In Portland this Weekend? Check Out a Rare Old Lompoc Release

Oh yes the Sidebar - home to Lompoc's best beer.

In the past, I had a very strange almost uninterested attitude about the New Old Lompoc Brewery down in Portland, Oregon. To me, the brewery was a random neighborhood novelty that made a pretty impressive hoppy ale (Lompoc’s C-Note Imperial Pale Ale).

I was wrong. I know that now. I am sorry to you Lompoc, you deserve better than that.

Last year, I took a trip down to Portland to check out some of the places that I had left off of past tours. One of those places was Sidebar, one of the five locations that Lompoc maintains.

Sidebar is at their brewery. Its essentially the Williams St. entrance to the brewery, a small, relatively hidden portal to beer barrel heaven.

Upon entering you smell malt and bourbon. The back wall is lined with bourbon and wine barrels used by the brewery for their limited line of barrel-aged ales.

When we were there Sidebar was pouring its Oak-Aged Doppelbock and its Black Dawn Imperial (SUPER) Coffee Stout. Both of these beers were shockingly amazing. The Doppelbock is still to this date, my favorite Doppelbock on earth.

So, I received notice today that they are going at it again. Lompoc will release Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Side Porter and its Spring Bock this Friday, over at Sidebar.

From their release:

The Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Side Porter was originally brewed July 7, 2009. Aged in bourbon barrels for eight months, then cellared for an additional two, it features a strong vanilla aroma with hints of oak and chocolate flavors, 7.5% ABV.

Our Spring Bock is an amber colored strong lager with a smooth malty flavor profile and a sweet finish, 8.1% ABV.

Sounds good eh? Wait there’s more. They are also pouring a few other interesting ales:

We’ll also be pouring Flamingo – our Condor Pale Ale fermented with 35 lbs of sour cherries in a wine barrel and aged for three months, 2008 SaazAll Pilsner, Bob’s Memorial Braggot and Centennial IPA. And, as with all of our release parties, there will be delicious Lompoc grub to nosh on – hope to see you there!

Go if you can, let us know how the beer tastes!