Stouts - Hopped or Not ?

I like rasputin hoppy but not storm king hoppy

 

I have found examples that fall into both categories that I've truly enjoyed. But I tend to think more toward the less hoppy spectrum regarding a stout.

 

My only experience with hoppy stouts is Storm King and maybe Old Rasputin, which I don't find so hoppy, but I love both.

 

I have no hard and fast rule when it comes to this. As already mentioned, execution matters. I love Old Raspy and Storm King as well as BORIS and Founders' Breakfast Stout.

 

I prefer there to be enough bitterness for the gravity. I dont like late addition hops in my imperial stout too much. Good bitterness backing a great balance of deep black roasted coffee and chocolate flavors. Example: Stone IRS, only 1 addition.

 

I really do not like Storm King at all. All the other hoppier ones I haven't minded.

 

i havent yet aged enough beer's to no what exactly ones i should age. im glad some1 made this thread so i can gather info and help decide what beer's to age... mayeb ill try aging some hoopy and not hoppy stouts and compair?

 

Less prickly and hoppy the better.
I want smooth and creamy.

Cheers!

 

Love them all. One that's not your average stout, but not an imperial, is Bear Republic's Big Black Bear Stout. Good and hoppy.

 

Stouts have a lot of sweetness available to balance bitterness. Without any bitterness I think you'd get something like a malta, overly syrupy and simple. Stouts need SOME hops to balance the flavors. How much is up to the brewer, and I couldn't and wouldn't limit myself to one particular range.

I'm a big believer in the idea (and this goes for food too) that the more flavor components (bitter, sour, sweet, etc) you have going on, the better as long as the whole thing retains its balance. That's what I look for in any beer; a spectrum of tastes that work harmoniously.

 

I tend to prefer the less hoppy ones so you get more of the roasted malts (coffee, chocolate), but I've had some really good hoppy ones. Some of them just used the wrong hops though, and verged on Black IPA. They were still good and I like a surprise, but at the same time I also kinda want what it says on the label.

 

I don't really like hoppy stouts. I greatly prefer Baltic Thunder to Storm King, and Sea Monster to Victory at Sea. I think my favorite impy might be Stoudt's Fat Dog. Coffee/chocolate/roast are what I crave when I buy one, and I'm pretty disappointed when there is a notable hop presence. Just enough to keep it from being disgustingly sweet, and not a hop more.

 

Smuttynose Imperial Stout was my favorite due to the high hopping rate which gave balance to the residual sugars left behind in such a big beer. But the last batch seemed to have had the hop character cut back, and I did not care for it so much.

 

I personally love hoppy ass stouts.I get to enjoy em fresh,then I age some and enjoy the flavors as the hops fade into a creamy abyss.

 

+1 on what you said.Thats pretty much my favorite stout and notoriously has always been a hoppy beast.That last batch came out and a couple friends and I instantly noticed a significant hop decrease.Hope that was a one time thing.I've got 2009,and 10' bottles that are tasting lovely.

On another note,smutty may not even brew that beer this year,they are undecided as they may try a different stout this time around......

Cheers

 

In general, I prefer non-hoppy stouts to hoppy stouts but there are exceptions (Yeti).

 

The few heavily hopped Stouts I have had so far just tasted a bit off to me, and it was like the flavors were contradicting each other a bit too much or something.

 

Yeah, when that happens the beer lost me.

 

I prefer less hoppy stouts that are chocolate forward. (no smoke!)

 

I am a hoppy guy! I prefer Victory Storm King when it is fresh.

I also prefer Bigfoot fresh vs. aged. I have some Bigfoots in my basement aging; vintage 2009.

Cheers!