X is for MaX Taps Colorado

If you follow this blog at all you know that the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) and I have been working through Round 6 of our A to Z Series of Posts.

We are, in fact, very close to the end of the alphabet.

In November of 2024, we started Round 6 with A is for Arms, Call To Brewing Company.

And just a couple of weeks ago we posted W is for Wild Sky Brewery.

X, Y, and Z are the only letters left. And here we are checking "X" off the list.

As we mentioned last time, according to the Colorado Brewery Map & List there are not really any obvious "X" breweries for us to use, so we had to be creative.

X is for MaX Taps Colorado

 

Roll-a-Style 4: 9C. Baltic Porter

It has been awhile since I've mentioned Roll-a-Style on this blog. 

So, it is probably worth a quick reminder ... I created a list of BJCP beer styles that I've never brewed. When I want to decide which beer style to brew next, I roll a virtual 20-sided online die, and brew the style that corresponds with the number that comes up.

Pretty simple, right?

The last style I "rolled" was Roll-a-Style 16: 26C. Belgian Tripel back in October, and I didn't brew it until November with Yoker Belgian Tripel (Batch 385).

Recently, I brewed Whisper of the Tengu Rice Lager (Batch 388), which is a lager. I thought I'd harvest the Tengu yeast and brew a lager on my Roll-a-Style list.

So ... I pretended to roll a 4:

La Chouffe vs Yoker Belgian Tripel

So ... for Christmas, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) got me a "Chouffe Discovery Pack".

Chouffe, of course is a world-famous Belgian brewery. If I were to visit Belgium someday, it would certainly be on my list to visit.

As luck would have it, I have a SheppyBrew "Belgian Triple" on tap, "Yoker". While brewing Whisper of the Tengu Rice Lager (Batch 388), I decided to try La Chouffe Belgian Blond Beer and Yoker Belgian Tripel together.

Yoker is significantly lighter in color and much more clear. It is also drier and (in my opinion) more "drinkable".

Whisper of the Tengu Rice Lager (Batch 388)

For whatever reason, "Japanese" Rice Lagers seem to have become fairly popular lately in craft beer circles. At least I see a bunch more of them recently than in the past.

It is sort of funny that when I first started getting into craft beer, one of the criticisms of "Big Beer" was that "they" used cheap ingredients like rice and corn. "Real" craft beer used all quality ingredients, which generally meant all-malt beers.

While the sentiment is still sort of there, it was relaxed quite a bit, which I think is a good thing.

Anyway, I've been seeing more Rice Lagers at breweries and have wanted to brew one for quite some time.

And ... I've had a recipe out on the SheppyBrew website for months.

"Whisper of the Tengu" Japanese Rice Lager

 

🍶 Whisper of the Tengu Rice Lager

Style: Rice Lager
Brewer: SheppyBrew
ABV: 5%
IBU: 22
SRM: 3.5

👀 Appearance

Pale straw with a faint golden shimmer, crystal clear and effervescent. A delicate white head forms on the pour, then settles into a thin halo, leaving faint lacing on the glass. The clarity invites contemplation—like moonlight through mist.

👃 Aroma

Soft and restrained. Notes of steamed jasmine rice and fresh-cut hay drift gently upward, joined by a whisper of floral hops. There’s a subtle minerality, like spring water over stone, and a clean fermentation profile that keeps the nose crisp and quiet.

Over the Top Chili and Poppers

So ... on Super Bowl Sunday, after my famous Super Sunday Fun Run B-Race I made some food for us to eat while watching the game.

Of course, you know I had to make it outside on one (or more) of my grills.

It's become a tradition that I make Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers, and of course my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) demanded that I do it again.

So, that was a no-brainer. Happy Wife. Happy Life. (nothing rhymes with husband)

Lately, I've seen various posts on online BBQ forums of people doing "Over the Top" Chili.

And ... until this recent trend, I had never heard of such a thing.

But, it is pretty simple, and I thought I'd give that a try as well.

W is for Wild Sky Brewery

Sadly, a bunch of Denver area breweries have closed. Many are continuing to struggle and I'm sure others will continue to close.

Many of the A to Z breweries no longer exist.

Last Friday, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) suggested we visit a closed brewery. I figured she knew it was no longer open, but apparently she missed it closing.

Usually, it happens the other way ... she notices things like that when I miss them.

In this case, I had also recently seen a Facebook post from the same brewery at its other location announcing that their other location regrettably was closing too.

As luck would have it, we're on "W" for our A to Z series of posts, AND this closing brewery starts with the letter "W".

W is for Wild Sky Brewery