Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale - Three Heads Brewing

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

2.5/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle (no dating) served in a standard pint glass.

L - murky brown with a thin beige head that thinned to a ring in a minute or two.

S - aspirin and dirt.

T - I never ate dirt but it did taste kind of like a orange flavored baby aspirin.

F - medium bodied with a flat feel.

O - I don't know how old the bottle I had was but what I had wasn't a very good beer.

I'll change my review if I get a fresh sample.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 01:19:12 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.28/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass...

A: Pours a super dark red hue, almost brown, with about two fingers of off white head. The foam wants to stick around forever. There is some nice lacing as it drinks.

S: This beer definitely smells hoppy. I'm getting mainly citrus notes. There is also a a musky earthiness to this beer from the oatmeal. It reminds me a bit of Grand Teton's Pursuit of Hoppiness. With all that being said, there is still something off about the nose. I just can't place it.

T: It starts off with a quick hit of citrus, but the oatmeal sweetness and spice come on immediately after. The finish is a mix of spice and bitter citrus notes. It's a weird transition, and I'm not so sure that I like it. The hops are subdued quite a bit by the strong malt backbone.

M: Medium bodied beer. It goes down smooth without much palate destruction. There are some lingering bitters in between sips.

O: I'm just confused by this beer. Why make a beer named after the hop plant and muddle it down with oatmeal? I feel like some of the nice hop aromas don't follow through into the taste. The mouthfeel is nice, but the flavor transitions just aren't working for me. I probably won't be buying this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 22:26:46 | More by trxxpaxxs

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Quick head, but a half circle film o' foam ratians. Decent bubbling, but nice ruby and copper color.

Sweet, fruity yeast/malt mix in the forefront of the nose. Add to the softer fruitiness some bitter orange peel and tropical fruit aromas.

Nice bitter tropical fruitiness and te oatmeal and toasted barley malt add a sweet bread flavor to this bittersweet fruity, hoppy brew. The finish is almost tinny in its citric zest bitterness. Palate is chewy, metallic, and bitter. This beer is worth a try. Very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:55:00 | More by scruffwhor

Etan

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Pours a brownish red with a nice cap of spongy off-white foam. Pretty good lacing and retention. Looks like a red should.

S: Nice hoppiness in the aroma. Sweet orange, sourish grapefruit, and a big dose of caramel malts behind.

T: Mellow piney and citrus hop fades into relatively strong red and caramel malts. Bit of a tangy lactic element as well. Mild acrid bitterness and a bit of toffee in the finish.

M: Nice thickness to the mouthfeel because of the oats, but way too undercarbonated. A bit of carbonation, but not nearly enough.

O: Much mellower in the hop dimension that the more well-known hoppy red ales. The mouthfeel also suffers from the lack of carbonation. Not bad, but not very good either.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 22:53:48 | More by Etan

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Split a 22oz, poured into a duvel snifter

A- pours a deep coper brown with less then 1 finger of tanish brown head, head disapates quickly, very light lacing.

S- earthy, I'm assuming from the oatmeal, light caramel, citrus hops, perhaps a hint of pine but it is burried in the malts. Almost toasty.

T- light malt sweetness rounded out with piney and citrusy hop notes, slight bitterness on the finish. Finishes with almost a hint of browned toast. Light caramel. The finish is strange, with the mingle of bitter grains and slight hop bitterness

M- light/medium bodies with an almost creamy texture that finishes a bit chewy and grainy, dryer finish. A bit of an odd lingering aftertaste that I could do without.

O- not a bad beer, deffinatly interesting, and a bit different then anything else really, I feel like the oatmeal adds a unique twist, but as with there other beers nothing really jumps out, feel like it could use more hops, and maybe a touch less toastyness.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 08:03:39 | More by PeterIngemi

david18

New York

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I bought a bottle of this at my local bottle shop on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Pretty good amber ale from a brewery that I had never heard of.

Pours an expected amber/red color, somewhat fizzy but clean looking.

Pretty well balanced aroma of hops, malt and yeast. Very much like the better beers in the style.

Flavor was also good and typical for the style. Well crafted and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 19:07:37 | More by david18

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Red-amber color to the beer. A draft overpour left me with pretty much no head. Small lip of foam that barely fits in the glass. A little hazy. I can say that the lacing is damn pretty.

Your usual medley of grapefruit and pine hops. This beer features some toasty malts, barley grain, and an aroma of caramel sweetness.

Follows the nose. Citrusy hops, pine, earth. Some herbaceous qualities that are slight. Dry toffee. Grapefruit. Very mild, yet notably tasty.

Oatmeal at work. Lots of chewy dextrins. Alcohol reminds you that this beer is at IPA strength.

Decent. Won't miss it when I have to chug the bottom half of my glass back so that I can dip out, but I'm glad I had one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2013 21:19:58 | More by thecheapies

metter98

New York

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is crystal clear amber in color and has a very slight amount of carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that died down and left some bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of citrusy hops and toasted and caramel malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell except that it is a little maltier and has some hints of malty sweetness along with a very slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very smooth on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The oatmeal makes the mouthfeel nice and smooth, but apart from this nothing really stands out in the taste or the smell of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 15:58:39 | More by metter98

Maximusmaximus

Massachusetts

3.61/5  rDev -6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a deep amber color into a tulip glass. Head builds to about 1cm thickness and is comprised of small tight bubbles which produce a nice frothy foam that leaves a modest amount of lacing on the glass. Carbonation settles to nearly nothing after the initial pour. Less than 1 cm of head remains throughout the experience. (2.5)

S: The sweetness of caramel hits the nose laced with a pleasant, metallic subtleness that is neither aggressive nor submissive, but rather sublime. (3.25)

T: Quick upon the tongue is the sweetness promised by the aroma; however this caramel comes with a bit of a sting to it. The sweetness of caramel is quickly overcome by a mild bitterness with a hint of pepper that lingers just long enough to tingle the wings of the tongue and the roof of the mouth. (3.75)

M: Mild carbonation and a thick body work together to produce a viscous and velvety experience. (4.0)

O: While not necessarily an impressive pour, this beer is nice in all the other right ways. Neither over the top nor understated, it is a fine addition to the always expanding Red Ale category. (3.75)

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:33:49 | More by Maximusmaximus

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

An interesting beer, served on tap at Mudville 9 in NYC. Pours a somewhat murky reddish brown with a finger or so of off-white head that settles slowly and some sticky looking lacing. Aroma is very much what you’d expect from an IPA or hoppy amber; grapefruit and pine resin intermingled with a healthy dose of sweet caramel maltiness.

The taste follows the nose but there’s an unusual oatmeal aspect that’s somewhat present as a flavor but prominent in the overall feel. Again the balance is pretty even between a full, sweet caramel and brown sugar maltiness and grapefruit and piney hop notes, as well as an overall fruitiness to the flavor. Finishes only semi-dry, with some lingering bitterness in the aftertaste.

Medium-full bodied with a smooth, creamy, almost chewy feel from the oatmeal. Carbonation is moderate. This is an oddball beer hence the “loopy” name; not bad but a little schizophrenic for my tastes.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 14:06:10 | More by tobelerone

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber from Wegmans in Syracuse. I'll agree with the brewery's description, this beer does indeed have velvety malts. The deep, dark bread and caramel aroma and taste remind me a big of a scotch ale. The finish, while not hugely hoppy, does have balanced (against the malts) juicy citrus bite with a little spice to it. Red ales are mostly unremarkable, but this is a fine example of the style. Definitely worth a try if you're into reds.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 02:24:54 | More by tempest

BEERMILER12

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a mahogany color with a fingers worth of off-white head

S: Some nice citrusy and floral hops, a little tropical fruitiness (also probably from the hops), and a solid malt backbone with some oatmeal

T: Starts off with the hops, with notes of citrus, tropical fruit, and grass. Moves into a light malt backbone due to the oatmeal. Alcohol plays no role

M: Medium bodied with light-moderate carbonation. Seems a little watered down, but still smooth

O: A nice hoppy red ale. Easy to drink, even given the good amount of hoppiness. The oatmeal plays a nice role in toning down any harshness. Definitely not your every day red ale. Worth a try for the uniqueness of the oatmeal and level of hops alone

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 01:42:25 | More by BEERMILER12

emerge077

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"270 11" date code on the bottom of the bottle, which could be meaningless, but could possibly be a bottling date. Judging from the label, the casual drinker might expect a near-psychedelic hopgasm...

Into a Duvel tulip this beer pours a deep reddish copper color. It glints ruby red in the light with jewel tone highlights momentarily. Frothy foam on the surface, it maintains some surface accents for the duration of the glass.

Smells sweet with some toffee and toasted malt notes.

Tastes like earthy hops and caramel popcorn... a little odd but good. Some diacetyl bleeding through in an English way, with some woodiness lending some character as well. Light hop bitterness, dry finish, a flash of dried fruit cameos from the yeast. Fairly light bodied with medium carbonation. Overall it's worth a try, not as crazy as the label would have you think...

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 01:54:24 | More by emerge077

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep amber red color with a two fingered frothy and creamy head, carbonation is minimal.

S - Grassy, earthy, pine, mellow citrus grapefruit, and biscuity malt. For a red ale, the malt is subdued to a higher level than normal allowing the hops to come through.

T - This is very hoppy for a red ale. Right from the start, the hops don't waste any time in getting down to business with pine and grapefruit bitterness leading the charge. There's also a grassy/earthy character to this beer. Light caramel malt does come out in the beginning but becomes less of a factor once the hops kick in. Around mid palette the sweet and bitter swirl around and the hops eventually win out with a lingering dry pine/citrus finish.

M - Thin medium body with mild carbonation "pricklies" on the tongue.

O - I like this beer but wish it had a "tad" more body. For a red ale, this is definitely hop forward with more subdued caramel malt base than most red ales I've had in the past. No doubt, the hops will eventually fade to reveal more malt flavor so enjoy this one now if you favor bitter beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 01:37:30 | More by jzeilinger

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can a body be both bright and hazy at he same time? That's how the red orange body of this looks to me. Two plus fingers of level off-white tight foam. Lace is completely coating the glass.

Aroma is citrus, pine, and caramel, but it is very subdued.

Thick solid caramel foundation. Some juicy fruit. A huge bitter bite. Pine finish.

Very smooth mouthfeel, no doubt due to the oatmeal.

Expected more juiciness. Maybe the oatmeal takes the edge off.

Overall a good beer, well worth trying. Similar to Terrapin's Big Hoppy Monster.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 02:11:56 | More by RonfromJersey

CloudStrife

New York

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Jeffrey's bar poured into a Pyramid Breweries pint glass.

About a 1/2" off white head with a few chunks and fish eyes. Deep mohagany in color allows plenty of light through. Lacing down the side of the glass as I drink. Head settles to a thin film.

Smell of citrus hops with a faint malt backbone. Hard to pick up much else other than the hops.

Taste is hoppier than expected for an amber ale, which doesn't bother me. Has a good bite and a lingering hop flavor. Able to pull out more of the malt notes as this warms up. Hints of oatmeal.

Mouthfeel is fairly light, mild carbonation. Hops are slightly sticky.

Overall better than I expected. Wouldn't seek out again but wouldn't turn down. A good addition for this new brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2012 22:43:14 | More by CloudStrife

oberon

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an imperial pint a rich deep auburn with a large blooming light tannish colored head atop,it never really completely settled.Sharp grapefruit rind really hits hard in the nose along with pine resin,the hops are great,a caramel maltiness also comes into play.Grapefruit and pine resin hit upfront on the palate really fresh and in your face,not much sweetness wich is a bit odd for the style...even a highly hopped one,mild caramel/biscuit underneath the hops.This is pushing the boundaries of an amber with its big hops it lacks a little depth but the feel is great with the oats helping make a creamy smooth feel.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 22:53:12 | More by oberon

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

We pop the top and pour a rich mahogany brown brew. It holds a two finger head of light brown bubbles. This shows nice retention, leaving sticky rings of lacing around the glass, with big bubble aggregates left on top. The head is easily reproducible with a swirl. There is a slight haze, but no sediment is noted. Carbonation appears high. The nose is bright with earthy and piney hops. Tinny metallics head up the malt category, which is otherwise filled with your standard pales, and a faint dry oat. Baker’s yeast and melon sweetness help to cut the grain, with apple sugariness coming on the way way back. Our first impression is that this guy is pretty bitter and metallic. As we sip, the nose unfolds in flavor, with those tinny malts, and some dirty, earthy hops mixing up front. The balance is there, but it is real muddy around the edges, with dirty pale malts and mineral. Bitter hops, lemon rind, and pine come through at the peak, mixing a bit better with those continued paler malts. A black pepper spice brings us to the finish, where more roasty and more musty malts round things out. Here the cutting flavors are more herbal hops, and a light caramel sweetness. The aftertaste breathes of peppery alcohol, lemon rind, and clean but deeply bitter earthy hops. The body is medium, and the carbonation is medium. Metallic astringency streaks down the tongue and palate, leaving a dry coating. There is nice froth, slurp, and cream with each sip, but the fullness things out a bit towards the end, approaching wateriness. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we found to be the most enjoyable aspect of this brew was the fresh hop flavoring. This stays with the drinker throughout the tasting, but gives just a bit too much bittering by the end of the full bomber. The feel is characteristic for Three Heads in softness, but becomes a bit too thinned out by the last sips. Solid flavoring, nice aroma, and an all-around tasty treat from a great local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 03:43:06 | More by TheBrewo

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that reduced to a small layer and left some lacing on the glass. It is a dark amber/crimson color with some clarity and vision of bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Hops are pretty dominant in this beer. Floral, spicy, and citrus hops all followed by caramel and bready malts.

Taste: Whoa!!!! Major hop bomb is leaving some chalky and tingling bitterness in the back of the mouth. The oatmeal, chocolate, and caramel malts are hidden by the amount of hops. It's too bad because this beer starts off good.

Mouthfeel: A little chewy, somewhat smooth, tingling bitterness, medium bodied, and medium carbonation.

Overall: This hop bomb is nice, but too much. I like it, but have been drinking it slowly die to the hoppy chalky and bitterness in the mouth. Not sure if I will revisit this one again due to its drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 07:05:40 | More by Flounder57

dogfishandi

New York

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle, fridge temp., darkness snifter.

pours out a fairly clear red, bronze color with a nice, full one fingers worth of off white, almost light tan colored head. good retention and some pretty nice looking sticky lace.

mostly grapefruit citrus and pine hops come through. a bit vegetal, almost like hot peppers. some biscuit and light caramel malt balances things out.

decently hoppy, grapefruit citrus and pine are balanced nicely by caramel and biscuit malts. just a touch vegetal, and a hint of a peppery spice in the finish. a little malt sweetness is cut by an almost IPA like hop bitterness.

interesting mouthfeel, i assume from the oatmeal. a bit oily which kind of adds to the resiny hops. medium bodied.

kind of a simple tasting beer with a few subtle oddities. on par with most other three heads beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 22:13:19 | More by dogfishandi

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pour yields a big fluffy slightly off-white 1 finger head that fades semi slowly, with some decent foamy lacing, over a clear copper almost auburn colored beer.

Nose has a mix of hops right out front, not very hoppy, but nice aromatic hops, with a bit of earthy and spicy hops, some citrus, hint of pine, and a bit of fresh musty resinous hop aromas. Then malts follow closely, with plenty of caramel malts, and some toasty reddish copper malts, and some toffee.

Taste brings a malty flavor out front, plenty of toasty reddish malts as well as some caramel malts, smooth and soft but not syrupy which I think is with help from the oats, which add a light oat flavor as well. Hops come exploding out shortly after that, bringing a decent bitterness but again mostly late hops and not a huge bittering component. Hops start with a light fresh resinous flavor and some pine, and quickly turn to citrus fruit and a slight earthy spicy flavor. The soft malts are nice, and the hops are nice, but together they don't seem to meld as well as they should, almost like two spices of flavors. The finish is a bit drier, and quite more bitter, the spicy earthy hops bring almost a slight salty quality as they finish strong and the soft malts disappear quickly.

Mouth is med bodied, smooth and almost silky, with decent carb.

Overall not bad, some good flavors in there but it doesn't blend well. It starts nicely with good soft malts and oats, caramel, toasty flavors, etc, but quickly turns to hops. The hops are possibly a bit too forward as the beer progresses and the malts are quickly forgotten. If the hops were maybe a tad less resinous, spicy and earthy it would come over much nicer. However, this is still a tasty drinkable beer that I can easily drink the bomber of.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 22:20:21 | More by jlindros

Kendo

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle says it's an oatmeal red ale, whatever that is - presumably there's some oatmeal used, like with an oatmeal stout. Interesting.

A: Poured from the 22 oz bottle into a pint glass. Body is amber-red with a half-finger khaki-colored head that leaves good lacing. No visible carbonation whatsoever.

S: Not terribly strong in the nose - a bit of citrusy hops over some caramel malt. But nothing really jumps out of the glass.

T: Presumably this bottle is uber-fresh: I saw it this week at Olivers for the first time, and there's only one other review of this beer here (on-tap), so I'm guessing 3HB just started bottling this one. . . . It's a hoppy amber/red: a style I like (think Nugget Nectar, though this isn't in that league). Toffee and caramel malt foundation, then a good, juicy, citrusy hop finish, with lingering spicy, minerally hop bitterness. Almost bumped the score here to a 4.5.

M: Medium in heft, modest carbonation. Good creaminess - maybe from the oatmeal (or could that be the power of suggestion)?

O: Solid. A flavorful, hoppy red ale that drinks easy if you're a hophead. I've been modestly impressed with the 3HB offerings so far, this one is yet another solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 02:41:16 | More by Kendo

palma

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Not too appetizing murky brown red color body. Dirty water looking. Floating yeast particles. Nice initial head though.

Unique aroma. Hoppy, chocolately, roasty, fruity all at once. good mix. Molassas. Interesting.

Also a unique tasting beer. Mild, medium hoppiness at the start. English hop profile comes thorough although im pretty sure american hops are used. Probably due to the nice malt character playing with the hops here. More malt towards the middle. Cocoa. Some plum. Somewhat fruity on the palate. Pithy, semi-dry finish but juicy. Great complexity yet there is a homebrew quality to this beer. Might just be the experimental-like nature of an oatmeal red IPA mix.

Great mouthfeel. Remarkably smooth and velvety (agree with brewer) for a red ale. Doesnt look it but feels nice.

A very good tasting and interesting beer. One that I would be willing to come back to. The sewer water appearance is a detriment. Would be a great beer if they filtered it a bit.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:15:05 | More by palma

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An oatmeal amber? Yes, loopy indeed.

With the oatmeal clearly labeled on this one, I think I was expecting a more robust brew. It is certainly full bodied enough to keep me happy, but it's quite easy to drink overall. Clear earthy character with a mild fruity tone that I find most ambers hold. Consistent flavor profile. I can dig it.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 03:56:49 | More by RblWthACoz

JayQue

Virginia

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

Good Red Ale. Nice and hoppy. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass. Reddish amber color. A hard pour provides a big frothy off white head. Head retention is good and there are thick bands of lacing.

Very good hoppy aroma. Floral and citrus hops.

Taste is good as well. Plenty of hops bitterness. The citrus comes through more than the floral. There is a balancing sweet caramel malt presence too.

Mouthfeel is crisp and rich.

Overall this is a fine Amber/Red Ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:02:42 | More by JayQue