Valve Jockey Oatmeal IPA
Bent Paddle Brewing Co.

Pours a murky over ripe apricot brownish yellow with a thick white head. No lacing to speak of. Aroma is pine and grapefruit. Flavor is sweet up front (think orange fruit loops) that quickly moves to bitter hops. Feel is thick and full, low carbonation. Overall an okay beer.

 

 

 

Oatmeal IPA pours a cloudy hazy copper color, with a small, but long lasting head. Mellow aroma, hints of earth. Taste is earthy, but on a big creamy oatmeal backbone. A bit flat, but not too bad. Overall, interesting IPA, the oats a very good touch, earthy hops.

750ML bottle split with my wife as we watch Spartans make wise at the expense of Xerxes & his minions. Such a good movie. So much winning.

The pour is hazed gold. Standard IPA nose with citrus, pine, & a side helping of sweetness.

Valve Oatmeal IPA has a lot going on. Right on top there are the oats, which smooth out everything & make it a kissing cousin of Spotted Cow, well, kind of. Hops kick in & there’s a generous quarter-cup of bitterness, along with quite a bit of citrus, tangerine, papaya, quite a lot of fruitiness. Hefty malt sweetness on the finish. Super easy to sip.

This falls on the top end of Bent Paddle IPAs I’ve had to date; all of them ranging from good to very good, but never quite tipping into the top quartile. This? The oats are a lovely touch, & this is very good.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from 750 mL bottle into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a clear, and slightly dark, yellow hue with 1-2 inch frothy white head with good retention.
S: Grapefruit, pine, orange, and a hint of mango. Strong and bitter hop aroma. Look out below!
T: Grapefruit, pine, orange, mango, and a subtle caramel malt backbone. Love how the oatmeal softens and helps balance the strong hop notes.
M: Light-medium body. Bitter and astringent hop notes throughout. Nice mild citrus sweetness. Lingers on the palate nicely too.
D: Nothing complex about this, but very nicely crafted. I really enjoyed the balancing and softening that the oatmeal brought to the brew. Still a hop bomb, but not as acerbic.

 

Had two 750 mL bottles roughly a month apart, into standard pint glasses.

Look: Hazy but not opaque, golden color with a finger of head. Lotsa lacing with this one.

Smell: Didn't get much besides hops and a bit of pine. Nothing unique, not a ton of difference between the two bottles.

Taste: Very hop-forward, a bit of fruitiness before the sweetness from the oatmeal kicks in. Second bottle was notably sweeter--I'm guessing the hop flavor dulled over the month difference. I preferred the sweeter one, as it felt more balanced with the slight malt presence.

Feel: Very smooth, understandably similar to an oatmeal stout, but without leaving a lingering feeling of creaminess.

Overall: I'm not a fan of IPAs in general, but this (and Bent Paddle's Harness IPA, to be honest) is changing my mind. I think the sweetness is helping to win me over. Good stuff.

 

 

Citrus and tropical aroma and flavor that is sweet, dry and tart at the same time. Reminds me of a Lagunitas or 3 Floyd's brew. The sweet juicy taste dries up very nicely on the finish. The oats provide a fantastic creamy mouthfeel, but gives a slight distracting aftertaste that I notice with hoppy oat-heavy ales. Other than that, this is an outstanding IPA.

The pour from the bottle I purchased is a slightly hazy golden. A finger of head forms along with heavy lacing down the glass. Slightly dank aroma along with doses of tropical fruit and white grapes. Moderate bitterness to accompany the flavors of citrus, tropical fruit, along with a vinous quality. A slight sweetness in the finish but it is quickly overwhelmed by the bitterness. The medium body is smooth but not creamy. It is apparent there are oats in this beer.

 

Pours a slight hazed golden yellow color with a soft 1 finger head that recedes to a fresh cap thru-out. smell is fruity and dank with citrus and white fruits. Taste is crisp with citrus/lemon like hops very little bitterness and a dry finish. Mouth feel is soft and non bitter with crisp pure hops. This was good not a NE Style to me and twas pricey at $10, worth a try for sure would not buy a second bomber but perhaps in a pounder can i would.