This week I was fortunate to join other members of the blogosphere to sample some spring offerings coming to Lompoc Brewing over the next few weeks. Special thanks to Lompoc Brewing for hosting this event, and letting #pdxbeergeeks be part of it.
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| Jerry reminiscing of the New Old Lompoc location set for demolition this spring. |
Heaven’s Helles is a golden straw-colored German style pale lager with a floral aroma and a clean, crisp finish. 5.3% ABV
Brewed with an experimental Mexican lager yeast strain. It really come across as light, sweet and crisp. An enjoyable beer. Worth checking out!
1060 EZ Taxation Ale is made with pale malt and corn, using Noble hops in the kettle. It's light straw in color, with a malty nose and a mildly sweet mid-mouthfeel provided by the corn. It has a light, dry, crisp finish. 6% ABV
Brewed with 30% corn and lightly hopped. Deceivingly light and crisp, yet filled with flavor. Probably my favorite of the lot.
Cherry Bomb is our Proletariat Red fermented in Maryhill Winery Port barrels with 40 pounds of sour cherries. It has a big cherry aroma with a fruit forward flavor, finishing dry with a touch of oak. 6.2% ABV
It's a pretty well known fact I'm not a fan of sours. Although this offering isn't overly tart, very well balanced, and goes down easy. Certainly another one to seek out.
Our tribute to the Timber’s Army, Kick Axe is a crisp, easy drinking pale ale that was dry hopped in the fermenter with Cascades, giving off a huge hop aroma. 5.2% ABV
The recipe is different then last year. More hops were used in the dry hop. Also now to be a year round offering in the Lompoc lineup. I really enjoyed this year compared to last. More of lingering hop finish in the end.
Valley of Hops is a classic NW style IPA with a mild body and tons of hops. Hopped with Centennial, Cascade, Cluster, Meridian, Perle and Crystal hops throughout, it has a huge hop aroma with a spicy finish. This pleasant IPA is deliciously drinkable. 5.8% ABV
Surprisingly enough this wasn't my favorite. Comes across a bit more bitter then I would have expected, with a rough finish. It was one of the favorites at the table though, so don't let me steer you away from seeking this out.
Ryeteous Badger is a very spicy, full flavored and intense Belgian style ale. The extreme spiciness comes from the addition of malted rye and a ton of hops. It is full-bodied, yet easy drinking. 5.2% ABV
This one comes across as a lot stronger then it actually is. I would have guessed it to be about 7% ABV. It is sweet and lightly smokey taste, with a lingering after taste I wasn't able to identify. I did enjoy this offering as well.
Stout Out Loud is a mix between a Dry Irish Stout and an Oatmeal Stout. It is pitch black in color with slight hints of coffee, chocolate and roast flavors, and features a creamy mouthfeel. 4.1% ABV
Yet another table favorite. Rich, creamy, with hints of chocolate and coffee. Very enjoyable! A possible replacement to the regular offering of Sockeye Stout.
