@inchrisin no not alone. I am not a fan of hop shots. On the beers that use hop extract , i find them all to have an aftertaste not to my liking. Almost a resin y feel that is offensive to me. Never used it, dont think i will. It is easy enough to add big bittering with pellet or leaf hops.
I don't know what hop shots are, but I've used isohop extract to tweak the bitterness in an IPA before (brewed for a 'clone competition'). It seemed to work as advertised with no detrimental effects to flavor or drinkability - but you have to dilute it carefully and add incrementally until you get the desired result.
Hop extract was previously discussed in this thread: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/co2-hop-extract.153713/ Cheers!
After touching it once, not buying it or wanting anything to do with it ever again, I asked myself 2 questions: "Why are my hands sticky?" "Why is the wall melting?"
I've used them several times for a bittering charge on my 70+ ipa's. Never had a negative effect from them, cuts down on all that hop material needed when your going commando during the boil and whirlpool. I think Northern Brewery sells them under the "Hop Shots" name, i think.
I have no specific comments to the product labeled as “Hop Shot” but I do not view brewing beer with hop extract as being a negative. Vinnie Cilurzo utilizes hop extract when brewing Pliny the Elder. Below is something that Vinnie recommended in order to brew “better IPAs”: “3. Utilize hop extracts. Consider experimenting with pure resin Co2 hop extract for the bittering addition. Pure resin hop extract still needs to go through an isomerization stage in the boil, but, you are adding a lot less green matter which can lend a very clean hop character and bitterness.” http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/5-tips-for-better-ipas-from-vinnie-cilurzo/ Cheers!
