Stoudts Smooth Hoperator

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

12oz bottle @ The Headkeeper: This one poured a fairly clear copper color. There was a small white head on it that left some lacing. The aroma was good. Lots of hops up front with this one, mainly with pine and some floral notes. A fair amount of caramel malt also. The taste was also very good. There were enough hops to make you think IPA, but a lot of malt and dark fruits that you get in a doppelbock. Definitely worth having again.

Bottle from Sam’s. Interesting hoppy take on this style. Pours clear copper with foamy white head and nice lacing. Sticky skunky hops on the nose, but also a strong caramel malt undertone (odd for the malt to be such an undertone given the style). A unique beer, but after the novelty wore off, I wanted either an IPA or a doppelbock... but not both.

Bottle from educator’s BIF; thanks dashirey. Pours a slightly hazy copper-amber color with an anxious off-white head. Nose is a ton of caramel and malt with pine and floral hops in the background. Flavor starts off with caramel, but quickly comes off with floral hops and lots of sour orange. Finish lingers with malty caramel. Lots of IPA qualities in this doppel.

12oz bottle from bon vivant in suffolk. pours a clear, copper with a medium off-white head with solid lacing and retention. aroma is a very pleasing blend of fresh, sticky, citrus hops, some dark fruits, and sweet, caramel malts with a hint of graham. flavor is very good and definitely hop forward with citrusy, grassy, and bitter hops up front. the german malts come through after the swallow leaving a sweet toffee and roasted nut finish. mouthfeel is medium bodied, slightly chewy, with solid carbonation and a long, bitter aftertaste. honestly, not sure why this one is a dopplebock. seems more along the lines of a solid east coast IPA or ASA. overall, well done brew.

12 oz bottle served in a regular pint glass. The beer pours an amber color with a 1 finger head. There is great lacing with this beer as well as head retention. I could not get much out of the aroma with this one. I could only pick up hops and malt. Perhaps this is due to the glass that I used. The taste is predominately hop oriented. The first sip there is a pinch of malts and then it is all hops. The carbonation is fine and the beer goes down very smooth. This is an interesting take on the style and one that might improve with a little more balance.

one of the best names for a beer ever. on draft at beer kettle. caramel, sweet, with some nice hop bitterness. smoooth Hoperatorrrr. had this with pampdogg

12 oz bottle, from the brewery store. Pours a crystal clear amber body with a one finger fizzy beige head that had some decent retention. The nose is just crazy for a Doppelbock. There’s tons of bright floral and leafy green hops over a toasty, toffee, and caramel malt base. Never smelled anything like it in a Doppelbock. The flavor is just as unique, the hops are wonderfully fresh and bright with some citrus and floral notes while the malt is sweet and toffee like with light hints of coffee. An incredibly well balanced and fun take on an often boring style. Not that everyone will take to this, it does take a certain open-mindedness with regards to style authenticity. Nice mouthfeel, medium bodied with a bit of a resiny sticky finish and moderate fizzy carbonation. Pretty neat beer. Glad I got this direct from the brewery though, I could see where this might go down hill pretty fast if the hops weren’t still fresh. Me like.

12oz bottle brought back from Ohio Christmas trip. dark copper pour with a thin off-white head. musty earthy aroma with a hint of citrus. taste is a mix of grass, grain and apricot. interesting for sure. heavy but even bitter floral hops through the long finish. certainly doesn’t seem like any doppelbock I’ve had. tough one to rate. A for effort anyway.