The New Old Lompoc

Well, another day, another brewery. Tonight I find myself at the new old Lompoc, explaining to the other guests how EVDO works, and sampling seven of their fine brews. I start with the IPA - hoppy - just like I would make it myself. All the brews here are 5% or better, so I know I will be happy with my selections. The IPA is a little homey - not as sophisticated as a Rogue brew, to be sure - but certainly a step up from the lucky lab. It has enough to it to be interesting, but it is not as mesmerizing as the I2PA which is my gold standard. The condor pale ale is a hearty and gulpable homage to the local condor breeding program, and a mild brew with a unique hop flavor. These folks do seem to know what they are doing. The Fool's Golden Ale is not as silly as it sounds - this one is a good mellow balance of hops and malt, not too powerful to enjoy a pint of - but I am glad I have four more tasters to sample. The C-Note will probably be my fave - being a hop-head, I enjoyed the description on this one "This Pale Ale is all about the hops! Using Centennial, Crystal, Cluster, Chinook, Cascade and Columbus hops; this hop head's dream pushes 100IBU. 6.8% a/v" My kind of beer, no doubt. Perfectly hoppy. The Caldera almost tastes like a volcano - this so called amber ale is actually red in color, without a distinct hop presence, but with some indefinable malt interest. The LSD (Lompoc Strong Draft) is a real beer, deep red in color, with gutsy malt and enough hops to keep it on the level. At 6.9%, this is far and away the strong beer of the bunch. The Sockeye Cream Stout on Nitro is a tasty treat - rather weak for a stout, but well seasoned with tasty notes of coffee and very mild bitterness.

All around, Lompoc is a good stop - there is something here for most beer lovers to fall for, and though I am a citizen of the Rogue nation for life, I could see myself stopping in for some LSD or a C-Note now and then. Recommended.