening. When we had talked back in September, he was already stockpiling kegs, partially because of the wait time for his licenses to be approved, but also in order to be fully prepared for the onslaught that was sure to come. With the ability to offer 18 different options, he's got plenty of space for both innovative small batches and regular favorites.
"I knew this all was going to work, when the tasting room was full of people all drinking our American Standard Lager, paying over twice what they'd pay for Budweiser or Coors Banquet, and drinking a nice balanced lager made right here...and that was before we had even opened officially!"
I came by on a Tuesday, one of their "days off," but you wouldn't know it by the amount of activity going on. Keith says they've been blowing through beers left and right, and can barely keep up with the demand. The brewhouse itself is immaculate, with copper trimming and all the bells and whistles. At the moment, they've got 4 fermentation vessels and 4 brite tanks, and nothing is being under utilized. Here's some photos from my visit:
Their Breckenridge bourbon barrel-aged porter they serve on nitro was smooth and silky, with just enough of the bourbon-oak flavor cutting through the rich malty porter. Interesting enough, after aging in the barrel, the porter gained some beautiful ruby-red colors that danced in and out of its murky depths. Tasted alongside the standard porter, they've got a winner in each. Also on tap while I stopped in was their Cherry Weizenbock, brewed with smoked maple syrup, Canadian barley, a special weizen yeast and aged on 500 pounds of cherries. The malty backbone was nuanced extremely well with cherry flavors and a slight tart twang that helped round everything out. Keith told me he learned from chefs at the Blue Star to freeze the cherries to crack the skin which allows the beer to reach all parts of the fruit evenly. It easily was my favorite, and I smartly snagged a growler before I left.It's exciting to have such a strong brewing presence popping up on the east side of the Springs, and Nano 108 is definitely leading the charge. If you haven't been by yet, make sure to stop in and at least try what they've got to offer! It's hard to miss with the 1947 Chevy 3100 pickup out front, filled with oak barrels proclaiming their presence in Colorado Springs' craft beer scene.Nano 108 Brewing Co.Hours: Wed-Sun 3pm-10pm2402 Waynoka Dr.Facebook- - -Stay updated with our email updates and like us on Facebook. We're also on Twitter and Instagram at @focusonthebeer.
