Posts Tagged ‘Lompoc Brewing Company’

I stopped into the Lompoc Sidebar on Saturday to see what beers have been sitting on wood.   The Bourbon Barrel Big Bang Red was released the night before and available on draft and in bottles.  Both versions were very good, but I picked up an extra bottle to store for a few months—if I can hold onto it that long.  Sidebar tender and brewer Zach also reached into the secret cellar and pulled out some tastes of ’09 Old Tavern Rat and a yet unnamed Bourbon Barrel Scottish Ale (room temperature and uncarbonated, it wasn’t in perfect tasting form, but I could sense a great beer in the making).   Zach said that there is only one barrel of this creation, so it’s gonna go fast.   And it’ll be released: when it’s ready.

Lompoc Sidebar
3901A N Williams Ave.
503.288.3996
Hours: Fri-Sat 2pm-10pm

That’s the great thing about the Sidebar.   You don’t often know what’s going to be on the board when you arrive and when it’s gone, well, it’s gone.   Sure, they may brew another batch down the line, but with so many variables going into a complex, small-batch beer, it’s probably going to be a little different each time.  A single barrel release of any beer is quick to disappear in Portland, so keep your eyes on the Sidebar as they quietly release beers into the wild.

While I was there, I picked up some notes on what’s been on tap at the Sidebar recently.  Most of the following are nowhere to be seen as they’ve already come and gone, but this will give you an idea of variety of styles available at the Sidebar.  I am planning on missing as few future releases as possible!

• Springbock
  An amber colored strong lager with a smooth malty flavor profile and a sweet finish.
  8.1% ABV
• Drunken Robin
  Our Condor Pale Ale fermented in bourbon barrels with 35 pounds of sour cherries.
  5.2% ABV
• Peregrine Imperial IPA
  Brewed for the 2010 Sasquatch Brewfest, this hop bomb pours a medium orange color with a hoppy aroma reminiscent of tropical fruit and pine needles. Flavor is massively hoppy but balanced by Golden Promise, Crystal and Aromatic malts.
  8.3% ABV
• Pre-Dawn Imperial Stout
  This incredibly rare imperial stout is the coffee-less version of our Black Dawn Imperial Coffee Stout. Brewed in October 2009, Pre-Dawn pours oily black with a thick dark brown head. Full-bodied with huge chocolate notes and a lingering roastiness, this is a beer to be savored.
  8.9% ABV
• Bob’s Memorial Braggot
  Brewed in the summer of 2008. Blended and bottled in March 2009. It is 2.25 parts mead to 1 part brown ale. Think of Bob when you are having one.
  7.0% ABV
• Lompoc Sour Draft
  Our LSD brewed in February 2008. Aged in Maryhill Vineyard Merlot barrels for two years. A sour ale that has an oak aroma and a lot of cherry and berry flavor.
  6.9%ABV
• Arctic Blast
  Lompoc’s Northwest style winter warmer. Dark crimson color with a fruity crystal malt aroma. Medium to full bodied with nice dark fruit flavors balanced by Northwest Cascade and Golding hops.
  6.4% ABV
• Fool’s Golden Ale
  A light refreshing blend of malt and hops. We use Crystal hops and malted wheat to balance this great session beer.
  5.0% ABV
• Crazy Dave’s Imperial Stout
  Pitch black color with hints of chocolate and coffee.
  8.0% ABV
• Saazall
  The baby brother to Saazilla. It is a Czech style Pilsner that is light in color and features Saaz hops.
  4.9% ABV
• Organic Flower of the Gods
  An IPA brewed with all organic malts. It is light in color and has a spicy hop bitterness which comes from Simcoe and Tettnanger hops.
  7.0% ABV
• 2008 Pagan Porter
  Brewed in August 2008. Black in color, there is a soft roastiness in the nose and a rich chocolate flavor.
  6.4% ABV