Loopy Oatmeal Red Ale - Three Heads Brewing

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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

LOOK: Pours an amber/ruby red, nice and clear, with a soapy white froth.

SMELL: A fine smelling beer, with some fruity yeast, grapefruit and floral notes.

TASTE: Caramel malty flavor upfront followed by a citrusy hop burst. Drinks like a nice hoppy red ale, with the oatmeal lending a smoothness to the medium bodied feel. Some roasted malt flavor as well as a fair amount of bitterness. Pretty solid little beer.

OVERALL: For the style, this is very good. Could have quite a few of these.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 03:13:37 | More by Stinkypuss

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes taken on Christmas Eve during lunch at the Spinnerstown Hotel.

13 oz "pint" pours a beautiful, hazy and dark amber with limited head but spectacular lacing down the sides of the glass. A smooth mouthfeel to which the oats add some really nice body. Aroma is an impressive blend of roasted malts and tropical fruit. The flavour spans the whole hop spectrum, with mango and other tropical fruits predominating, but grapefruit also present. A burst of initial caramelized sweetness transitions into a decent bitterness, that lingers...

Both robust and complex, yet a well-balanced beer for hop fans. Would highly recommend and would love to find it again...

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2012 22:11:08 | More by hopsolutely

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

SLeffler27

New York

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours lightly hazy opalescent, reddish amber with a big, creamy, sherbet head that leaves clouds of lacing on a Three Heads pint glass.

Has the fresh aroma of pine hops with ginger, light spices and pepper.

The flavors are clean with modest bitterness and some pine. Overall, this one is well balanced between malt and hops and has a short, spicy finish that culminates with medium bitterness.

Clean and crisp mouthfeel with moderate carbonation and a smooth texture. The alcohol is barely perceptible.

Loopy is easy and enjoyable, it even warms well, which is a surprise for this style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 11:39:16 | More by SLeffler27

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

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

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

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

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Savemore Discount Beverage, Clifton Park, NY.

Poured into am imperial pint, formed a 1/4" beige head over the cloudy dark reddish orange brew. Head is quickly down to an uneven skim, with lasting lace. Aroma is fruity malt sweetness.

Taste is sweet to start, goes juicy citrus in the middle, balancing with a medium bitter close. Mouthfeel is smooth, with excellent body provided by the oatmeal, and drinkability is great. This is one I would look for again.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 00:19:34 | More by ppoitras

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Out of the bomber and into my pint glass:

A: mahogany colored body that leaves a one finger white foamy head that concaves into the body within about twenty seconds.

S: based around some citrus and floral yet somewhat sweet hops. Some light malty oatiness comes out as the beer warms.

T: takes the smells and adds a nice sweet yet somewhat bitterness

M: medium sort of feel indicating a great balance of wateriness and thickness. This is fairly sessionable.

O: this is my first one from Three Heads and I like it. Though the beer has some nice qualities that are different for the style, it is still good for the style and good for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 00:49:24 | More by kangarooAdam59

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

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

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

Hopsticles

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a strange beer. But it is also a great one if you give it a chance. I’ve tried it three times, once as a draft at a beer festival (admittedly a few beers in) and twice at home in a pint glass (poured from a bomber). Don’t expect a red ale. Don’t expect an IPA. But somewhere between them, this smooth, dry, and hoppy beer from Honeoye Falls brewer Three Heads managed to lift my spirits all three times I had it.

In appearance, it is, as the name suggests, dark amber, somewhat murky. There’s a two-finger head, but the lacing is not great (could be a function of my glasses).

Malty toasted scent. Hints of fruit sing a soft blues.

Taste: citrus notes (grapefruit, orange), good mouth feel; thick, full; just a bit thinner than a cask ale. This is a very smooth beer, thanks to the oats.

Long finish with the sweet oats but a longer flavor of fruit – the fruit prevails.

Like an IPA made love to oatmeal stout. Its child is full of strangeness but also a Lynchian beauty. Agent Dale Cooper would call it a “damn fine red ale.”

A suggestion of bitterness comes with the carbonization.

Bomber not the best vehicle for beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 18:06:57 | More by Hopsticles

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

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

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

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

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

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

yesyouam

New York

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Three Heads Loopy is a very clear, sparkling copper ale with a thick, lumpy, off white head that has great retention and lacing. It has a hoppy, grassy aroma with a resiny sweetness. It's medium bodied, a little chalky at the finish. It has good balance. It's pretty bitter, but appropriately so. There's just a very slight hint of sweetness. It tastes grassy, fruity and it seems just a touch roasty. The aftertaste is long and bitter. The oatmeal adds mostly a texture to it. Interesting idea. It's a stand-up red ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 15:38:56 | More by yesyouam

billab914

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into my Surly nonic pint glass. It poured amber brown in color with s slight reddish hue to it. A creamy, frothy head filled the top inch of the glass. Nice head retention and great lacing as I drank it.

The aroma shows a good amount of bright, juicy hops to it with some notes of grapefruit and pine. I get some rich malty notes and a little bit of the oats coming out from behind the hoppiness as well. Pretty appealing aroma overall.

The taste has a little more of the maltiness coming through with some notes of caramel and toffee. The hops still play a pretty big role though, adding more grapefruit, pine and some citrus rind bitterness in the finish. I get just a hint of the oats as well.

The mouthfeel has a real nice creaminess thanks to the oats. I love the feel oats give to beer and this one is no exception. Overall I thought it was a very solid beer. It was very flavorful and drinkable with a very nice hop presence to it. I loved what the oats contributed as well. Very solid beer of the style with enough uniqueness to also set it apart.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 20:31:06 | More by billab914

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