Proletariat Red - New Old Lompoc Brewery

griffinn

Oregon

3.06/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A - Not really red, but a curiously murky amber. Just a little head and lacing.

S - Thick, slightly sour aroma, vegetable-like hops.

T - Heavy sweet molasses flavor, seems slightly off-balance. Hop character seems vague, indistinct. It's there, but it's an afterthought. Flavor is layered but not terribly imaginative.

M - A little on the thin side, almost seems flat. Leaves bitter oiliness and alcoholic heat behind for a long, lip-smacking finish even after the flavor vanishes.

O - Better than my review might have made it sound. This is a decent mid-range brew, not one to shy away from but nothing you'll probably write home about.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 04:02:26 | More by griffinn

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not bad. Poured this at a good teemperature with a smallish, light tan, foamy head that soon settles out and a bit of lace. Color is an amber red with lots of bubble trails. Aroma is hop, malt, hint roast. Flavor’s like nose, touch on the dry side, raisins, grain, carbonic tang and bitter up front and the bit of sweet in the back. Body is ok, but carbonation is a little soft. Finish is like flavor, quite long and very boozy.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 00:14:28 | More by drpimento

Aluman

New Mexico

3.4/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle 2 of Letspour 6 pack bomber sampling of amber beer. Striking socialist/union markings on the front. Would give extra points for that, but alas must be honest.

A: I guess there is red in there. ITs not really red though, its like a muted brown over all.

S: Overhopped. I can smell it already, smells like fat tire does.

T: Well...its better slightly than Fat tire in taste, which fat tire is baseline I use for amber ales, too hoppy picking up pear in it, which I don't think should be there.

M: Like Joker this one is really really easy to drink nothing syrupy about it tends to flow down my throat nicely.

O: Its not bad, not great, not bad. Tone down the hops, or maybe add a smidgen of oatmeal to it, and I will be delighted.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 06:38:13 | More by Aluman

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle purchased from Belmont Station in Portland OR.

Red ale? Pfft, I spit at your naming. This is a dull amber at best, quite clear with a filmy, inconsistent head of milky white. Lacing is patchy. Body is light, but the carbonation is fine. Eh.

Nose is grainy and earthy, with some punchy, slightly herbal, vegetative hops, surprisingly English in character. There's a hint of pine to it, but I'm not feeling the "Northwest" either, guys.

Taste is better. In fact, the taste is very nice indeed. Here, the grainy malt character develops a richness that intermingles nicely with those sharp, herbal hops, leaving caramel spiked with a fresh bite. It's still a bit off what I'd really consider a "Northwest Red Ale", but at least it has some balance and interest here.

Feel is a bit too light, even for a non-Red Red.

Overall, I feel as though it's worthwhile. It was really straining against my expectations, but it had enough going for it that it made me take notice. It hadn't totally won me over at the end, but I feel I understood it a little better.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 18:56:07 | More by lacqueredmouse

KDawg

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bomber into a pint glass. Pours a nice amber color with a smaller head.

Nice complexity to the aromas of malts, toffee, caramel, and some bitter notes too. Good depth and very aromatic.

Medium bodied with a real nice smooth and complete feel. Lacks a slight bit of depth and complexity but is very nice with flavors of caramel, toffee and a slight bit of malts.

This was a real good red ale. Very enjoyable and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 22:52:24 | More by KDawg

Philousa

California

2.8/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear, deep red with a thin white head. Laces a bit, which I found surprising. Different for a red. Sweet, doughy biscuit with borderline brown malt aromas. Slightly spicy. Sweet, wheat bready taste with a tart finish, turning only slightly bitter. Very mild. Some spice sticks around in the back of the throat. Medium body with a slightly dry finish.

This is nothing to write home about, but a solid beer. A little too thin and sweet for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 04:57:52 | More by Philousa

Reidrover

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wilsonville,OR. $3.79 Nice bright amber coloured ale with a lovelly thick,frothy egg shell white head. Mainlly malty in aroma,caramel,nuttiness, light chocolateslight floral hop. Semi sweet thick malty taste,again caramel,toast,milk chocolat slight hop bitterness at the end but this is a malt bomb. Great mouthfeel thick and smooth and chewy. I really really enjoyed this beer. A great malty amber

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 03:42:39 | More by Reidrover

flagmantho

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: rich amber hue with a tiny touch of haze to the body. Plenty of effervescence, and head poured two thick fingers of frothy ivory foam. Nice!

Smell: big malty aroma with plenty of caramel and biscuity malt characteristics. Not bad for the style.

Taste: sweet malt with plenty of caramel character, but this is blown away by the biscuity aspects of the malt, which I don't like so much. It reminds me a lot of Fat Tire, if not quite so unpalatable. Bitterness is moderate and balanced; hops are earthy/noble in character. Stylistically appropriate, but not my favorite malt profile.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and creaminess. I like it.

Overall: this beer just doesn't float my boat. Not bad for the style, but not something I'll be going after again anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 02:00:54 | More by flagmantho

dgilks

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear amber colour with a fluffy off white head. Good head retention.

Very light resinous, herbal hop character with some rich malt character.

Light toasty malts with some mild caramel and some nice fruity esters. Good.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Fine.

A pleasant malty beer. Nice on this cold, rainy day.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2011 03:39:48 | More by dgilks

loren01

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a nice red/brown color good sized head with slight lacing down the glass
S: Sweet, fruity, roated barley and citrusy hop scent
T: Roasted barley, nutty flavor with a nice hop bite at the end
M: Medium bodied beer, goes down easy...way too easy
O: This is a nicely done beer, way better than I expected it would be. One of my new favorites from an excellent PDX brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2011 02:26:11 | More by loren01

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On nitro-tap at Henry's Tavern - hey, of their '99 beers on the taps' (my term, not theirs) this was an easy selection.

This beer appears a slightly hazy medium bronze hue, with two fingers (that's pushing things) of fine creamy eggshell white head, which leaves some broken walls of painted lace around as it recedes. It smells of sweet bready malt, a bit of lactic sugar, and earthy hops. The taste is more bready malt, some caramel, more milkiness, and hops of the non-discernible variety(?). The carbonation is uber-low, the body smooth, and somewhat creamy. It finishes off-dry, with that consistent bready malt, and the hops lessening by the sip.

The nitro makes this quite an enjoyable quaff, despite the effect on the hops. Power to the people, people!

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-09-2011 07:31:14 | More by biboergosum

philbertk

Washington

3.85/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

4 oz. Taster @ Portland, Oregon Spring Beer & Wine Fest April 3rd, 2010. 6.2% ABV. IBU's.? Clear dark amber red color. Toasted mild floral malt hop front. Malty caramel crusty mild fruit hop infused Red Ale fruit body. Mellow sweet mild hop creamy end. Nice. (4.0 / 5.0)

Lompoc Brewing Company--Portland, OR Proletariat Red 6.20% ABV. 60 IBU's. Mild lace head. Clear dark amber color. Rich roasted hop front. Earthy burnt caramel fruit hint crusty hop infused rich Red Ale body. Crusty mild hop spice end. Rich Hoppy NW Red. (4.0 / 5.0) Sampled 5 oz. Taster @ Fremont Oktoberfest on 9/25/2010.

Lompoc Brewing--Proletariat Red--Northwest Red Ale--2011 22 oz. Bottle. 6.20% ABV. 45 IBU's. (4.0 / 5.0) Thin mild lace off white head. Thinnish pour. Clear dark amber red color. Earthy toasted floral hop malt aroma front. Medium textured dry sweet mildly crusty biscuity toasted caramel mild earthy dark fruit hint malty rich Red Ale body. Mildly cloying earthy dry mild hop spice dark fruit end. Rich roasty toasty tasty Hoppy Red Ale. Sampled 3/9/2011. Purchased for $4.50 at PCC--Greenlake, Seattle on 3/6/2011.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 03:24:03 | More by philbertk

aaron12

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tasty... nice dark red color, not much head. the smell is very sweet, sweetest smelling red i've had. it smells like rock sugar candy, and i don't notice any hops. it tastes great, and for 6.4, super easy and smooth. fatty and malty, and not as sweet as it smells, (which i'm happy about.) i dig this, i wish it was dryer, but still good all the same.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 00:58:42 | More by aaron12

chumba526

Oregon

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The ale appears brownish red with a nice tan like head.

It smells citrusy, grape like, slightly nutty, fairly caramel like. There is a nice grassy smell as well. There is also a mild floral like smell. The smell is not complex but it is quite tasty.

It tastes initially of caramel malty flavor; there is a grassy and citrus flavor. There is a bit of a sweet fruity flavor to the beer as well. I get a bit of a mild dry smoky malt flavor as well. I get a mild floral hoppy flavor. There is a great balance to the beer as well. This is a mild beer that has a nice flavor. There is a subdued malt flavor and a hoppy flavor that works perfectly with each other.

The carbonation is moderate low. There is a smooth and creamy mouthfeel to the ale.

The drinkability is pretty good because it is very smooth and well balance. It also has an interesting flavor.

Over all a good red ale that is above average. This is not an extreme beer but it is well made unique and it is quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 05:08:48 | More by chumba526

cbarrett4

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from tap at brewery:

A - good reddish copper hue, decent head, good fizz.

S - Nice toast and red fruit nose with hints of sweet malts and hops.

T - Hmmm... rather one dimensional and lacking on the palate...

M - A faint metallic edge, somewhat unbalanced

D - Due to the unbalanced palate and finish, this is a little less drinkable than their other beer

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2010 20:07:13 | More by cbarrett4

djbreezy

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On nitro-tap at 4th Down in Portland (previously The City).

appearance - poured a nice amber color with some red tones, standard nitro lacing

smell - sweet but subtle malts

taste - hops, malt, disguised in the flood of nitro carbonation

mouthfeel - the nitro smoothed out the body for this, made it very thin, creamy

drinkability - on normal draft at Lompoc this beer was great, on this nitro-tap it had some rarely pronounced flavors that did not add to the beer

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-19-2010 22:21:24 | More by djbreezy

Docer

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Local brewpub in which I have never been... I am ashamed.. but I have bought many bottles...

- Pours a dark mahogany red with little off-white head but a bit of hazy flotation of little bits.... rather clear..

- Has a smoked and roasted scent to it... rather robust, oatey, and grainy... somewhat earthy and meaty... light pine bitter hop notes..

- Almost a tea-like flavor with a roasted grain.. nutty.. woody... smokey almost,.. but not overly hoppy.. more a playground with malts.. robust grain, oats, and smoke flavors... interesting... hops are light, mild, and sit in front adding a bitter touch to it. Little bit of peanut butter...

- Medium bodied.. slightly slimy on the palate.... chewy, and drying.... ever so slightly..

- Overall I like how this is different... more malt forward... and something other than the usual red... but overall I would like more hops, and lighter drinking capabilities...

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 22:39:12 | More by Docer

jdense

Oregon

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle from New Seasons Division PDX, poured into small glass at Mom's House 3.22.2010.

Copper reddish opaque body, one finger off-white head, quick dissipation, minimal lacing. Nose is malt forward, sweetish, bready, hops pushed to background. Fairly complex taste profile, bready dry malt up front, sweetish cherry esters in the middle (crystal malt?) with a slight bit of bitterness on back end, and I noticed a bit of leather(!) in the finish. Mouthfeel is full, fairly dry astringent finish. Pretty drinkable for the style. Quite different from other NW Red Ales, worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2010 15:04:55 | More by jdense

madtappers

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a standard shaker glass.

Nice dark red hue with a thick tightly laced white head. No distinct scent of hops.

No overwhemling hop taste, nice strong malt backbone. Nice beer for someone looking for a classic red ale. Kind of blah for a lompoc beer though.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2010 15:57:00 | More by madtappers

MisterClean

California

4.53/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at New Old Lompoc.

A - Pours amber with one finger of orange-white head. Dissipates moderately fast leaving really nice lacing.

S - Honey, caramel, and light bittering hops.

T - Honey, caramel, light bittering and spicy hops. The malt flavors are very complex, but I could not describe them. The taste is overwhelming actually.

M - Full bodied, well-balanced, slightly malt dominated, and very smooth.

D - Wow. After recently judging some reds, this would have won by a landslide. The balance, malt complexity, and mouthfeel are excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2009 04:08:09 | More by MisterClean

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich copper with a slight haze. The sticky looking head didn't hang around very long, but the lacing stuck well to my glass.

A good brown ale toastiness comes forward in the aroma. Some leafy floral goodness behind the solid caramel malt backing.

Taste reminds me of a brown ale too, some toasty roasty flavors, but the hops are there in good enough quanities to keep it balanced.

Good mouthfeel and a good brew for pairing with food. Rather forgettable otherwise.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2009 19:05:50 | More by SurlyDuff

msubulldog25

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A pint, poured at JAX in downtown Portland. Have had this on more than one occasion, but it's been well over a year ago...I can't believe how few reviews this beer has after 3 years+ since it's release...

A: Presented with a gorgeous fluffy/pillowy ivory head about a finger high. Becomes rockier as it slowly descends. Color is a rusty red/mahogany, warm and lightly hazy. Little lace at first, then building to the point where sheets virtually cover the entire sides of the glass.

S: Toasted malt with a little spice and some cocoa - oddly similar to a brown ale. Hopping is herbal (and fairly subtle) and somewhat bready.

T: Toasted malt that tastes very much like rye/pumpernickel. Hops are bitter and a little medicinal. Bitterness borders on a soapy taste. As much as I liked the malty aspects of this beer, I really didn't care for the bittering. It wasn't too much, just the wrong flavor, if that makes any sense...

M: Moderate carbonation and a medium body. Lasting bittering for at least 5 minutes...

D: I couldn't recall much about this beer since my last try. As this is a seasonal release, I probably won't be trying it again before next spring. Somewhere in the middle of the pack of reds I've tried. I'd drink it again, but it's not one I'll be craving...

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2007 01:00:47 | More by msubulldog25

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.53/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This seasonal offering from Lompoc had the reddish hue its name suggests and a thin head which stuck around for a while leaving a little lacing.

Its poorest point is certainly the nose. This smells of cleaning fluid complemented with a faint herbal smell.

Fortunately the smell was somewhat misleading. The malt had a great sweet flavour and while my tongue was seemingly being coated in cream and the beer was sliding down, a subtle but pleasant hoppy finish began to exert itself.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2005 00:26:24 | More by charlatan

freed

Oregon

3.28/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This May-Day offering is a dark amber with a thin but voluminous head. Lacing all the way down the glass. The glass is semi-opaque partially due to the hue, but also to a very slight sediment content.

Aroma is dry and astringent with just the slightest hint of toffee and bittering hop.

Taste is assertive with an aggressive bittering and long malt profile that spans sweet to bready to peat. Finish is very dry and crisp thanks largely hops. Satisfying and a good meal compliment.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2005 07:15:58 | More by freed