Stoudts Smooth Hoperator

Brewed by Stoudts Brewing Co.
Style: Doppelbock
Adamstown, Pennsylvania USA

Pours with a frothy, somewhat dense, initially fat-two-finger thick, creamy tan colored head. The beer is a brilliantly clear, gold-hued, bright cranberry color. The aroma is nicely hoppy, with notes of herbal pine noticed up front. A closer inspection yields more of the same, but with more intensity. This is citrus infused though with aromas reminiscent of grapefruit, touches of tangerine and some notes of lemon rind. This has a "herbal" note to it that makes me think of hemp seed oil, this note, while somewhat soft, is definitely, distinctly noticeable. There is also a fair amount of malt character here by way of toasty malt notes, soda crackers and a touch of caramel malts.

The hop character is aggressively noticeable from the get go. A bracing bitterness and tons of herbal, rank hop flavors linger on in the finish. A mix of garlic chives, hemp oil, astringent hop leaf and pungent pine sap lingers on in the finish and really clings to the palate. What malt character is noticeable is quite clean and provides a touch of chewy, malty, complex sweetness for all of a half second at the front of each sip before it is subsumed by the dominant hop notes. Touches of softer, fruit-focused hop notes can be noticed at times; flavors of grapefruit and tangerine can be pulled out if you really dig for it.

I was quite surprised to see this listed as a Doppelbock. The hop character is clearly the dominant note here; even to be an American interpretation the malt really needs to play a bigger role here (this is of course my own opinion though as this beer clearly shines as an example that I am wrong). This really does not work for me even on a purely hop driven level as the garlic / herbal hop character of Summit hops is just a bit too dominant to be enjoyable. This is just another beer that proves to me how much I really do not like Summit hops.

Tasted like a terrible IPA. Very funky taste. Perhaps my bottle was infected but it didn’t taste bad enough to warrant my writing it off. The hops are just all over this with a funky taste to it. I really can’t describe it but was not a fan.

Light hop and apple butter aroma, taste,whoa now thats bitter. this brew is supercharged with Summit hopping,some caramel hard candy drifts in the background, but there is no semblence of balance,which of course isn’t a bad thing if your a hophead like me. A super bitter dopplebock,how extremely interesting

From bottle. Gusher! Metallic nose, iron. Cardboard and ozone to the mild hops. Light butterscotch. Mild sweet presence. Dark brown amber clear with rocky lacing light tan head. Medium bodied with light-medium carbonation. Starts with medium caramel sweetness. Brown sugar. Fruity esters and skanky apples. Alcohol. Hoppy but not harsh. Papery. Dry metallic chalky finish and after. Not one of the better Stoudts offerings, and I can only hope that I got an off bottle. The alternative is too gruesome to comtemplate, as I love doppelbock.

Draft. Robin’s breast copper, creamy pale tan head, lace rings like a raccoon’s tail. Very pretty. Mango and piney hop nose; buttery malt, humid lockerroom, and fresh oak barrel complete a strange interplay of aromas. Sweetish, fruity flavor. Cherry? ESB-like. Resiny hops become assertive as the beer warms. Full-bodied and extremely smooth… I asked my bartender if it was nitro dispensed (it was not). Gently bittersweet aftertaste. Tasty burps. Overall, a style-blurring, big yummy beer.

Piney hops up front in the aroma, with strong citrus aromas too with some caramel maltiness. Pours blonde amber. Smooth, light hop flavor some citrus and a little piney, caramel malts. The flavor is much less hoppy than the nose, still not a bad beer.

Pours a deep amber color with a tan head. Aroma is caramel malts and citrus, earthy hops. Flavor is caramel malts and a bitter earthy hop finish.

Bottle from Jeff, thanks dude. Pours out a dark brown color with a white head on it. Smell is sweet and fruity and plenty hoppy. Taste is smooth and rich, and I was under the impression this was an IPA or even a double IPA before I saw it was classified as a dopple bock? Its good stuff, but damn this is no more a dopplebock than bells 8000 is a belgian strong ale. Good stuff, easy to drink, and it packs a pretty big punch. Thanks Jeff.