Does life always need to be so confusing? Sometimes, it seems, this is so. Take beer, for example (as long as you don’t take mine). Maine has a Portland that’s a famous beer town. Oregon has a Portland that’s a famous beer town. Maine has an Old Lompoc Café and Lompoc beers (Lompoc Ginger Wheat springs to mind). Oregon has a Lompoc Brewing Company of its own. See what I mean? Just enough to make you wonder which coast you’re on.

Anyway, the beer under consideration today is Lompoc Proletariat Red, a beer they call “northwest red ale.” I suppose that it’s an extremely apropos beer today, it being Labor Day and all as I type. Then too, if you look at the label, you’ll see that the graphics as well as the name give new meaning to the style “Red Ale.”

I can’t buy Lompoc beers here in Georgia, but I was able to score a bottle from Letspour.com. I got a bomber for $6 after discount, and that included free shipping. If that’s the going price in Oregon for this beer, it’s a good deal indeed. The beer has 32 IBUs of bitterness and is just a bit stronger than most red ales at 6.2% alcohol by volume.

Lompoc Proletariat Red pours to a dark reddish brown color with a thick creamy white head formation and a soft nose of dark berry fruit and light chocolate. A thick layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides of my glass and follows the liquid all the way to the bottom. Sipping, the beer has medium body, soft fruity notes of black cherry and a hint of chocolate. I like the fresh stewed malt flavor and the ever so gentle hint of grassy herbal hop aroma in the finish, followed by a gentle bitter buzz that lingers long and dry after sipping.

A nice everyday drinking red, I think, the perfect beer to savor after a long day at work. Just for fun, try pairing it with dishes you might otherwise enjoy a sultry red wine with; I enjoyed a glass with grilled flat iron steak smothered in peppers and onions accompanied by mashed red potatoes and a summer squash medley. Why not share a bottle or two with your comrades today?

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler

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