Two Hearted Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Excellent world class IPA. Very crisp and lemony citrus. Grapefruit Bitter sipping with fruity salt, and bitter aftertaste with high but effective complementary hops. Lots of initial and remaining foam. Light texture. Floral aroma. Had this five years later on tap at the brewpub and it is flavourful.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2004 00:04:53 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.93/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I've been meaning to re-review Bell's Two Hearted Ale ever since I had the bottle that led to my first review because I was convinced that it had seen better days. I bought an uber fresh sixer on my recent trip to Ohio and have worked my way through it over the past few weeks. Since I've been more impressed with each passing bottle, this last one should be otherworldly. Damn, I knew I should have bought more than six.

Ripe apricot-amber with an all-encompassing cloud of fine particulates. The ivory colored cap contains the barest blush of pale orange and is a thing of beauty. Milkshake creamythick and hop resin sticky, it leaves buttery thick sheets of minutely pocked lace on the glass that will, no doubt, have to be removed with gallons of scalding water.

Ah... the intoxicating aroma of fresh Centennial hops! As I drank the other bottles, I debated the gloriousness of Two Hearted's nose. At this moment in time, however, I can't imagine a better smelling IPA. The insanely bright, incandescent, pungent, grapefruit juicy hops cement the notion in my mind that every member of the 4-Cs, whether used alone or in combination, and if used skillfully, are the best beer hops in the world, hands down.

I know what this beer tastes like with some age on it and now I know what it tastes like fresh. It has barely passed the 4-week mark from the time of bottling to my mouth... and it tastes like it. A more than solid backbone of buttery soft, teasingly sweet pale malt greets my every sip and is still very nearly annihilated by a hop explosion that is so fresh and so immediate that it makes me want to weep.

This is one of the best examples of a 'candied white grapefruit sections' IPA that I can think of. Spruce makes a welcome contribution, but nothing else gets in the way of the grapefruit love. If I had to think of one word to describe this beer, that word would be 'beautiful'. I'm not talking about the appearance, although it looks great, but about the entire experience. Two Hearted tastes so perfectly balanced, so deliciously hoppy, so... sublime, that beautiful is the only word that truly fits.

The mouthfeel is a smidgen lighter than I'd like, but that's such obvious nitpicking that I'm embarrassed to type it. It's supremely smooth and silky, making the drinking as natural as breathing. An absolutely perfect amount of carbonation doesn't hurt what is, quite simply, mouth candy.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale is a world-class IPA, period. In fact, I'm considering an e-mail assault on the talented Mr. Bell until he decides to extend his distribution area this far west. If I had this fine ale within easy reach, it would have a permanent place in my beer fridge. With regular consumption, say a sixer every week, I'd probably begin to tire of it in... oh, about 2035.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2006 16:47:25 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.93/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to JohnnyM2002 for my first two-hearted

Pours a merky amber color with a nice 1 finger frothy head that was slow to disappear, this just looks yummy. Smell is knock your socks off!! Citrusy hops all the way, unreal smell, orange and grapefruit in there. Taste is loaded down with citrus, with a fantastic dry hoppy finish. A bit of a grassy, pine taste, but one of the most citrus favored hops I have ever tasted. Went down ohh soo smooth, just right carbonation. This is so a keeper, cannot wait to get my hands on some more of this. Just awesome, really awesome brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2006 02:19:30 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.43/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another round of thanks go out to cvaypai for this one. Craig once again hooking it up with the Midwest's finest.

A: It pours a hazy burnt orange color with a small white head. Some sticky looking lacing as I drink this one.

S: The aroma really blew me away. Loads of citrus hop aroma, sweet tropical fruits, and not much malt--very nice.

T: The taste is very similar to the aroma. A great grapefruit and orange flavor, along with sweet pineapple. The finish is nice and piney, giving a bitterness to balance out the fruit.

M: The beer is medium bodied and has moderate carbonation.

D: I can see why people go nuts over this beer. Such a solid IPA, much more similar to the California IPAs than most other Midwest and East Coast offerings.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2009 00:19:23 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

G: Poured into a Bell's pint glass.

A: A slightly pale orange/apricot color with a good mostly-white head.

S: Hops, hops, and hops. Lots of floral and citrus aromas.

T: Again, bright citrus and floral hops with a pretty good malt backbone.

M: Light-to-medium mouthfeel with a good amount of carbonation.

D: A great night-long IPA. I was so sorely disappointed when this left Chicago, but I'm so glad to have it back.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2009 01:15:02 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy copper body with a large, foamy white head.

Smell: Pale malt aroma with notes of flowers, zesty citrus, and cooked pineapple rings.

Taste: Pale maltiness with a light touch of caramel sweetness. Fruity, even juicy citrus and pineapple flavors. Moderate bitterness and acidity. Crisp, relatively clean finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A fine example of an IPA!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2008 03:06:29 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy honey color with a sturdy little head that retains well and laces nicely

Smell: Grapefruit with floral tones

Taste: Opens biscuity up front, with a burgeoning grapefruit flavor developing in a very bitter direction by mid-palate; after the swallow, the bitterness mellows and the malt reintroduces itself to provide a nicely balanced finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A very nicely crafted IPA; not as big as some others but suits the style

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2008 02:08:09 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.2/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to kzoobrew for sending me this one!

Pours a hazy golden yellow-orange with a 1 inch puffy white head that fades to a film. Thin broken rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of fresh floral and piney hops and citrus aromas. Taste is of very nice floral/herbal hops, citrus juice/zest, and a malt flavor on the finish. Mild hop bitterness lingers on the palate after each sip. A good level of carbonation makes for a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good IPA that is very easy to drink. I enjoyed this one very much.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 04:18:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Daalamar: Poured a light orangey color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention. Aroma of floral hops is quiet enticing with a great semi-sweet malt base. Taste of crisp and citrus hops are well mixed with a nice solid sweet malt based. Carbonation is lively and body is about average. Overall a really good example and enjoyable take on the style thought a bit overrated in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2006 19:24:57 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.72/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Upon closer tasting. It is a great flavored, aroma-ed, balanced, and drinkable IPA. Tough to get any better.

An excellent beer by Bell's. Although there are no stand-out characteristics, it's safe and solid in all areas of making a great IPA. By current standards, this beer does not have the overly aggressive hop bittering or flavoring. It's basically an amped up APA with a great malt balance. Quite flavorful with spicy hops (pine-ey) and malt sweetness (citrusy). This happens in both the nose and flavor equally. This is a great beer, but there are a lot of great beers that tastes just like this one. A clean and refreshing brew. A good one to get back to those beer drinking roots with.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2005 15:01:20 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Straight 4's on this one a very solid beer, pours a somehwat hazy orange color with a nice medium sticky head.The aroma is very very hoppy and citriusy and resiny,the taste is pretty biiter with a caramel sweet backbone the hops are the definent taste here very citrius fruit like.A pretty balanced IPA very well done.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2003 16:21:57 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

A bottle that's allowed to sit for some time and then carefully poured delivers just a slightly hazy (almost clear) peachy-gold body that's topped by a frothy white head which holds fairly well. It eventually drops but keeps a really nice creamy collar, and a simple swirl of the glass brings it right back up! Additionally, it leaves some nice lace - although it's fleeting. The aroma, however, is even more astonishing than the appearance with a bright, bold combination of soft ripe fruit, tangy grapefruit and resiny pine. Intense! But it goes even one step further as the flavor is even bolder than the aroma with a searing bitterness right-up front, and from start to finish! If it weren't for the rich (almost sugary) and fruity (apricot, tangerine, mild pineapple) malt underneath this beer would be way too much! Surprisingly, and thankfully, the hop flavors are limited to the fruity side of things and the interplay between the crushing bitterness and the sweet malt is really interesting. It's kind of like a "tug of war" in the mouth. The firm maltiness is enlivened by a very fine and gently effervescent carbonation that helps this to happen. It's surprisingly smooth and creamy. This is one hell of a "take no prisoners" IPA that should clearly be sought out and destroyed - one bottle at a time! Most highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2003 20:27:59 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass at Paradiso.

I've had this a number of times, but never on cask. Let's do it to it. It pours a hazy orange amber topped by nearly a finger of thick creamy foam. The nose is dominated by the hops (mostly citrus with some pine thrown in for variety's sake), though a current of sweet caramel jets through like the EAC. The taste is very similar, though the balance is much better. Both camps respect each other for their ferocity and professionalism. Damn, does it make for one tasty battle. The body is a light medium, with no real carbonation involved and a severely smooth and creamy feel. This is insanely good on cask, even better than in bottles. Get some!

Serving type: cask

08-14-2010 00:48:59 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Two firkins of the cask-conditioned stuff found their way to the bar at Bryant-Lake Bowl, and the beer cognoscenti of Minneapolis flocked to fill their mugs.
I had a pint of the regular tap first, and some still rested in the glass when the "real arrived", giving me the chance to sample them side by side.
Appearance is darker, a heavier orange/amber, and the head to slim for a freshly tapped Two-Hearted. I've poured some of those with gorgeous froth that sat on the glass like soft-serve ice cream, proud as pudding. So, I missed that...
Aroma is nice, but not as pungent as the tap.
Taste is the difference. Where the tap gives you the hops on the palate in a brisk spike, a frisky tingle, then mellows and moves out, leaving nothing bu† clean, smooth drinkability, this cask version keeps the hops at play throughout the duration. The body is the main thing affected, and it's creamy, but not too much, for this is Two-Hearted. (I drink the stuff almost every single day, I should know!)
Drinkablity is big, too, and the character is really key. This was an excellent pint, a big difference, though, blast me down if you must, if prefer the CO2 version. I like that hop attack...but there's something to be said for both...hope to have it again at some other occasion in my lifetime!

Serving type: cask

10-22-2004 10:16:40 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a pale gold color with a thick frothy white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a pale malt scent with a dry grainy finish. It is full of floral hops and earthy malts. The taste is good. It has a very bitter hop flavor followed up with some pale malts and a dry finish. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a low/medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is a fine American pale ale. It has good flavor and aroma; a good drinker/sessions ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2004 01:04:29 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Draft at RFD, 16 ounces served in 16 ounce glass. Yellow, slightly couldy, minimal white head, low carbonation. Amazing aroma. Citrus / pine, not overly piney. Cascade / amarillo aroma, very inviting. The beer screams, drink me! This is the type of beer that reminds me I'm a hop head. Sweet full bodied nice bitterness. Not overwhelming, but characteristics of great hop flavor. Drinkability high, A truly well formed beer. A slight aftertaste, some bitterness on the back end hold son. not strong. A reasonable amount of lingering flavor. This is one of my favorite IPAs in the country.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2009 05:23:07 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to hudsonphotog for bringing this one back from Pittsburgh.

Pours a slightly cloudy yellow with a large white head, which stays around throughout the drinking process. The aroma is lots of citrus with both orange and apricot notes. You also get some floral and pine aromas. The flavor is relatively bitter with a strong orange/citrus aftertaste. Very tasty. Thin-medium mouthfeel and lots of carbonation. A great IPA that lives up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 21:24:48 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle pours out a rich, amber color. Nice foamy white head. It left some lacing. Hop smell was present, specifically cascade hops. It also seemed to have an orange scent. The flavor was very interesting. It was slightly bitter and very hoppy. It was good. It had a fairly crisp mouthfeel and was definitely drinkable. Too bad I only bought one bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2006 03:49:27 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.28/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is light pale amber in color with a thin layer of bubbles floating on the surface. A light level of carbonation is visible.
S: A light aroma of citrusy and piney hops along with some hints of caramel malts is present in the nose.
T: There is an excellent balance between the malt and hops, with lots of citrusy flavors similar to the smell.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate. There's a good amount of carbonation and the beer does not feel sticky.
D: The beer is very drinkable and not a trace of alcohol is noticeable in the smell or taste.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2010 02:09:56 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Batch 8636 from July 24th, 2008. Poured into a mug.

A - This is the second bottle of Two-Hearted that has bubbled over as soon as I opened it. Not sure why this keeps happening, as they both sat relatively undisturbed for quite a while. Apricot color with bright white head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a creamy big-bubbled lace.

S - Sweet citrus, hops, some malt, a little bit floral with a hint of pine. Good balance of bitter and sweet elements.

T - Heavy hop bitterness at the front, then melts into a mix of sweet fruits like peach and citrus (grapefruit, orange, etc.). There's a slight malt character that I get mid-palate that doesn't linger very long. Very good, but not sublime.

M - Has the thickness that I demand out of my beer. No reason that IPAs shouldn't be viscous or creamy too. Not overly carbonated (perhaps because it all came out when I opened the brew?), and very smooth.

D - Bell's - please bring these back to Illinois! This is much more sessionable than Hopsolution. Second only to Masala Mama in this regard. You can't taste the 7% at all, and it's super refreshing to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2008 03:14:54 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly hazy golden-copper color, and is topped by a offwhite creamy head. The aroma is of hops; grapefruit, apricot, citrus, and perhaps some pine, which adds an astringent note. The taste of the beer is quite good, to be to the point. But let me pontificate a bit more. There is a light sweetness which contributes to the citrusy hop flavor quite a bit. It is pretty bitter in the finish as well. The hops are not totally dominated by citrus though, there is some herbal notes, some hop spicines, and some notes of pine here as well. In the end a fairly dry beer, but made so because of the generous hopping. There is some malt sweetness here which helps to hold up the hop onslaught. The hops set a tingling sensation to my tongue, that screams pay attention to my hoppiness. This is a great everday beer, though perhaps it is just missing some slight amount of hop flavor & malt backbone to push it over the edge.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2004 19:02:00 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.97/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A big “thank you” to BlackAngus for sending me this one in a trade.

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light gold with a foamy, off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: Heavy aroma of hops & citrus (orange, grapefruit & tangerine mostly), very pleasant.

T: Excellently balanced combination of hops bitterness and sweet citrus malt flavors. The two flavors don’t battle each other as they do in some beers; rather they blend together even into the after taste.

M: Very crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation and a very clean finish.

D: This beer is very tasty, goes down very easily, doesn’t fill you much and is one of those beers where each sip makes you crave the next more and more.

To put it simply, this is one of the best beers I’ve ever had.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2006 02:59:25 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.88/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Mad props to BARLEYWINEO for this one!

Pours an ever-so slightlty hazed amber with 4+ fingers of fluffed up eggshel white head. Very good head retention & good lacing

S: Big time citrus & piney hops, plus some breadyness

T: Big-time breadyness & grapefruitty hops up front. More grapefruit & orangey hops as this warms. Nice breadyness, with a hint of brown, sugar, booze & loads of citrussy & piney/resiny hops, yummy!!

MF: Rich, chewy medium-bodied with perfrect balance

Super AIPA, too drinkable, this is one that lives up to the hype IMO. I like my IPAs to have malt to back up the hops & this one comes through with flying colors!

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2007 04:17:20 | More by russpowell

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours out with a really hazy golden yearly color. The lacing is great with a nice white head. The smell of the beer is very hoppy. The taste of the beer has a nice citrusy lemon lime flavor. There is a nice light to medium body. Overall a damn good IPA all around.

Serving type: on-tap

06-16-2011 02:32:48 | More by Knapp85

emerge077

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the beer that made me appreciate IPA's.
Two Hearted is a regional staple in the Great Lakes, i'm sad to see it leave IL (temporarily I hope).

Pours a cloudy, swirling orange. Big foamy head, spots of lacing ring the glass. Looks like a fresh and lively ale, which it delivers in it's other aspects as well.

Sharp fruity hops in the aroma, abundant but not overboard. Taste follows the hoppy nose, distinctly grapefruit and pale malt. Slight dryness increases it's drinkability quite a bit.

This is great for a session...i'm going to miss this on tap around Chicago, especially the Empty Bottle (this was their best beer option). Come back Bell's!

Notes 11-2007: Sampled an "aged cask" of this recently, after a year it is way mellow, and strongly similar to hop tea. Uncarbonated, watery, with an earthy suggestion of hops, but nowhere near as balanced as it is fresh. A novelty (not altering any scores here). Do not cellar this, for the love of all things good and holy.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2007 04:47:34 | More by emerge077