Jolly Bock

Last night, after catching a movie, I stopped by at the local Lompoc for Miser Monday. $2.50 pints are a blessing. I selected an on tap seasonal, Jolly Bock, a dark lager. I don't like frilly winter ales. Keep the orange peels, nutmeg, and other spices out of beer, please. Jolly Bock has n one of these ingredients. It is a deep red, bordering on black. The beer is clear and a crisp with a full taste without the lingering bitterness. I liked it. I'd order it again.

Cheers,

RD

Monster Mash

Saturday, while preparing for the Ritual Of Football, I stopped at the local grocer to stock my pantry. Siting on the shelf next to Southern Oregon Brewing's Porter, was Monster Mash made by Lompoc . It's seemed a perfect pairing for the ritual.

Monster Mash is an Imperial Porter. It has a rich and robust taste. It is smokey and swarthy, a beer to be consumed on a dark and stormy day next to a crackling fire. It's a big beer without being overwhelming, a beer to compliment burgers or beef stew.

Bring a Monster home today,

RD

Scrimshaw Pilsner

Sister Mars, Junebug, and I stopped by the local Lompoc for lunch. I spotted Scrimshaw Ale from North Coast Brewing on tap and knew what I wanted to pair with my plate of fish and chips. The beer is an amazing color of yellow from the side, but top down, it's an amber as the photo shows. It's not heavy or over powering. It's a crisp, dry beer with a taste that complimented my meal perfectly. It's a beer for the dying days of an Indian Summer.

Enjoy,

RD

Heaven's Helles Pale Lager

My dear wife came home with a bottle of Heaven's Helles Pale Lager last night. I'm not much of a lager man, but it was hot and I'm a Lompoc fan, so I gave the beer a go.

It's a light summer beer with the faintest hint of fruit. It is soft and smooth with little after taste. The beer matched the day, and that is always a blessing.

-Brother RD

Oak's Bottom Public House

Brother Eric was in town yesterday. Leaving Beer Nirvana two years ago, he now resides outside the D.C. beltway. Sadly, craft breweries are few and few between in his pond of the world, Dogfish in Delaware is the closest, proper pub, and it is over an hour away.

Aiding another aficionado, we went on a pilgrimage to Oak's Bottom Public House. It's a quiet, cozy pub featuring Lompoc news and a few guest tops. Eric is an IPA man. He tried their Centennial IPA . They describe it as, "-A classic Northwest IPA. Nicely balanced and easy drinking with all the hop flavors. (6.0% a/v)." Its a nice beer. It is not overwhelming and definitely not extreme. I had the the Lompoc Strong Draft - Portland’s new cult beer. LSD is an American strong ale with big body, a touch of smoked malt and a generous hop profile. (6.9% a/v)" I think of it as summer stout. It is a rich ale that is full of flavor, without being heavy and oppressive. It was perfect with my Totchos, "a heaping plate of tater tots, smothered with cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños, black olives and onion topped with sour cream and salsa." The small portion, I added black beans for added flavor. It's an epic appetizer made to be a meal.

For dessert, we both imbibed the "C-Note Imperial Pale - This HUGE Imperial Pale Ale (100 IBU!) is a hop head’s dream. Using Crystal, Cluster, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial,

Columbus and Challenger hops. (6.9% a/v)." It's an uber ale: extreme and hoppy. The combination of seven hops creates a complex taste worth trying again and again.

Oak's Bottom Public House, without a doubt, has the Church of Beer's blessing.

-Brother E.