Loakal Red - The Bruery

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Shared with rudzud as our Hoarders membership dictates.

Big fluffy pillowy almost 2 finger head fades slowly with lots of layered lacing, dark slightly hazy mahogany chestnut deep reddish brown color.

Nose is like an imperial red, big reddish malts, candy malts toasty but not caramel, wait... there is some toffee and caramel and a bit of candy syrup. Then nice toasted oak chips, touch woody, hint of what seems like booze esters and touch fruity, and a really weird spicy very strong clove like and an earthy root thing. Some earthy grassy terrior like hop aroma.

Taste starts with creamy malts, reddish toasty like, little candy malt flavors with faint toffee but again very little caramel like. Then nice oak chips, light vanilla and hint buttery oak chips, light woody flavor. Light grassy earthy like hops, again a light terrior like flavor from the hops, and hint spicy, but light overall. the finish dries a bit, a slight spicy hop character with some bitterness tries to come through before another wave of vanilla toasty oak and reddish malts wash it away again.

Mouth has a nice creamy feel, plenty of nice carb almost fluffy.

Overall quite nice, the oak is really interesting, nice malts too, hops are a little on the lighter side but not too bad. It also seems like it wants to be boozy but doesn't quite get there, tricky. The imperial version should be interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 14:14:41 | More by jlindros

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Shared between JLindros and myself as part of our hoarders membership.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a crystal clear dark honeyed chestnut brown. Massive almost 3 finger head balloons out, leaving sticky lacing and a thin blanket.

S - Aromas of nice pine hops and intermingled oak barrel. The wood is faint but there, not nearly as malty as I thought it would be. Light spice notes as well. Quite nice.

T - Taste is more oaky than the I thought it would be...alot more earthy/oaky. Hops are much fainter, but the bitter pine is there mixing pleasantly with the potent oak and soft malts. Not much alcohol either. Nice light spicy hop finiish.

M - Mouthfeel is quite nicely carbonated yet somehow creamy. Very drinkable.

O - Overall I enjoyed this beer from the bruery. Pleasantly different from the norm.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 21:04:24 | More by rudzud

Beerenauslese

California

4.36/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Massive cappuccino-like tan head over a hazy reddish brown body. Gobs of sticky, doughy lacing. Gushed a bit on opening.

Sweet nose of toasty red malt, vanilla, toffee, and orange-citrus and floral hoppiness.

Upfront there is a red malt twang with dark toffee that combines nicely with orange citrus and floral notes. Really smooth and balanced, the finish is dry with notes of vanilla, oak, and hop bitterness. A bit of complexity and layers of flavor.

Body is medium and the carbonation is moderate and round, producing a lovely creamy mouthfeel.

This is a really flavorful red ale and at 6.9% is very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:49:17 | More by Beerenauslese

merc7186

New York

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Id like to thank Sandman3479 for sharing this bottle.

I had this beer poured from a bomber into a tulip glass.

A: Amber/Reddish Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Some Lacing

S: Floral, Grainy, Mildly Piney

T: Grainy, Bready, Mildly Floral, Mild Piney

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Drying, Mildly Bitter

Overall, probably one of the best red ale I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 01:08:56 | More by merc7186

cradke

Texas

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

Appearance: foggy and cloudy red and brown. a significant fine head. Thin fine heads lingers throughout the drink.

Smell: hops first, the sweetness is pronounced and catches me a bit off guard. Some oak and malt linger.

Taste: sharp pine hops up front, oak and malt through the middle with great sweetness throughout.

Mouthful: very pronounced fine head and coronation. A bit thin as it warms.

Overall: much more hop forward than i expected. very nice cartel and oak. Very much enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:48:18 | More by cradke

brotherloco

California

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Served in a tulip.

Pours a hazy dark amber with a finger of dense beige foam. Settles to a light covering. Nice amount of lacing left in glass.

Holy cow, a hoppy beer from The Bruery! Aroma of juicy, citrusy hops, and caramel malt. Not sure if I'm picking up much oak, maybe a touch of vanilla.

Ah, oak comes through a lot stronger in the flavor. Citrusy hops and caramel malt from the aroma are more subdued and balanced by dry woody flavors. Some sweetness peeks out in the finish. A little bit of alcohol emerges as well, but only a touch.

Medium bodied with a good, supportive level of carbonation.

I'm glad I got the chance to try this "loakal".

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 22:51:28 | More by brotherloco

AgentMunky

Alabama

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

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet. No visible dates.

A: A generous two and half fingers of tight, creamy head. Brownish, translucent amber.

S: Fresh citrus hops are balanced by caramel(?) malts. Some toffee notes, a sweetness that might derive from oaking.

T: Good, but not great. The strong hops (Centennial) are lightly onion-y, which doesn't mesh as well with the woody-vanilla undertones. Hops definitely outshine the amber malt base. Drinkable, crisp, and refreshing. A pretty solid red ale with an interesting oak flourish.

M: Lightly carbonated, smooth, full-bodied, and fresh.

O: Great potential, good execution, not quite 'different' enough to click with me. Certainly drinkable, recommendable, but unspecial and not worth going out of your way for.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 04:47:12 | More by AgentMunky

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours an almost clear reddish-brown with a finger of frothy tannish head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some thick lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet lightly toasted caramel malts, toffee, oak, vanilla, and citrus hops.

T - Starts off with a mix of rich caramel malts with some oak and some citrus hops and light bitterness. Through the middle, some strong vanilla notes come through with a bit more citrus hop flavor and some toasted caramel malt. The finish is a mix of oak, vanilla, sweet caramel, and some citrus hops.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and vanilla finish.

D - Very drinkable. The barrel aging really adds a great dimension of complexity to the beer that starys very balanced with the rest of the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 05:17:40 | More by ngeunit1

jtmartino

California

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served via bottle into my Green Flash Le Freak snifter. About 6 months old. Pours a beautiful dark amber, similar to the color on the label. A mix of micro and macro bubbles ringing the glass.

Smell is rich - sweet malt and oak. Mild citrus, some herbal hoppy notes.

Taste pairs well with the smell - rich toasted oak and malt, some light citrusy hoppiness with accompanying bitterness, and a little toffee and caramel.

Thick, creamy mouthfeel. Very nice for this style of beer that mellows out its oak spice and hoppy bitterness.

This is a great offering from the Bruery. It's a fine example of when a brewery takes a nice red ale and hits it with some oak. A well-rounded beer...my only significant complaint is the high price (as with most Bruery beers.) Will see how it holds up with another 6 months of aging.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:38:00 | More by jtmartino

DM1293

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Taste - This is an interesting Red. The toasty malt and hops work well together, and the oaked aspect really enhances the overall flavor. The end result is not too dry and not too sweet.

Overall - I think that being in-between a dry and a sweet sort of Red Ale is kind of holding it back. The finish is where I have an issue; it kind of trails off into a blandness. But the initial hit is fantastic and flavorful. I still like it, but I would only really drink it with a complimenting food.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 03:56:00 | More by DM1293

Drinkerofales

California

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Starts out murky copper, but ends up almost brown. A big tan head leaves plenty of lacing and makes an island of foam which floats in my beer until I finish it.

Smell is oak, not strong, but mostly. There are some roasted malts in the smell, but in the back seat to the oak.

Tastes starts out with the oak and toasted bready malts. The middle brings a light hop tang and then an almost lemony finish.

Texture is silky and almost creamy. The lively carbonation makes the medium light body easy to drink.

I have seen this in all the local stores and have wanted to try it. Finally bought one where I found the best price and was not disappointed. Price is a little on the high side, but the barrel aging makes this quite unique.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 00:11:23 | More by Drinkerofales

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

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

Poured into a a FFF pint glass from a 750ml bottle.

A - Pours a nice dark amber almost light brown color with a nice thick and frothy 2 inch head. The head is a slight ecru/off-white color with some extremely creamy and dense bubbles. The head last forever with some nice sticky lacing. (4.0)

S - Delicious slightly resiny hops with some mild Centennial citrusness. That is then mostly enveloped by some nice sweet slight caramel malts. Awesome balance of caramel sweetness and resin filled grassy hops. Very nice nose. Pretty typical of a Amber Ale but with really well crafted. (4.0)

T & M - Starts off with some nice caramel sweetness followed by some grassy, almost hemp like hops. Very similar to the nose. There is definitely some nice woody oak characters in the background of the malt and hop notes. There is some nice slight caramel mixed in with some citrus and hop resin. SLightly piney. The wood adds different more earthy dimension to this brew and style. There is also a pretty nice malt and fresh bread backbone. Mouthfeel is light and refreshing but with a lot of flavor. Pretty solid offering. (4.0) (4.0)

O - Overall I really enjoy Red Ales with this much flavor. I feel like CA does a good job producing ales of this type. See Hop Head Red by Green Flash. Very flavorful and well crafted. Delicious. (4.0)

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 02:44:59 | More by JoEBoBpr

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

brown color with a good amount of cloudiness and haze to it. Not much in the way of a head reaching up through it at all, in fact it was rather lifeless on the first pour, though the second got a bit better. Nice side glass lacing towards then end and some moderate carbonation coming up through it.

The aroma was sweet, nice touches of caramel malts and an almost candy like sweetness that was wrapped up nicely in a bit of a grassy, earthy, hop like nose. The flavor was more of the same, but I have to admit I am impressed here with this. Lots of alcohol in the flavor here, a bit of a hotness that I have not seen in the rest of the their beers. Lots of grainy malts, touches of light caramel and a mostly understated hop flavo

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 03:03:01 | More by mikesgroove

AgentZero

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Brown colored beer with some red highlights. Pretty big, tan-colored head with a lot of stick and lace on the side.

S - Nice and unexpected hops presense in this red. Decent oak, nice malt backbone, great smelling beer.

T - Really like this beer. Nice caramel malt presence with a bit of wood and vanilla. Hops are presence, but slightly muted. Great flavors if you like a hoppy take on a red.

M - Medium bodied, good carbonation.

O - Great beer, wish they would throw this into 4 or 6 packs so I could drink it regularly. I guess it's a bit of a process to make it unfortunately, as I'd love to drink a lot of this.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 04:13:16 | More by AgentZero

MrKennedy

Australia

3.23/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle thanks to nicks6217, poured into a Lost Abbey tulip.

Poured an amber red, mostly foam (75% foam, 25% liquid at best) and this foam certainly gripped the glass and always stayed above a layer of film.

Smell was largely of candied hops, very sweet smelling and only briefly did any oak make its presence known. A little one dimensional, but a good sign of things to come. Expected vanilla from the oak, but that didn't happen for me.

Taste was the one dimensional candied hop from the nose hitting the tastebuds. It wasn't something that beated you into submission, more something that was always there, and not in a bad way.

I was a big fan of the mouthfeel, it managed to parch the mouth, presumably from the oak, while leaving you ready to come back for another sip.

Not what i expected, but overall, it is an ok beer for a tasting or a session. Drinkability was very good, taste was sweet and one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 22:38:29 | More by MrKennedy

oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this at a tasting hosted by finewinemike. Poured from a bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: Pours a dark amber color that is a bit cloudy. There are three fingers of thick off white head and a decent amount of lacing.

Smell: Some malt sweetness, but the start is bitter citrus peel hops. Really nice.

Taste: This one is very hoppy. The citrus peel bitterness hits you right away, but there is a good amount of malt to balance things out well. The finish is bitter and mildly sweet.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a really good hoppy red ale. The hop profile along with the malt backbone worked together well. I would have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 01:19:27 | More by oline73

Philousa

California

3.3/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark rust, barely opaque. Lots of head and good lacing on the glass. Citrus hops greet the nose, followed by sweet and spicy amber malt, a hint of oak wood to finish. Sweet amber malt greet your tongue, followed by bitter hops and a bitter oak flavor lingers for a while. This brew is high in carbonation, but if you let it sit a while or swirl it a bit it evens out.

The sweet amber malt in this beer is great in flavor, but it's overtaken by the oak bitterness that lasts forever, wiping the sweet taste from your palate's memory. This also happened with The Bruery's Batch 300 Tripel. They really need to rein in the oak flavors. The overcarbonation wasn't really an issue, but worth noting. This is so close to being a great brew that I can taste it (get it?). That said, this is probably the most drinkable ales that The Bruery has produced.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 04:01:29 | More by Philousa

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

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

750ml bottle.

Pours hazy amber with an inch-plus head of dense beige. A slow retreat revealed a solid skim coat for the duration and plenty of thick ropes of lacing.

Aromatics lead off with grapefruit, oak, pine, and sweet malt. A hint of roast with cut grass and vanilla follows through.

Medium bodied with a velvety mouthfeel.

Juicy, plump malt, ripe fruit, and resinous hops start the palate. Spruce, oaky tannins and a fading sweetness follow through.

Finishes with a building dryness, oak, roast, and red fruit.

Nice beer. The oak is a bit stronger than I had anticipated given the stated ratio on the bottle, but that's fine by me. Perfect for a New England fall afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 20:53:22 | More by brewandbbq

phichifiji00

California

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a hazy, medium brown in color with lots of creamy, white head, that fades very slowly.

Smell: Malty, hoppy, oak, vanilla, slightly spicy.

Taste: Malty, hoppy, oak, vanilla, spices, caramel.

Mouthfeel: Medium - full bodied, medium abouts of carbonation, very smooth/creamy.

Overall: A tasty red ale. A bit heavy on the vanilla/oak charachter, but very complex.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 02:52:40 | More by phichifiji00

DovaliHops

California

4.4/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark reddish brown color with a medium, cream colored head that slowly disappears. Scent is very hoppy with some nice caramel malt aromas. Sweet fruits and light vanilla with just a bit of leather. Taste is reminds me of fresh baked bread, quickly followed by hops and a lot of vanilla. Nice, subtle oak presence as well. Caramel and chocolate malt linger with each sip as the hops and vanilla blend nicely. Very tasty beer. Mouthfeel is somewhat creamy with a nice, bitter-sweet finish. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this is a fantastic beer. I highly recommend drinking this beer with a fresh palate to really enjoy it and experience its complexities. I had it on tap at the brewery (after I had a couple bigger beers) and don't remember it being this good at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 05:09:22 | More by DovaliHops

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle courtesy of smarcoly, pretty fresh so I'm assuming they made this more than once? Poured into a tulip glass.

A: Dark amber colored body which is fairly clear once the chill haze wears off. A slightly off-white dense, bubbly head fills a huge portion of the glass and takes its time dissipating. Remaining is a thin splotchy retention cap with some nice sticky lacing.

S: Sappy and pine-forward hop notes initially, along with a huge complementary bitterness. Caramel malts, floral hop notes, a bit of roasted honey and citrus towards the back end. A very aromatic and almost juicy smelling nose. It reminds me of Nugget Nectar a bit, except much less citrusy.

T: Bright and bitter, sweet citrusy hops are evident first. The piney nature of this beer arrives mid-palate, along with a substantial malt base composed of caramel and toffee. It's obviously hop-forward; however the balance here is extremely nice.

M: Highly active carbonation, very lively for the style and just overall quite good. It does finish quite dry from the bitterness that lingers throughout but it's nothing that throws this entire mouth feel off.

Loakal Red was a very nice Amber, something I wouldn't have necessarily expected from The Bruery. It seems like this would have had to been made more than once as this is still extremely hoppy and bitter. I really enjoyed this one and think this would be a nice, crisp and easy addition to a year round line-up.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 19:54:30 | More by ShanePB

bs870621345

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Working my way through the beers my dad brought back. This is a winner for sure!

Pours a deep ruby amber color with a beautiful off white head and tiny bubbles. Not great lacing, but still a great looking beer.

Smells of citrus, pine, and grassy hops, light caramel malt and a vanilla oak like characteristic.

Taste opens with the bread and caramel with the hops washing over in waves. Its got a depth from the oak that brightens the finish with vanilla. This is fantastic! Very juicy is the only way I can describe the taste combined with the mouthfeel.

Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated and nice moderate mouthfeel.

Overall, this is a winner- and I though hottenroth was the best Bruery beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 00:42:25 | More by bs870621345

claspada

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a hazy, amber-copper colored body with a creamy, eggshell soapy/bubbly head. It leaves a nice sticky bubbly lacing on the glass as well.
Aromas begin with a nice soft juicy citrus peel fruitiness coupled with a sweet-scented light caramel maltiness and a faint breadiness. Next I get the oak aging and some more grapefruit hops as I further investigate.
The tastes begin with the bready and light sweet caramel malts, then the pineapple and citrus hop flavors. The aftertaste is made up of a nice light woody oakiness and a slight bitter finish from the hops. As it warms I can detect a nice spicy flavor, maybe from the yeast, which is unique.
The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with medium to high carbonation. The finish is nice and dry from the oak aging and the ample hops used in this beer.
Overall I really enjoyed this beer. This is one of my new/current favorite styles (Imperial Red) and it is taken a step further and merged with my favorite style (wood-aged beers), so for me this is pure heaven. It's a beer that I could and would drink 365 days a year because of it's big, yet dry and crisp, very drinkable. Highly recommend, if you can find it (because it's only distributed locally), trade for it or look for it on a few websites that ship to several states outside of California.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 22:24:29 | More by claspada

jm1229

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle opened on 8/24 and poured into a belgian style stemmed glass.

A- Pours a deep red. Lots of carbonation in this pour; don't think it's entirely my fault. Head disappears and leaves lots of lacing. Looks tasty.

S- Very malty smell. Lots of caramel with a hint of citrus sneaking in through the back. Onward...

T- Follows the smell, but pretty complicated brew. Toffee notes on top of the already prevalent malt and citrus. Definitely can taste the oak and some dark fruits, probably cherries.

M- Very creamy. It coats your mouth completely. Nice stuff.

O- Really good beer. I'm a big fan of red beers (Nugget Nectar is one of my favorites when I'm at school in NY) and this one is definitely one of the better amber ales I've had. I do prefer my red ales to be more hoppy. While this is certainly more hop heavy than others of the style, everything takes a back seat to NN. Will buy again if given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 07:27:23 | More by jm1229

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear amber with a generous off white head and lots of lacing.

Smells of grapefruit hops along with some good caramel notes.

Starts off with some citrusy hoppiness and rounds into a sweet caramel flavor with notes of some oak. 25% in oak was a good idea as the oak flavor is present, but not overpowering.

Mouthfeel is good and creamy with a little bit lower carbonation level than normal.

Hoppy reds are right up my alley and this one is no different. I could use just a touch more hoppiness, but overall a great beer. Wish they'd distribute it nationally.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 21:43:57 | More by jmarsh123