Stoudts Smooth Hoperator

Bottle. Heavy malt aromas of nutty, caramel and roasted, moderate herbs and spruce for the hops, light dough for the yeast with raisin, brown sugar and nutmeg in the background. Head is frothy, off-white with a red tint, has good lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is clear light tannish red. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly acidic, then finishes lightly acidic and moderately bitter. Palate is medium, between watery and oily, has soft to lively carbonation and finishes lightly astringent. This is a perfectly balanced Doppelbock.

Stoudts Brewing out of Adamstown, PA has many year-long beers, and quite a few seasonal to flesh them out. One in particular is the Smooth Hoperator. As her name implies, she aims to take one down the smooth side of doppelbock-hood, emphasizing a more congenial relationship between hops and malts.

She poured a deep amber, polished and clear as day, a sure sign that I am dealing with a heartily doppelbock. A small collar tries to keep her reigned in, but fails most miserably. I can’t complain though when the nose that rushes out to great me is ripe with crushed pine needles, sticky and sappy, caramelized sugars melting in the summer sun, sliced grapefruit and lemon, and crunchy sugar granules sprinkled on top for a final crunchy, sweet finish. Pinching my nose, I take a deep breath and dive in, all inhibitions tossed to the winds. Sweet, hoppy, sappy, grassy, and malty all at the same time. The sweetness of her malty side greets me first with cool cooked sugars, brown sugar, and whole wheat sweet rolls. The bittering hops come in second, hitting the top of my tongue with grapefruit and lemon rinds, their dry bitterness lingering after each quaff. Cinnamon sticks and nutmeg pepper my breath, warming her palate just enough for the next onslaught to begin. Not an overly complex doppelbock, but playfully balanced between malty and hoppy, a conflict of interests which works very well for the Smooth Hoperator.

A very sessionable doppelbock, I would definitely enjoy going back for another round with this hoppy malt-bomb. Not as robust as many doppelbocks, but well-balanced and still replete with flavor.

Carmel pour with decent foamy head. Piney hops to smell with a touch of toasted caramel that makes itself more apparent on the flavor. I think that this is a nice take on the style. I am totally digging the up front woody hopness with the malty backdrop hanging out behind it. This one is a lip smacker. The ram on the label certainly is a smooth cat as well.

I think the commercial description of this beer given above is spot on in describing the beer. The beer medium bodied with a clear copper color. The malty palate up front gives way to the lasting hop presence with a long dry finish.

Bottle. Poured ruddy amber with a moderate white head that left some nice lacing. Aroma was predominantly hoppy both pine and some grapefruit, underneath that was an obvious caramel malt with some grainyness as well. Flavor was definitely malty but washed clean by the citric and resinous finish. Palate was noticeably thick even for a lupulin heavy IPA, presumably due to the strong malts.

12 oz. bottle. Crystal clear coppery amber, small to medium yellowish white head that is durable and leaves a decent lace. Predominantly caramel aroma with hints of grass and grain punctuated by a pine and citrus hop presence. Smooth on the palate with a medium body and light carbonation, and a bit of lingering stickiness. Malt flavors are on board first, but the bitter hop hit starts quickly, building to a mildly bitter finish with a slight metallic quality. The quantity of bittering and aroma hops certainly push the limits of the style, and the rich maltiness of traditional doppelbocks is certainly not in evidence here. Nonetheless, an enjoyable and drinkable brew.

Pours clear copper color with off white head. Caramel and floral hop aromas. Sweet caramel flavor with a slightly hoppy finish. Medium body with average carbonation. An interesting take on a doppelbock.

12 oz. Clear, dark copper with a lasting 3-finger head. Nose is chocolate and caramel balanced with metallic and citrus hops. Flavors of chocolate, grain, gunmetal, caramel and tangerine. Medium body is smooth and very drinkable.