Spring Seasonals are in at Lompoc

Lompoc 2012 Spring Tasting Media Preview

Our appreciation for Lompoc—their pubs, their brewers and their beer—continues to grow, as they have managed to impress us yet again with their Spring Tasting Preview. Lompoc owner Jerry Fetcher, along with brewers Bryan Keilty and Irena Bierzynski, introduced their 2012 Spring lineup:

Heaven’s Helles
“Heaven’s Helles is a golden straw-colored German style pale lager with a floral aroma and a clean, crisp finish. 5.3% ABV.”
We are usually very fond of good lager, especially a light, crisp one in the summer. However this beer drinking duo is 50/50 on Heaven’s Helles…according to the provided notes sheet, one of us “like it” the other simply wrote, “no.”

1060 EZ Taxation Ale
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 by Dave Fleming, this is Lompoc’s version of a “Busch Ale.” Refreshing, light on the hops…we really enjoyed this one and it will be an excellent choice for our upcoming warmer weather (we’re optimistic).

Cherry Bomb
“Cherry Bomb is our Proletariat Red fermented in Maryhill Winery Port barrels with 40 pounds of sour cherries for a couple of weeks. It has a big cherry aroma with a fruit forward flavor, finishing dry with a touch of oak. 6.2% ABV.” Again, one of us enjoyed the fruity flavor of this, one of us does not.To get wine subscription just visit the link.

Neither of us care for sours, but this one is a little different than the others we have tried…better…fresher. Give it a taste for yourself and see what you think.

Kick Axe Dry Hopped Pale Ale
“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.” Slightly different version from last year, this hopped up discontinued-Condor is still one of our favorite brews!

Valley of Hops IPA
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. Too hoppy for us, but if you like hops, you should at least try this, but get a sample before ordering a full glass…

Ryeteous Badger Belgian Style Red
“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.” Ryeteous is this years entry for Cheers for the Belgian Beer Festival. Malty and delicious, and the lower ABV means you can drink more than one glass! Come see us at the festival and try this beer…

Stout Out Loud
“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.”
This is Bryan’s own recipe named by Irena. Hints of coffee flavor, but no actual coffee, caramely, delicious…and only 4 kegs left! We liked it…better get some before it’s all gone!

There is truly something special about Lompoc and the level of commitment to their beer and service in the community; something we have learned to appreciate over our encounters with Bryan, Irena, and the entire Lompoc grew, something we missed when we reviewed their 23rd location. We look forward to future seasonal releases, as well as several pints of Kick Axe (which we hope will someday be available for our kegerator)…

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.