These days, craft beers can get pretty expensive. I say this because, as I read the increasing number of beer reviews out there, or perhaps watch some of them on Youtube, I generally see one component of a beer neglected: price. It’s all well and good to remark upon a beer’s stylistic or hedonistic properties. But how about value? As beer’s get more expensive, value is, in my opinion anyway, an extremely important consideration.

To be sure, I support a brewer’s right to make a living, and I’ve been known to pay a premium for good beer again and again. But I also know how much it costs to make beer, and I’d be a fool to pay more for one beer of equal value when I can get another for far less.

Case in point: Stoudt’s Smooth Hoperator. Before we comment on value here, let’s pour out a bottle and see how it tastes shall we?

Stoudts Smooth Hoperator pours to a bright copper color with a medium foamy head formation and a good amount of Brussels lace. The nose is quite nutty malty, enticingly so. Taking a sip, the rich malty palate has a full, luxurious mouthfeel and a definite toasty nutty melanoidin character. A bit of caramel is detectable. These are the malty things I am looking for in a doppel, though I think a tad more dark malty molasses or chocolate might be in order.

Despite the name, not a lot of hops poke through in the finish. I do get a little to be sure, along with some light alcohol warmth (the beer has an alcohol content of 7.2% by volume). Stoudt’s calls this an “American Style Doppelbock” and claims it has 50 IBUs, though these seem to be drowned out by the malt sweetness. They claim to use one and a half pounds of Amarillo and Summit hops per barrel of beer.

Here is my gripe, however. Stoudt’s Smooth hoperator is way overpriced, at least here in Georgia. Total Wine sells it at $12.99 a six-pack, which to me is way out of step with reality. Why? Because while this is a nice American interpretation of a doppelbock, it is no German doppelbock. Consider that for the same $12.99 I could purchase a six-pack of Spaten Optimator or Paulaner Salvator PLUS a half liter bottle of Tucher Bajuvator or Weihenstephaner Korbinian-and still have a dollar left over.

I have a lot of respect for Stoudt’s.  I visited the brewery back in the nineties, and when I called them to advise about how their beers were being ill-treated on Rhode Island store shelves I got a personal call from Carol Stoudt. Still, this beer is priced way out of line with reality, and for that reason it’s not really a beer I would buy again.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft



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