Kemosabe Quad: A Belgian Dark Strong Ale

Category: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Brewer: SheppyBrew Home Brewery
ABV (Alcohol By Volume): 9%
IBU (International Bitterness Units): 25
SRM (Standard Reference Method): 16

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark mahogany with ruby highlights. A generous, creamy tan head crowns the beer, leaving intricate lacing as it slowly recedes. The beer's clarity is excellent despite its dark color, with a slight haze typical of the style.

Aroma: The aroma is rich and complex, featuring notes of dark fruit such as raisins, figs, and plums, intermingled with caramel, toffee, and molasses. Subtle hints of spice, clove, and mild phenolics from the Belgian yeast add depth. A faint earthy and floral hop presence is detectable, balancing the malt sweetness.

H is for CHeluna Brewing Company

Here it is April already. This year is just flying by.

It wasn't all that long ago that we posted G is for Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, Belmar.

Of course, as you know if you follow along on the A to Z series of posts on the blog, this meant that we need to figure out an "H" brewery to visit next.

I mentioned in G is for Great Divide Brewery that we were going to have to take "artistic license" in our "H" brewery.

There just are not any local breweries that start with the letter "H".

And ... the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) was up to the challenge and was cleverly able to save the day with ....

H is for CHeluna Brewing Company

SheppyBrew Brewery's Beers Now Officially Declared Health Drinks!

LITTLETON, CO – April 1, 2024:

In a groundbreaking revelation that's sure to delight beer enthusiasts and health gurus alike, SheppyBrew Brewery is proud to announce that our beers are now officially classified as "health drinks"! 

This momentous news follows extensive research confirming the undeniable benefits of enjoying a SheppyBrew pint.

 

G is for Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, Belmar

We hit another brewery on our A to Z series last Friday.

Of course we posted F is Frolic Brewing Company just the weekend before, which is a quicker turn-around than most of our recent ones.

After "F" comes "G" and the Colorado Brewery Map & List told us we had plenty of choices.

But I ended up picking a spot that isn't even on the Map & List yet. I'm pretty sure this is the first time we've been able to get to a brewery so new.

Great Divide Brewing company (see G is for Great Divide Brewing Company) sent me an email letting me know they opened a new "Brewery & Roadhouse" close to our house.

And ... the wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) wanted me to take her out to dinner Friday night, so we hit the new brewery.

G is for Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse, Belmar

Oisin Owl vs Guinness Extra Stouts

So ... I recently brewed Oisin Owl Irish Stout with the intention of having it ready for St. Patrick's Day.

And, of course St. Patrick's Day was last week.

At some point, I thought it would be cool to grab some Guinness Extra Stout to compare with my homebrew. So, I bought some from a local liquor store.

The weekend before St. Patrick's Day, I tried them both side-by-side.

Roll-a-Style 19: 17C. Wee Heavy

I've mentioned a few times that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal this year.

As of the time of this post, if I'm counting correctly, I've brewed 79 of the 108 styles in the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Since the beginning of the year, I've already brewed 4 new BJCP styles (5 if you include Tasman Pilsner).

I'm hoping to brew another 8 or 9 before the end of 2025.

If you've been following along on this blog, you know that I have my Roll-a-Style list, which helps me keep track of styles that I still need to brew.

The idea is that I use a 20-sided online die to decide which style to brew next. However, the past few new styles, I have decided and "pretended" to roll the number I wanted to brew.

But, recently, I actually rolled the online die, and got 19 ...

 

F is Frolic Brewing Company

If you've been following this blog at all, you're familiar with the A to Z series of posts.

Just in case you've come across the blog for the first time, welcome.

The A to Z series started back in 2015 (it blows my mind that it has been 10 years) when I was embarrassed to admit that there were very few local breweries that I had actually visited.

When I looked through a list of Denver-area brewery names, it struck me that I could work my way through most of the letters of the alphabet, and that is what I did.

I started with A is for Alpine Dog Brewing Company, which has since closed, and worked my way through the alphabet.

At some point, the SheppyBrew Beer Model (aka my wife) joined me, and I've worked my way through 5 rounds of the alphabet.

Most recently, we posted our round 6 "E" brewery, E is for Someplace Else Brewery. So, now it is time for an "F" brewery.

F is Frolic Brewing Company

2025 Cycling Goals

It blows my mind that we've already passed the ides of March. The year seems to be flying by.

I know that I'm the only one who really cares, but I have not mentioned any 2025 cycling goals on this blog yet.

In the past few years, I've probably overshared how much cycling I do and how I'm tracking towards various mileage and elevation goals.

I have not done that at all so far this year.

I have these 2025 goals. I just have not taken the time to "share" them.

Again, no one really cares other than myself, but I do like to have these to go back and look at from time to time. 

So now, here I am posting my 2025 Cycling Goals.

Oisin Owl Irish Stout

Style: 15C Irish Extra Stout
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 40
SRM: 41

Appearance: This stout pours a deep, opaque black with subtle ruby highlights when held to the light. The head is a creamy tan, thick and persistent, leaving a generous lacing on the glass with every sip.

Aroma: The aroma is a harmonious blend of rich roasted malt, dark chocolate, and freshly brewed coffee. Hints of caramel and toffee add a layer of sweetness, while subtle earthy hops and a whisper of dark fruit like plum or raisin round out the olfactory experience.

Tasman vs Tasman

I don't know if I ever mentioned it on this blog, but if you follow SheppyBrew on Instagram or Facebook, you might have caught that when I was picking up ingredients for Tasman Devil Pilsner, I stopped by Dry Dock Brewing company.

In a wild coincidence, Dry Dock had a New Zealand Pils on tap called "Tasman Pilsner" ... Great Minds Think Alike I guess.

Obviously I had to try it and I really liked it. 

E is for Someplace Else Brewery

It's been awhile since we've posted to the A to Z series of posts.

D is for Denver Beer Company, Olde Town Arvada posted over a month ago.

But, the series is still on our radar, and after D, we needed an "E" brewery to visit.

You may remember from D is for Denver Beer Company that there are no "E" breweries on the Colorado Brewery Map & List for use to use in the Denver area.

But, as you know if you've been following along, we don't let that sort of thing stop us.

We're more than willing to take artistic license if we don't have a new brewery starting with a letter.

This time, we picked ....

E is for Someplace Else Brewery

Kemosabe Quad (Batch 372)

Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras was last Tuesday. Even though this year is as late as Easter can be, it blows my mind that we've already entered Lent.

Time flies.

If you've been following along, you might have caught that I've been picking beers to brew off my Roll-a-Style list rather than actually rolling to pick what to brew.

Part of the reason I've been doing this, is to use my harvested Belgium yeast to step up to a big Belgium Beer ... Roll-a-Style 9: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale.

For quite awhile, I've been planning on using the whole yeast cake from Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew to brew this big beer.

But, then when I kegged Mardi Blonde, I wasn't ready to brew yet. So, I kept putting off the brew day.

I finally got around to it last Tuesday on the same day I smoked a Chuck Roast for pulled-beef-sandwiches.

Glop

On Sunday, I had planned on getting a Chucky on the Weber Kettle in the morning to use in pulled-beef sandwiches for dinner.

But, I totally forgot until a little later in the day when I wasn't sure I'd have enough time to get it pull-apart tender.

So ... I decided to save it for our Mardi Gras dinner (Tuesday, which is the next time I was "scheduled" to make dinner).

So, I needed something fairly quick to make.

I actually had a loose plan and ingredients to make an Smoked Green Chili Hashbrown Egg Bake for Fat Tuesday. For some reason, my wife and kids have traditionally wanted breakfast-for-dinner on Mardi Gras. I find this weird, but generally I play along with their wants.

Mardi Blonde: A Festive Brew

Style: Belgian Blonde Ale
ABV: 7.4%
IBU: 25  

Mardi Blonde is a delightfully refreshing Belgian blonde ale with a lively personality. Pouring a radiant golden hue, this brew sparkles with clarity and invites you in with its enticing appearance. 

Aroma: The nose is greeted with a bouquet of light malt sweetness, delicate floral notes, and a hint of fruity esters reminiscent of ripe pears and apples. Subtle touches of honey and freshly baked bread add depth to the aromatic profile.

Flavor: On the palate, Mardi Blonde strikes a harmonious balance between malt and hops. The initial sip reveals a smooth malt backbone with flavors of biscuit and light caramel, followed by a gentle hop bitterness that lingers just long enough to create a crisp, clean finish. The nuanced flavors of citrus zest and white grape add a refreshing twist, making each sip more enjoyable than the last.

Modifying the Roll-a-Style List

So ... after posting Roll-a-Style 9: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale, I decided to look a little closer at the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.

First, I had never known exactly how many individual beer styles were listed in the guidelines, so I counted. 

If I counted correctly, there are 108 styles, and I've brewed 79 of them (actually, as I type this, I have not brewed the Belgian Dark Strong Ale, but once I brew it I will have completed 79).

I've mentioned that there are some styles I'm not really interested in brewing, and so I left those styles off my Roll-a-Style list. Most of these are sour beer styles, but as it turns out, a couple were ones I just didn't look closely at and thus didn't really understand.

 

Snowshoeing and Pulled Pork Green Chili

It has been quite awhile since I've been Snowshoeing.

I've even had "new" snowshoes since March of 2021 after my original pair fell apart. I've only put these new ones on once in snow and ended up taking them off almost immediately because it didn't seem like there was enough snow to make the snowshoes worth wearing.

This past week, we got a big snow storm on Friday.

This prompted my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) to say she wanted to go snowshoeing Saturday.

Not knowing how long we'd be out, I decided to prepare some Pulled Pork Green Chili in the Crock Pot.

Oisin Owl Irish Stout (Batch 371)

I brewed this past Sunday.

This was already my 4th batch of beer of the year, and if I'm counting correctly, my 371st batch of beer I've ever brewed.

Of course, if you've been following along on this blog, you know that this year I'm concentrating on brewing BJCP styles that I've never brewed.

In the 16 years I've been brewing, I've brewed at least one beer in all 34 categories in the BJCP Style Guidelines, but now I've decided to check off most of the individual styles.

If you're curious, you can see which beers I've brewed in each category / style as of 2024 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal.

And ... the beer I brewed this past Sunday was the 3rd new style in 2025 I've been able to mark off the list.... (4th if you count Tasman Devil Pilsner (batch 368))

Oisin Owl Irish Stout

Roll-a-Style 9: 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale

I've mentioned a few times that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list this year.

Late in 2024, I harvested yeast from Tafel Mystère Belgian Single (Batch 367), which I used to ferment Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew.

I had 26D. Belgian Dark Strong Ale on my Roll-a-Style List, and thought it would be a good idea to use the whole yeast cake of Mardi Blonde to ferment such a big Belgium beer.

So, I pretended to roll a 9 on my 20 Sided Online Die.

 

Merida Scottish Ale

Venture into the mythical snowy Scottish Highlands with SheppyBrew's Merida Scottish Ale, an exquisite representation of the BJCP style 14A, Scottish Light Ale (60 Shilling). This brew showcases a deep amber hue crowned with a frothy, off-white head. The aroma greets you with rich malt sweetness, featuring notes of caramel and toffee. The flavor profile is a harmonious blend of roasted malt and delicate earthy hops, balanced by a mild bitterness that lingers just enough to invite the next sip. With an ABV of 3%, this Scottish Light Ale promises a sessionable yet flavorful journey for the true beer enthusiast.

D is for Denver Beer Company, Olde Town Arvada

If you've been following along on this blog, you probably know that we've been working on round 6 of our A to Z series of posts.

After A to Z Denver Breweries Round 5, we still have a ton of local breweries on Colorado Brewery Map & List that we've never visited.

We'll have to take "artistic license" on several letters (we already had to on A is for Arms, Call To Brewing Company), but I think we'll still be able to work through the whole alphabet.

You may remember that after C is for Cohesion Brewing Company, we skipped ahead to I is for Incantation Brewing.

Now we're back to our regularly scheduled program ... and we are ready to hit "D" ... 

D is for Denver Beer Company, Olde Town Arvada

Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew

Here it is ... February already.

We've made it through January and the Groundhog (or Marmot ... whatever your rodent of choice) has seen its shadow.

My plan was to brew on Sunday, but my birthday is early February and my kids decided they would like to celebrate it Sunday.

So ... I postponed the brew day.

The recipe I had picked to brew called for an overnight mash and a shorter-than-usual boil, which meant it wouldn't take quite as long a brew day.

So, on Monday I decided I would brew on Tuesday before work (which was actually my birth day).

Mardi Blonde

Tasman Devil Pilsner

Tasman Devil Pilsner, brewed by SheppyBrew Home Brewery, is a mesmerizing brew that dances gracefully on the palate with its pale, dry, golden hue. This elegantly fermented masterpiece showcases a symphony of flavors, harmonizing crisp, clean malt with a whisper of subtle hops. Each sip reveals a delicate balance of bright, floral notes and a refreshing, dry finish that lingers like a gentle breeze. With an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5.5% and International Bitterness Units (IBU) of 30, this Pilsner offers a moderate hop bitterness that complements its light, refreshing body. 

Legend has it that the recipe for Tasman Devil Pilsner was crafted by the magical brewing gnomes of SheppyBrew. These tiny, industrious beings gathered on Eldoria Isle, a hidden gem in the Tasman Sea, where they met with the New Zealand kea and the Australian kookaburra to collaborate on brew day. As the brewing gnomes toiled, the fearless Tasmanian Devil kept a watchful eye, ensuring the perfect balance of ingredients.

Crafted with the finest hops, including Motueka from New Zealand and the unique Eclipse from Australia, this Pilsner embodies the harmony of its enchanted origins. Each batch is a celebration of craftsmanship and a tribute to the timeless tradition of fine beer-making, infused with a touch of magic and the spirit of collaboration between mythical creatures and nature's wonders.

Roll-a-Style 12: 15C. Irish Extra Stout

I've mentioned a few times that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list this year.

Early in the year, I brewed Merida Scottish Ale, using harvested Irish Ale Yeast, and I wanted to continue that yeast with an Irish Ale.

I have 15C. Irish Extra Stout on the Roll-a-Style List and with St. Patrick's Day coming up, I thought that would be a great beer to have on tap for this holiday.

So, I pretended to roll a 12

Which, of course corresponded to the 15C. Irish Extra Stout.
 

I is for Incantation Brewing

If you follow this blog, you probably know that the SheppyBrew Beer Model is forcing me to continue along with round 6 of the A to Z series of posts.

We recently finished up A to Z Denver Breweries Round 5, and while we certainly have a bunch of breweries left on the Colorado Brewery Map & List, I wasn't sure if we'd continue along with the A to Z series of posts.

But, apparently, my wife is sure, and we're continuing.

Happy wife. Happy life. 

And ... so far we've made it through C is for Cohesion Brewing Company. We posted that article early this month.

And as you know, after "C" comes ... "I".

I is for Incantation Brewing 

Roll-a-Style 1: 25A. Belgian Blond Ale

I've mentioned a few times on this blog that I want to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list this year.

I have harvested Belgian Ale Yeast from Tafel Mystère Belgian Single (Batch 367), and since I have a few somewhat high ABV Belgium styles to work through on the list, I decided to actually plan stepping up the harvested yeast rather than wait for the random roll to get to these styles.

The first Belgium on the list is 25A. Belgian Blond Ale, and so ....

I pretended to roll:

 

Merida Scottish Light Ale (Batch 369)

2025 is flying by, isn't it?

As I mentioned a few times recently, I'm not going to brew very many (if any) "Seasonals" this year, concentrating instead on the BJCP Goal.

I'd really like to mark off several BJCP Styles that I've never brewed.

Of course, who knows how well I'll follow-up on this plan. It is very possible that I'll get caught up with something else. But, follow along on this blog, and you'll find out.

At the same time I bought ingredients for the Tasman Devil Pilsner (batch 368), I bought ingredients for another brew ....

If you read Roll-a-Style 8: 14A. Scottish Light Ale, you probably know what beer that is ...

Merida Scottish Light Ale

2024 #Strava #YearInSport

If you've been following along on this blog for awhile, you may remember that I have been sharing my Strava YearInSport stats over the past couple of years.

I pay more attention to my cycling goals and totals on Strava, but the YearInSport stats cover all activities.

Sort of interesting to me. Not sure if any blog readers care, but I'll share regardless. To be honest, this just helps me compare year-to-year how I do.

 

Roll-a-Style 8: 14A. Scottish Light Ale

As I mentioned in 2025 Roll-a-Style List, I'd really like to concentrate a little more on my BJCP Goal, and my Roll-a-Style List this year.

I have some Irish Ale Yeast harvested from Hooligans Stout, which I brewed in November.

There were a few Scottish Ales on the Roll-a-Style List, and I decided that the Irish Ale yeast would work well in those beers. I decided to tackle the 14A. Scottish Light Ale (60 Shilling) first.

So, I pretended to roll an 8 on my 20 Sided Online Die. This corresponds to the 14A. Scottish Light Ale on my list.

 

Tasman Devil Pilsner (batch 368)

Well ... here it is 2025 already. Happy Brew Year!

As I mentioned in SheppyBrew 2024 Year End Brewing Stats, in 2024 I brewed my lowest volume of brewed beer since 2018.

I didn't even get to 100 gallons, which also has not happened since 2018.

I expect 2025 will yield about the same amount of beer, but I guess we'll have to see.

With holiday guests and other cheer, my beer inventory is getting a little low, and for quite awhile I've been wanting to get a New Zealand Pilsner on tap.

So ... this past weekend I brewed:

Tasman Devil Pilsner

2025 Roll-a-Style List

Well ... if you've been following along on this blog, you know I've decided to concentrate on renewing my  BJCP Goal with a "Roll-a-Style" list.

The concept is pretty simple. I have a list of beer styles that I have not brewed. I assign numbers (1 - 20) to the styles. When I want to brew something new, I roll a 20 Sided Online Die, and brew that style associated with the number I rolled.

Sometimes I actually pick the style I want to brew and "pretend" I rolled the die, but either way, I'm working the list down of styles that I've never brewed.

There are more than 20 beers, so I include a "bench" of beers to move into the list once another gets brewed.

There are some beer styles I decided not to include because I know I won't like drinking them.

When I was going through 2024 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal, I realized that there are some beer styles that are not on my list, but probably should be.

So ... I decided to add a few more beer styles to my "bench".

SheppyBrew 2024 Year End Brewing Stats

Well ... as I'm typing this, I'm not 100% sure I'm done brewing in 2024, but I think I am.

So ... I'll go ahead and type up the draft of my 2024 Brewing Stats. And when you're reading this, you probably won't know if I ended up brewing again or not because it will no longer be a draft and I will have updated based on the (potentially) last brew of the year.

Anyway ... in the 4th quarter of 2024, I brewed 5 batches of beer:

• Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin)
• Pack o' Hooligans Stout
• X-Mas Ale 2024
• Decemberfest Lager
• Tafel Mystère Belgium Single

This puts me at 19 batches of beer for 95 gallons. This is the least amount I've brewed since 2018, which was the last time I brewed less than 100 gallons for a year.

Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin)

C is for Cohesion Brewing Company

If you follow this blog, you probably know that the SheppyBrew Beer Model is forcing me to continue along with round 6 of the A to Z series of posts.

We recently finished up A to Z Denver Breweries Round 5, and while we certainly have a bunch of breweries left on the Colorado Brewery Map & List, I wasn't sure if we'd continue along with the A to Z series of posts.

But, apparently, my wife is sure, and we're continuing.

Happy wife. Happy life. 

So, after B is for Barrels & Bottles Brewery, we needed a "B" brewery, and the SheppyBrew Beer Model let me know that we would be visiting ....

C is for Cohesion Brewing Company

2024 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal

If you follow this blog, you know I've renewed my old BJCP Goal.

Through a series of blog posts, I've discovered / acknowledged that I had not brewed whole categories in the 2021 Style Guidelines (see BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines, I lied, and 2021 BCJP Styles to Brew).

Since then, I've covered all the categories (or at least I'm pretty sure I have now) ... 

And .... at some point, I decided to not only try to get every category covered, but work through all the styles (at least the ones that I'm interested in drinking)

I even came up with a "Roll-a-Style" concept to give me help deciding which style to brew.

At the end of last year, I posted 2023 Update on the 2021 BJCP Goal. I thought I'd post another update at the end of 2024. 

Here is that post ...

In 2024, I've only reduced my Roll-a-Style list by 5 beer styles. Instead, I concentrated on 2024 Seasonals.

In 2025, I'm planning on hitting the Roll-a-Style list harder. My unofficial goal is to reduce the list enough that I'll be rolling a 12 sided die by the end of the year (as opposed to the 20 sided die I've been rolling).

Keep an eye on Sheppy's Blog: Roll-a-Style, and you'll be able to follow along how I'm doing. 

December #7100MilesIn2024 Progress

I do realize that no one really cares about my Strava goals, but honestly, I'm not sure there are many people who read this blog.

So, these posts are more for me to remind myself how things went during the year.

And ... well ... I blew away my #11EverestsIn2024 goal and my #7100MilesIn2024 goals. 

I actually cycled just under 650 miles in December, which is a bunch for a winter month, putting my 2024 total at 8,062 miles. 

I gained 31,464 feet in elevation for the month, putting me at 409,081 feet of elevation gained for the year. 

I've also extended my #MetricCenturyEveryMonth streak to 41 straight months with at least one 100 km (62.2 miles) ride.

 

2024 Seasonals

Early in 2022, I spent some time identifying "SheppyBrew Seasonals". I tied a specific SheppyBrew beer to every month in the year.

For whatever reason, after the year was done I shared 2022 Seasonals I had brewed during the year. I had brewed all but 3 of the "Seasonals".

I reported on the 2023 Seasonals as well, missing 4 months. Now that I've established the pattern, I feel like I have to share my brewed "Seasonals" for 2024.

I actually made it a brewing goal in 2024 to brew all my "SheppyBrew Seasonals". Around July or August, I got tired of the idea, but I had hit all the months so far, so I forced myself to finish them up.

2024 Mardi Bock