Stoudts Smooth Hoperator

Pours a dark amber with an off white head that fades fast. Smell is very interesting and a lot like the name would lead you to believe: smooth biscuity malt, crisp citrusy/piney hops and some caramel. The taste is really similar to the smell with even more hop character than expected. Lots of orange and piney hops with a much smaller amount of biscuit and caramel flavors than the nose led me to believe. Really dry finish. This is more like a completely experimental doppel-IPA leaning more towards the IPA side of things.

Six 12oz bottles for $12 from Bauer Wines in Boston. Purchased mid-June 2008 with a mid-August expiry date - seems rather short, especially since it’s a new offering at the store which appears to go through stock pretty quickly. Pours a dark copper red - clear with a big head. Nice malty aroma with a good deal of hops. First taste is well balanced between malt and hops. Medium bodied. Decent hops in the aftertaste. Lacing up the yin-yang. Adding to this rating with a later bottle, and the more I have, the more I like. A beer has to be pretty good to have a label that bad.

Objectively speaking: A complicated recipe that ultimately ended up in an uncomplicated IPA.
I like: The clean lager character is there alright perhaps allowing more fruitiness to come out from the hops. Pleasant hop profile taking on the grapefruity citrus realm, but also heading towards peppery, pineapple and plain green territory. Good control on the residuals sugars.
I dislike: Really limited toasted malt presence does not leave much bock character behind the hop fix.

12 ounce bottle in pint glass. Clear dark copper with lasting fluffy beige head and lace. Fruity malt and fresh hop aroma with caramel notes. Sweet caramel with red fruit and mild hop undercurrent. Medium body and medium-low carbo. Pretty nice well-made beer, though not especially memorable.

My Bottom Line:
Grapefruity, coniferous hops dally within lean caramel sweetness right before a pleasant toasty finish is pricked by leafy bitterness. This is a jovial strong lager which lets itself be drunk throughout.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam skirts the clear ruby-copper.
-Obviously, this is not brewed to a specific style, and it should be approached with an open, thirsty mind.
-The fruity hoppiness is quite citrusy, even though that fruitiness is quickly taken over by wooden, resinous notes.
-The flavor profile is balanced in its semi-intensity.
-Although all is clean and flavorful, I guess I did not find the recipe compelling enough.

Bottle.

2 bouteilles de 12 oz partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal chez Rastacouere. Arôme: Odeur d’agrumes avec une pointe d’épices et de caramel. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée-cuivrée. Présence d’un mince col beige mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût d’agrumes avec une pointe de caramel et de céréales. Longue durée de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Présence d’amertume d’houblon en arrière goût. (Rating #1879)

Poured with a nice head and aroma. Significant lacing. Nice citrus intro moving to a bittersweet and dry finish. Enjoyable but I prefer their double IPA when I’m looking for something really hoppy.

GABF 2007. A pale brown beer with a thin orangey head. The aroma is sweet malty with grassy notes of hops. The flavor is sweet grassy hoppy combined with a light caramel malt character. Nothing special.