For this innovative project, the Rouge de Bordeaux wheat was chosen to be malted by Troubadour Maltings and distributed to some of Colorado's finest and most popular craft breweries. Rocky Mountain Hay Farms is a Colorado farm that will be growing the Rouge de Bordeaux. Rouge de Bordeaux, a hard red wheat native to the Aquitaine region of France, has a rich history dating back over 400 years as the original wheat used to make baguettes. When baked, it offers a rich, sweet, and nutty flavor with an aroma reminiscent of cinnamon and other warming spices. All partners are eager to discover how the flavors of this wheat will translate into beer, especially as heritage grains are rarely featured in brewing. The breweries involved are experimenting with a variety of beer styles to accentuate and showcase this unique ingredient.
Dry Storage and its partners are dedicated to ensuring that these beers represent a fully integrated Colorado food chain partnership - a core reflection of the Colorado Grain Chain. The wheat is locally grown, processed, malted, and brewed in Colorado. As a result, the project seeks to embody a mission that transforms the way people think about grains and to contribute to the evolution of the world's food—and now beverage—systems. The Wheat Underground - Rouge de Bordeaux project aims to support the entire ecosystem of growing, milling, malting, baking, brewing, and enjoying high-quality grains.
Round 1 - Participating Breweries:
New Image, Wheat Ridge / Arvada
Release Date: Stay Tuned! 2025 - 2026
Beer Type: Wheat Wine
Beer Type: Wheat Wine
New Terrain, Golden
Release Date: July 23rd, 2024 & December 2024
First release: Freestyle #12. This brand new Saison that utilizes 100% Colorado grown grains! Starting with a French-style Saison in mind, Rouge de Bordeaux wheat was used for over 50% of the grist before it was lightly hopped with Lorien and NZ Nectaron hops. Those hops bring in some citrus and stone fruit notes to complement the baguette crust aromas and velvety body of the grist. Freestyle #12 is a limited release for now because we also blended half of the batch with a second batch of fresh wort before refermenting with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, which we will soon be finishing on French oak. This will likely be released closer to December - so keep an eye out for that, too!
First release: Freestyle #12. This brand new Saison that utilizes 100% Colorado grown grains! Starting with a French-style Saison in mind, Rouge de Bordeaux wheat was used for over 50% of the grist before it was lightly hopped with Lorien and NZ Nectaron hops. Those hops bring in some citrus and stone fruit notes to complement the baguette crust aromas and velvety body of the grist. Freestyle #12 is a limited release for now because we also blended half of the batch with a second batch of fresh wort before refermenting with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis, which we will soon be finishing on French oak. This will likely be released closer to December - so keep an eye out for that, too!
Cerebral, Aurora / Denver
Release Date: Stay Tuned! 2025 - 2026
Beer Type: Mixed-culture wild saison with the Rouge that will be aged in Grenache Puncheons
Beer Type: Mixed-culture wild saison with the Rouge that will be aged in Grenache Puncheons
Monolith, Denver
Release Date: July, 2024
Beer Type: The beer is a French Saison called Baguette About It, brewed in collaboration with the Body by Beer podcast and their hosts Chelsea Rhodes and Liz Hess. It features 100% rouge wheat and has 2 lbs per gallon of sweet cherries and apricots.
Beer Type: The beer is a French Saison called Baguette About It, brewed in collaboration with the Body by Beer podcast and their hosts Chelsea Rhodes and Liz Hess. It features 100% rouge wheat and has 2 lbs per gallon of sweet cherries and apricots.
Odell, Fort Collins
Release Date: June 20th, 2024
Beer Type: Angel Weiss Hefeweizen. This beer was brewed with Angel Heart Project that feeds thousands of homeless daily. The beer is a traditional hefeweizen and we used 70% Rouge de Bordeaux in the grain bill along with 30% Colorado grown barley - all grains were malted by Troubadour Maltings out of Fort Collins, CO.
Beer Type: Angel Weiss Hefeweizen. This beer was brewed with Angel Heart Project that feeds thousands of homeless daily. The beer is a traditional hefeweizen and we used 70% Rouge de Bordeaux in the grain bill along with 30% Colorado grown barley - all grains were malted by Troubadour Maltings out of Fort Collins, CO.
Stodgy, Fort Collins
Release Date: June, 2024
Beer Type: American Wheat. This beer is Colorado through and through, from the Rouge de Bordeaux and Serenade malts by Troubadour Maltings to the local, Colorado hops by the Colorado Hop Company.
Beer Type: American Wheat. This beer is Colorado through and through, from the Rouge de Bordeaux and Serenade malts by Troubadour Maltings to the local, Colorado hops by the Colorado Hop Company.
Our Mutual Friend, Denver
Release Date: June, 2024
Beer Type: Dunkelweizen
Beer Type: Dunkelweizen
Ratio Beerworks, Denver
Release Date: July, 2024
Beer Type: "Lil Sparky." This IPA is fermented with Berkeley Yeast's London Tropics and offers a soft mouthfeel with big aromas of citrus and ripe guava.
Beer Type: "Lil Sparky." This IPA is fermented with Berkeley Yeast's London Tropics and offers a soft mouthfeel with big aromas of citrus and ripe guava.