2025 "Seasonals"

If you've followed this blog at all this year, you know that I wanted to concentrate more on my BJCP Goal and my Roll-a-Style list in 2025.

As a side-effect, I purposely ignored most of my "SheppyBrew Seasonals". 

After brewing Mardi Blonde (Batch 370) Birthday Brew and Oisin Owl Irish Stout (Batch 371), I thought to myself that those could be considered February and March "Seasonals".

The Mardi Blonde fit right into the "Mardi Gras / Lent" season in place of  Mardi Bock, and of course Oisin Owl being an "Irish Stout", it was perfect for St. Patrick's Day in March.

At that point, I started thinking that maybe with a little planning, I could come up with replacement "Seasonals" for most months even while brewing new beers based on the Roll-a-Style list.

So ... like I had done with 2024 Seasonals, 2023 Seasonals, and 2022 Seasonals, I started tracking how I could slot 2025 beers into the monthly "Seasonal" matrix.

2025 Mardi Blonde

Learning to Homebrew: 2025 X-Mas Ale (Batch 384)

Saturday was Learn to Homebrew Day. Originally I thought maybe I'd be brewing with one or more of my homebrewing buddies, but Doc was busy and Du has moved away ... so it was just me and the SheppyBrew Beer Model this year.

Doc and I might get together in a couple weeks, but we'll see.

You may remember from Roll-a-Style 20: 17D. English Barley Wine (X-Mas Ale 2025) that this year's X-Mas Ale is a little different than the usual Winter Warmer that I generally brew.

This year, I'm marking 17D. English Barley Wine off my Roll-a-Style list, and since a Barley Wine is a bigger beer than I usually brew, I decided to pitch right onto the yeast cake of Gnomeberry Hollow Cherry Porter (Batch 382).

This meant, I had to keg Gnomeberry Hollow before getting started on Saturday. 

Gob Stopper Grape Ale (Batch 377)

If you follow along on this blog, or SheppyBrew.com, you likely know that I have been trying to work through BJCP Styles that I've never brewed.

For the most part, I am able to enjoy just about every style of beer, however there a a few I don't necessarily care for.

So ... working through this BJCP Style Goal has the potential of creating beers I may not like as much.

So, far, since I've started the Roll-a-Style list, I have not really rolled any styles that I downright don't like.

However, this one has that potential. We'll have to see.

If you read Roll-a-Style 12: 29D. Grape Ale, you probably were able to determine this was coming:

Gob Stopper Grape Ale

 

Summer Lovin' American Wheat (Batch 376)

I brewed beer Sunday. My 9th batch of the year and 376th batch all-time.

It has actually been awhile since I've brewed. Before Sunday, the last beer I brewed was Big Brew Day ... Halfway to Helles (Batch 375) the very first weekend of May.

If you've been following along and paying attention, you likely know that most of my recipes this year have been new recipes generated from the Roll-a-Style list.

As a result, I've been basically ignoring the "Seasonals".

However, recently the Beer Model requested one of her favorites, which just happens to be the June Seasonal. Happy Wife Happy Life (nothing rhymes with "husband").

Summer Lovin' American Wheat

 

2025 Melting Stream Spring Saison (Batch 374)

Here it is mid-April already. Seems we just started Lent ... and now it is almost Easter.

The year is speeding by faster and faster.

Spring has sprung, which in Colorado means we get a few days of hot sunny weather followed by snow.

Lots of melting water. Mountain streams start to rush ...

I have not made a secret of the fact that I'm skipping (most of) the Seasonal beers this year so that I could concentrate on the Roll-a-Style List in order to make progress on my BJCP Goal.

However there was at least one Seasonal I actually wanted to make sure I brewed. The "April" Seasonal.

Melting Stream Spring Saison 

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)

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

Christmas vs X-Mas Ales

Sunday, I posted SheppyBrew vs Breckenridge Autumn Ales where I compared Breckenridge Autumn Ale with my Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin).

Of course, I also have my X-Mas Ale 2024 on tap, and it just so happens that I also have some bottles of Breckenridge Christmas Ale.

Breckenridge Christmas Ale actually inspired my traditional base beer recipe of my X-Mas Ales.

"The chill of winter calls for a beer with extra flavor and strength! An abundance of carefully roasted malts create notes of caramel and chocolate, while Chinook and Mt. Hood hops contribute a spicy quality for balance and a clean finish."

SheppyBrew vs Breckenridge Autumn Ales

One of the SheppyBrew Beers I have on tap right now is Will-o'-Wisp Autumn Ale (no pumpkin).

It is a malty, dark amber, medium to low alcohol berer with caramel flavor and notes of dark chocolate. It is basically the base-beer of my world-famous Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale ... minus the pumpkin and the spices.

One of the commercial beers I have in one of the beer fridges is Breckenridge Autumn Ale. 

"Our fall seasonal hit combines the malty goodness of a German lager with the clean crispness of an American ale. Brewed with Munich malts and a delicate blend of Bavarian hops, it's full-bodied with a nutty-sweet middle, a warming alcohol level and notes of toasted grain. A pre-winter winner."  

Decemberfest Lager (Batch 366)

As I've mentioned a few times, I'm concentrating on brewing all the SheppyBrew "Seasonals" this year.

On the 2024 Learn to Homebrew Day, I brewed my "November Seasonal", X-Mas Ale 2024.

And this meant I had hit every month of the year so far, leaving just my "December Seasonal". 

While I brewed a couple of batches on 2024 Learn to Homebrew Day, the people I had over did a pretty good job of reducing my inventory of beer.

With 1519 Barker Exportbier running low, I decided to brew another beer a little earlier than I originally planned.

This past weekend, I brewed the "December Seasonal" ....

Decemberfest Lager

2024 Learn to Homebrew Day

If you read Roll-a-Style 14 ... 16A. Sweet Stout, you know that Learn to Homebrew Day was the first Saturday in November.

I had plans to get together for a brew day with my buddies Du and Doc.

My turn to host has been overdue, and the Beer Model and I decided that we would go ahead and have Learn to Homebrew Day at our "brewery".

We also invited some non-brewers over to "Learn" on Learn to Homebrew Day. These people were also available to help us eat BBQ and drink beer.

I was a little more ambitious than I probably should have been, planning to brew two batches of beer, smoke a pork butt, and make some chicken wings.

2024 Will-o-Wisp Autumn Ale (Batch 363)

Well ... as you may have figured out from what I've been posting on this blog, at some point I made a decision to brew SheppyBrew Seasonals for every month this year.

Somewhat surprisingly I've stuck with this so far, and now that we're in October, the beer I identified a couple years ago was Will-o'-Wisp Pumpkin Ale.

However, although this is one of one of SheppyBrew's Most Brewed Beers, it was never one that I was really a fan of.

The SheppyBrew Beer Model always wanted it. 

But, since I don't drink much of it, it tends to stick around quite awhile and last year, the Beer Model told me I shouldn't brew the Pumpkin Ale.

Instead, I took the base beer of the Pumpkin Ale and brewed it without spices or pumpkin ... 

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

2024 Falling Leaves Autumn Saison (Batch 362)

Well ... as I mentioned in 1519 Barker Exportbier (Batch 361), I've been pretty busy with my #GCCUSA, and not brewing much.

As a result, my current beer inventory is lower than it has been in awhile. Sunday, my wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) killed the keg of 2024 Hail Storm Summer Saison (batch 359).

And, so, my beer inventory was two not-so-full kegs.

Before V is for Village, Greenwood, Downhill Brewing, we stopped by our favorite Homebrew Shop, and picked up some malts.

I wasn't actually sure I'd brew this past weekend, but I did end up decide to fire up the Anvil Foundry and get a batch of my Autumn Seasonal Saison brewed:
 

Falling Leaves Autumn Saison

N.T.S. Faux Pilsner (Batch 360)

It's been pretty hot here in the Denver area the past couple of weeks.

Really hot this past weekend.

You might have noticed (I've probably actually said that on this blog) that I've been attempting to brew all the "SheppyBrew Seasonals" in 2024. I only brewed 9 out of 12 of the 2022 Seasonals and 8 out of 12 of the 2023 Seasonals.

My "August" Seasonal actually uses Kveik yeast, and as you probably know if you're familiar with Kveik yeast at all, it loves fermenting at hot temperatures. 80's 90's even up into the 100's

Well, all yeast likes fermenting at hot temperatures, but Kveik yeasts actually make nice tasting beers when you ferment hot.

Since it was hot, and I wanted to brew a "Seasonal" that loves hot temperatures, Sunday was a great day to brew.

N.T.S. Faux Pilsner

Summer Lovin' American Wheat

Step into a world where fantasy and flavor intertwine with Summer Lovin' American Wheat, a beer that's as enchanting as the meadow it's brewed in. This American Wheat beer, with its **5.5% ABV** and **22 IBU**, is a testament to the art of brewing, crafted by the gorgeous SheppyBrew Beer Model whose passion for beer is as deep as the mountain roots.

In this idyllic setting, surrounded by the majesty of towering peaks, she works alongside a troupe of helpful gnomes, each adding a touch of magic to the brew. The gnomes, known for their brewing prowess, carefully select the finest **Pale and Wheat malts**, blending them to perfection.

Summer Lovin' American Wheat (Batch 357)

I don't know about where you live, but here it is starting to feel quite a bit like summer. I've had to fire up the air conditioning a few times already.

Although I drink just about any beer style at any time of year, there are a few beers that I would consider summer beers.

One of these beers is my "June Seasonal": Summer Lovin' American Wheat.

It honestly doesn't have to be consumed in summer, but it certainly doesn't suck in beautiful warm weather.

This is one of the SheppyBrew Beer Model's favorite beers, and therefore, it is one of my most brewed beers.

I like it too, but she really really really likes it. I think that when we brewed Alex's GPT, what she really wanted was 

Summer Lovin' American Wheat

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

In the shadow of the majestic Colorado foothills, where the Big Horn Sheep roam with a regal air, there existed a hidden grove known to few. This was the secret brewing haven of "Helles in a Hand Bock-sket," guarded by the most unlikely of allies: German Gnomes and the Big Horn Sheep.

The German Gnomes, no taller than a keg but as wise as the ancient oaks, were the master brewers' assistants. They wore tiny lederhosen, their beards braided with hops, and their hats adorned with the finest barley. Their laughter was like the tinkling of glass bottles, and their songs were hymns to the art of brewing.

Melting Stream Spring Saison

Once upon a time in the picturesque Front Range of Colorado, there was a brewer named Sheppy who had a passion for crafting unique and flavorful beers. As the snow began to melt and the streams swelled with the promise of spring, Sheppy was inspired to create a Saison that captured the essence of the season.

He called it the “Melting Stream Spring Saison,” a beer that was as refreshing as the cool, clear waters rushing down from the snow-capped peaks. The Saison had a light, golden hue like the morning sun reflecting off the melting snow, and a taste that was crisp and lively, with hints of citrus and spice.

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket (Batch 356) and Chicken

It is almost May. 

Well, when I post this (and likely when you are reading), it will actually be May.

I don't know if I've mentioned it on this blog, but I'm making an effort this year to brew a Seasonal Beer for every month this year.

In SheppyBrew Seasonals, I identified 12 Seasonals.

Last year (see 2023 Seasonals), I brewed 8 out of 12 of those beers.

I missed March (McShepardSons Irish Ale) and May (Helles in a Hand Bock-sket) along with a couple of other months.

This year, I've already hit 2024 McShepardSons Irish Ale (Batch 352). Last weekend (as I type this ... by the time I post it, it will have been 2 weekends ago), I got my "May Seasonal" brewed as well:

Helles in a Hand Bock-sket

 

Mardi Bock

Behold the Mardi Bock, a reverent libation steeped in the rich traditions of German brewing and the spiritual fervor of monks. Picture a deep, mahogany elixir cradled in a vessel, a testament to the dedication of those Teutonic artisans who, like monks in meditative silence, craft this masterpiece.

As you raise the stein to your lips, envision the solemn Lenten season, where German monks toil with monastic devotion to birth this robust Bock Lager. Mardi Bock emerges as the triumphant celebration, a resurrection of flavors after the somber fast, akin to the joyous bells ringing in Easter morn.