So in the Barrel-Aging craze of the past few years, we’ve seen a whole lot of porters and stouts, with the occasional pale aged in some interesting wood (thank you Rogue). Those of you who know me know that I love and appreciate a really good red. Unfortunately, good ones can be hard to find. Thankfully, there are such wonderful options out there as Karl Strauss’ Red Trolley, which, by the way, just won a gold medal at the recent GABF. We also have other wonderful options, such as Klamath Basin Brewing Co’s Drop Dead Red. But I digress.

How about a new option? Barrel-age the red for a year, and keep everything in balance. One local brewery was certainly up to the task – check out our review of Lompoc’s Barrel-Aged NW Red below.

The Breakdown:

• Originality within style (20): Not often you find a barrel-aged red. I’d say it’s pretty unique.
• Nose (18): Notes of vanilla, bourbon, toasted malt
• Mouthfeel (18): Delicious, not hot on the palate, full-bodied fall ale
• Character (19): So many layers of depth, I *really* enjoyed this one. Goldilocks busy.
• Overall Quality (19): Love and care piled into this one, and it shows.
• Total (94): Hopefully you can find it.

Beer: Lompoc Barrel-Aged NW Red Ale
ABV: 8.1%
Brewer: Lompoc Brewing Co – Portland, OR
Availability: Oregon, Washington State(?)
Reviewed by: Jameson Huckaba (twitter: @jamesonhuckaba)

If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.