Two Hearted Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Mardrommar

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

The label on the back describes the beer as having a crisp finish and a strong floral hop aroma. On the bottom of the label, the bottling date is listed as 02/06/13

Poured into a Libbey tulip glass.

Pours a beautiful golden color with bright yellow highlights. Formed a soapy finger-width head that dissipated within the first 5 minutes. Leaves a spotty amount of lacing that has a soapy consistency. A minor cm or so head remained throughout the duration of the drinking session.

As described, the aroma is potently floral and hoppy. A sweet, bready malt pierces the hop aroma, giving way to a floral scent. Hints of pine, grass, citrus, grapefruit, and lemon are present. The aroma is very well balanced. No one scent truly dominates (not including the sharp sweetness from the malts). Mouthfeel is light and has moderate carbonation.

The initial flavor is citrus that instantly gives way to the bready, caramel sweetness from the malts, and then transitions into a bitter, floral finish with a slight astringency. The finish is crisp and moderately dry. The finish is not extensive at all. Aftertaste is bread and hops.

This beer is extremely well balanced and highly drinkable. One of the more pleasant IPAs I’ve had in recent memory.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 20:28:14 | More by Mardrommar

scotorum

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up two of these as part of a mixed-six in Traverse City Michigan two weeks ago.

Tulip glass fill from a 12 oz. bottle.

a. A happy translucent orange. Thin head shrank to a nice white surface film with a heavier foam ring which spread evenly as lacing as it was drained.

s: Mild fruitiness.

t: Nice light vaguely citrus with enough hop bite to let you know it's there.

m: Refreshingly light. Quite a lot of carbonation.

o: A great warm weather drink. If it were not for the alcohol, and if it had more citrus notes, you might think you were drinking a fruit cocktail.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 05:48:07 | More by scotorum

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Pours a burnt orange color with a half inch of head. Some lacing. The aroma is piney grapefruit with some malts. Not really aromatic. Taste is a nice tingly pine hop bite followed by some juicy grapefruit. Pretty noticeable malt presence. Very well balanced. Medium bodied with a tingly amount of carnonation. Oily mouthfeel. Not an in your face hop bomb but a good marriage of hops and malts. I think its been said before but this reminds me a bit of Racer 5. Overall, solid IPA for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 02:09:30 | More by PicoPapa

dmgeng

Indiana

4.14/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Got this one due to the overwhelming persuasion from my brewing buddies.

A - Nice orange color with brilliant white head. Sticky lacing all the way down. Very clear for unfiltered ale.

S - Strong hop nose. Full of centennial hops with citrus, pine, and some floral. Very light alcohol fragrance.

T - Has all the hops from the smell with a plethora of pine and citrus/grapefruit on the front with a nice blend of caramel malt. Nice complimenting malt flavor but still more hops as an IPA should be. Very smooth finish with nice hop bitterness which adds crispness.

M - Moderate to moderate/full mouth-feel with the tones of sweetness. Has enough bitterness to make it not linger on the back of the tongue. Fine carbonation.

Overall, one of the best IPA's I've had. I love the centennial hops and the nice balancing act with the malt and hops. Perfect if you don't like overly bitter IPA's and would like a more citrusy example. It's from the Midwest but seems like it should be from the Pacific NW. I could drink these for quite a while.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 10:15:59 | More by dmgeng

mhksuccess

California

4.11/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into a ballast pt snifter
goldish color and had about 1 inch head
smell is very typical of the style
taste is crisp and smooth
would clasify this a very easy drinking ale
something to drink in the backyard while having a BBQ
although not my favorite style would say worth having again

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 15:24:46 | More by mhksuccess

dar482

New York

4.53/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

I was finally able to find this in Philadelphia as we don't get Bells in NY.

The beer comes in a golden light orange.

The aroma is not really strong, but there's floral hops, sweet juicy fruits, and then some grapefruit.

The flavor has some light citrus, grapefruit, and pine. The malt end is very malty for IPA and then there's a gentle bittering. There's a sweetness that cleans the beer up without leaving much on the tongue.

This beer is all about balance. It has a surprisingly light mouthfeel and body, so you keep wanting more. I had this next to Red Racer IPA, which I preferred, but this is still quite the world class IPA. This beer is not about being an "in your face" IPA, but a well crafted balanced IPA.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 07:06:01 | More by dar482

Immortale25

Florida

4.19/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Dogfish Spiegelau glass. Back label says PKGD 04/16/13

A- Pours a medium amber color with a 3/4 inch off-white head that retains well before becoming a 1/4 inch head. Non-resilient lacing leaves small clots behind on the glass.

S- Sweet-smelling hop aroma that's mildly citrusy and a bit musty.

T- Modestly bitter with a bready malt backbone. Slightly sweet with a lingering citrus flavor and very little alcohol detected. Quite similar to a standard pale ale in its overall profile. Balanced and delicate.

M- Slick and oily with medium carbonation and a standard body for the style.

O- The beauty in this beer lies in its drinkability in relation to the ABV. It's subtle in the best way and actually quite sessionable. An American classic.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 01:41:11 | More by Immortale25

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In South Carolina on vacation and popped into my favorite beer spot...Newton Farms at Kiawah Island! Found two hearted, which I can't find in Denver, so I snatched it up! I really like this beer, but I have a beef...the six pack says unfiltered, but there is nothing to suggest this beer is unfiltered (I want to see some sediment). Really good beer, but gives me new appreciation for Bear Republic's Racer 5!

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 00:42:10 | More by DenverHopHead

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

4.29/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

I should start out by saying I don't like IPAs, other than DFH's.

A - not too big of a head. looking like a medium colored ale.... looking good.

S - As they claim, wonderful bouquet of floral aromas.

T - The reason I love this IPA, compared to most of the others that I do not, is that it has a flavorful and distinct hop profile that is pronounced, but not overwhelming, abrasive, puckeringly bitter, and sharply sustaining like a mouthful of fresh cut grass. This is how i perceive most IPAs, but this one is divine. Some grapefruit notes in it. Nice balance with malts.

M - I don't remember anything much about the mouthfeel, I had this several hours before writing the review. good carbonation though.

Overall, I'd take this any day that the weather is over 65. Man, I never thought I'd say that about ANY IPA. Kudos, Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 00:34:30 | More by TastyAdventure

teal_surup

Georgia

4.56/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My favorite from Bell's. If I am in a bar or restaurant that carriers this , bottle or keg, iThis always my choice. Usually that's what I drink for the remainder of the stay. It's an easy drinking hoppy ale, not as bitter as many imperials or IPAs. There are citrus note but they're not overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 20:29:45 | More by teal_surup

Jaybirdsbeer

Ohio

3.61/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

While recently perusing a beer cooler only to find that the beer I had in mind was unavailable, I had to make a quick back-up choice and saw a Bell's bottle that I hadn't seen before, so I grabbed it. Normally, I wouldn't have chosen one with a close-up of some sort of trout on the label, but I'm glad I did.

The smell was sweet and floral, but the taste had some bite. What at first drink felt light and acidic, the mouthfeel soon grew to exhibit major hoppiness and lingering carbonation on the tongue. Didn't mind the strong floral notes because of the palate cleansing aftertaste. Definitely found a good summer IPA and proved to myself, with Bell's, you really can't go wrong.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 20:05:02 | More by Jaybirdsbeer

riored4v

Colorado

4.6/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured in to a tulip. Appearance was a clear, coppered color body. 1 finger, white head. Good lacing.

Floral and citrusy. A touch spicey. Good maltiness and a bit caramely.

Taste was way more impressive than the aroma. Big citrus and floral flavors upfront. Turns to a caramel, bready and malty backbone. Finished with a light bitterness that was floral and a touch piney.

Mouthfeel was medium body, medium carb and a crisp finish.

Overall this is a great beer. Highly drinkable and great flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 23:29:25 | More by riored4v

runfoodrun

Minnesota

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Two Hearted is simply amazing when fresh. Bursting with floral and orange flavors. This was bottle was bottled on 5.15.13, today is 6.1.13. It's hard to find in the Twin Cities this fresh, and I've found it really falls off after 4-5 weeks. But two weeks old it's amazing.

One of my favorites when fresh, but one I avoid after 4-6 weeks from bottling.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 03:16:43 | More by runfoodrun

Purp1eOne

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Looks like I was pouring an apricot into the bottle with a slight head that is gone rather quickly.

S - Has a nice floral/critrus aroma that is easy to smell.

T - Has a very pleasing flavor that is not overbearing and it tastes pretty much like it smells. It has nice combination of citrus/floral and malt.

M - You can put quite a few of these back in one sitting. Its mildly carbonated, you can't taste the alcohol and the body is not very big.

O -This is a very good IPA with a nice blend of flavors and a smooth taste. This is one that you can enjoy on a nice hot day that will hit the spot so make sure you have a few more cold ones.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 22:27:30 | More by Purp1eOne

TheCuriograph

New York

4.85/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

12 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass

A - Light copper, pours a hazy with effervescence. Nice full head; wee bit of lacing.

S - Abundantly floral, with pine, grass, overtone of grapefruit. ROunded out with a perfect sour-sweet malt. Same profile as plenty of IPAs, but this smells assuredly balanced.

T - Big citric bitter burst up front. Tapers off fine into a good bready-English malt palate. Vibrant and flavorful, but still completely refreshing. A nice sweet/bitter balance that yields notes of blossoms, cinnamon and orange as it warms a bit.

M - More full and sticky than I'd expect, given how drinkable it is.

O - Really blown away by this. I cannot count how many IPA's I've had in my life, but finally trying the Two-Hearted Ale I see why it's such a mainstay of the Midwest. This one is magnificent.

***

Politics, Art, Beer. A Compendium of Worldly Facts
The Curiograph
www.thecuriograph.com
Twitter: @TheCuriograph

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 01:35:24 | More by TheCuriograph

BobaFret

Pennsylvania

4.91/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A - A hazy light orange. Almost looks like a DIPA/IIPA.

S - A mix of floral hops, malt, and sweetness.

T - A superb balance of everything that you get from the smell. Hops up front, followed by a nice maltiness.

M - Medium body.

O - An outstanding IPA that is highly drinkable/sessionable.This is one beer that every BA should try, especially those that are hopheads. Buy it by the case!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 23:13:16 | More by BobaFret

davidsumner

Virginia

4.11/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A little two east coast for me. Poors very well with a decent head. Good lace and nice blood orange to light copper color.

Nose is good; there is a decent balance of malt grain and hops. The malt has a little roasted malt hint on the nose. This is where I tend to shy away from East Coast IPA's. I'm a hop lover and I prefer sweeter, lighter malt.

Taste again has the roasted malt presence. This is a good balanced beer; especially for Pale Ale lovers. There's plenty of good malt backed up with excellent hops. Very "lemon" overall.

Unfortunately not what I personally gravitate too.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 19:24:35 | More by davidsumner

ShreddedThumb

Michigan

4.64/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The one, the only: Bells' Two Hearted Ale.

The Dorm Room Review

Poured into a blue solo cup from a fresh, fish-adorned bottle (4/9/13).
This review was written while listening to Moon Hooch.

Appearance: Cloudy complexion, amber color. Similar to many fantastic IPAs. The half-finger head dissipates quickly.

Smell: Quite amazing. It's difficult to avoid smelling the beer. Immediate hoppy aromas flourish, but immense grapefruit prevails. Perhaps some other fruit notes, but the strong, appealing grapefruit is certainly unique.

Taste: The taste mimics the smell fantastically. The usual suspects of American IPA characteristics are there: bitter, hoppy, refreshing. Furthermore, the grapefruit enhances the IPA taste and produces an easy-to-drink 7%'er. One could say Two Hearted is dangerous to drink; I finished half a cup in sublime enjoyment. As the bottle recommends, I can see myself enjoying several bottles of Two Hearted whilst camping on the sandy shoreline of frigid Lake Superior.

Mouthfeel: Lingering bitterness and astringency. Very pleasant. Citrus, grapefruit, desire to drink more.

Overall: Every time I try Two Hearted, I wonder why I don't have a constant stock in my minifridge (maybe because all my income goes to peanut butter and ramen). Arguably the best IPA in the Midwest market. I would love to compare this beast to other renowned IPAs, like Heady Topper and the pair of Plinys.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 22:21:13 | More by ShreddedThumb

silverking

Florida

4.54/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A- Hazy golden amber with a fluffy off white head. retention and lacing are excellent.

S- Malt, citrus, tangerine, fropical fruit, light pine notes.

T- Bitter grapefruit rind, sweet oranges, light pineapple, excellent It has a long citrus rind finish with light pine notes throughout.

M- Slightly oily, medium bodied, moderate carbonation.

O- A homerun from Bell's brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 21:54:06 | More by silverking

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.24/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

We crack the top on a bottle packaged 4/30/13 and pour a brew of sunset goldenrod into our Great Lakes pints. It puts up a two finger head of tight and creamy eggnog colored bubbles, leaving sticky honeycomb lacing all around the glass as it disappears at a slower pace. A chill haze is noted to be without sediment, and carbonation appeared to be active. The nose gives bright and sweet nectary, citric, and earthy hop varietals sitting against a powdery base of toasty pales, yeasty metallics, buttery warmth, and bittered straw. To balance is fresh tangerine and apricot fruitiness, sidewalk chalkiness, floral honey, peppery spice, sourdough breadiness, and lightly crisp toastiness. Our first impression is that the blend of flavoring is great, with a solid blend of sweet, bitter, herbal, and sour all throughout. As we sip, the taste opened up with pale and chalky malts, lemon juiciness, orange flesh, honey sugars, mild phenolic clove, and powerfully citric and herbal hop spiciness. Peaking is the freshness of those dripping wet juicy hops, peppery spice, toasted breadiness, gritty earthiness, vegetal minerals, buttery toast, and soured yeast twang. The finish is awash with malty base, with soured doughiness, juicy bubblegum esters, dried apricots, foamy mustiness, shaved lemon rind, spicy herbal hoppiness, flashes of white sugar, cornmeal, and light herbal mintiness. The aftertaste breathes of resiny greenness, coiny metallics, chalky yeast, orange rind, lemony citric hops, fusel booziness, light plastics, clovey and black pepper spice, and white rice dryness. The body is medium and somewhat syrupy, and the carbonation is medium to high, with frothiness coating the mouth. The palate is left with lighter astringency and pucker, with resiny slowness. Each sip gives nice slurp, smack, cream, and froth, with particularly notable finishing pop. The abv is appropriate, and the beer swills easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its blend through the flavoring. Every mouthful showcased a beautiful collaboration of solid sweetness of fruit, brightly citric and deeply spicy herbal hoppiness, and a clean, crisp malty backbone. You would get sugars here, sours there, earths way over there, and freshness everywhere. You were given consistency of quality, but with refreshing “newness” with each gulp. The nose was pleasantly fresh as well, and its best quality was its spicy hoppiness. The mouth was soft, helping ease the drinkability in spite of the more bittered and sour grassy hits of malts every now and again. This is a quintessential “third coast” IPA, giving bitterness from the west, even malty sweetness and freshness from the east, and offering a beer that would pair with just about any occasion.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 22:18:54 | More by TheBrewo

eclipse54

Idaho

4.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Just realized I didn't have a review for this one. Pulled a bottle from the fridge and promptly poured into a tulip.

Pours a translucent gold color with roughly two fingers of foamy, pure-white head. Medeocre retention, but phenomenal lacing. The aroma is of spicy, earthen hops, pine, orange, and grapefruit. There's some wet earth and a bit of grass, as well as some subtle floral notes. Perhaps a hint of caramel malt to round things out. It tastes of lemon, grapefruit, and orange citrus up front, with spicy, almost gritty hops following suit. Some earth, grass, and even a touch of coriander appear, and a tiny amount of sweet caramel finishes it off. The mouthfeel is light (but not watery), vibrant, and bitter. It finishes clean and doesn't linger any longer than desired. Overall, this is a great, well-rounded IPA that is easy to drink and full of flavor. It does a great job of showcasing aromatic, flavoring, and bittering hops all in one, and is one I'm happy to frequent.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:33:50 | More by eclipse54

lsummers

California

4.19/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a cloudy golden slightly amber. Two finger fluffy cream colored head. Very attractive attenuation. Sticky lacing as the head slowly recedes.

Smells of some floral slightly citric and grassy hop notes. Almost like there's a touch of lavender mixed in somewhere. Slight caramel sweetness.

Taste stands out. The hops don't blow away the sweet dulce de leche malt notes. There is more of a grapefruit hop note than floral in the taste. Back end brings some of the slight lavender like floral hops.

Moderately carbonated and feels fresh and slightly sticky on the tongue.

Overall, this is a great ipa that stands apart from the crowd. I definitely will have and keep having this again.

Edit, I might be mixing lavender notes with mango. Seems odd but that was my initial thought.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 16:37:58 | More by lsummers

bambam2517

Arizona

4.64/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Sixer of 12oz. bottles, had my fourth out of the batch and I decided I was ready to review. I pick up something new each time and I'm loving this beer! Served at 45F. Should also mention I drank my first one at about 2 weeks after "born on", this one is a little past 4wks.

A - Bright golden body, good lacing all the way down the glass. Leaves a firm but not overdeveloped white froth. Tight sparkling carbonation.

S - This time, what I get is biscuits and honey. Other times, it has been apricot and mango, grapefruit and a hint of caramel. Each time, it has been top notch.

T - Backs up everything in the nose, outstanding complexity and achieves a balance between the flavor, the hoppiness and the yeast I could not find any hold to pick at. Perfect in that respect.

M - Impressed by the level of sweetness in this one, begins with a rush of soft sweet flavors and builds up to an enjoyable puckering bitter on the back palate. Finishes mildy though and leaves room for more.

O - Great, more than I expected, love eating my words when they are "lets see if this beer can really live up to the hype." Or in this case drinking them I guess...

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 03:32:53 | More by bambam2517

rjp217

Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Had a fresh bottle poured into a pint glass versus a 3 month old (2/20/13) poured into a mug and my oh my what a difference in taste.

It pours golden brown, 1/2 finger head which leaves pretty quickly. I didn't get anything immediately noticeable on the smell. A little bit of sweet, malty bread, some floral hops. I get a tiny bit of bitterness and mild carbonation. It's pretty smooth, slight graprefruit, oranges, a tiny bit of pine.

Overall it's an extremely solid IPA. Very drinkable and the 7% fly's under the radar. I seeked this out for awhile and I am glad I did, very good take.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 20:45:36 | More by rjp217

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.78/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Bell's Brewery, Inc. - Two Hearted Ale - 12fl oz bottle

Look - Pours a slightly hazy golden orange-brown with a good soapy head that dissipates quickly, leaving behind lots of sticky lacing. Minimal carbonation.

Smell - Aroma is tart and malty bread, hops are present but a bit muted. Faint citrus and floral hops. Did not get a "wham" from this one or a mouth-watering smoothness, bland.

Taste - A snappy carbonated malt bite with a tart almost Belgian sourdough finish. Hops are nowhere to be seen, a bit flat in flavor but not terrible. A smoother brew, malt takes the stage.

Mouthfeel - It is definitely smooth and drinkable, I'll give it that. Not boozy at all either, the problem is I am simply not getting anything that stands out and excites.

Overall - It's not bad, but it's also not great. It seems like it can't make up its mind. The malt is a bit dull and sour without being creamy, which takes center stage over the lack of hops. I realize that this is a high-rated brew and that others like it, but I simply was not one of them.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 12:40:06 | More by JMScowcroft