Heavy Handed IPA - Two Brothers Brewing Company

socon67

New York

2.63/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours amber with some foam. Somewhat clear and mild carbonation.

S - Scents of malt and hops. The sweetness is a bit overdone for me.

T - Just not a fan of this. There are flavors of vanilla, caramel, and citrus. It just doesn't come together. Thought it was me, but none of the other tasters in my group at the time found it enjoyable. The finish was a harsh sweetness that I found unsettling.

M - It is a smooth medium bodied beer. Makes for a solid drinker, even though I didn't enjoy it.

O - I'm curious to try other offerings from Two Brothrs. Won't let this get me down on them.

Serving type: cask

04-11-2011 16:32:20 | More by socon67

in780

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cask @ Stout NYC. Here we go:

A - Light orange hue, good lacing

S - Lots of hops

T - Lots of hops, and some good grain malt background, not sweet but balanced

M - Delicious on cask

D - Easy to drink considering the hop presence

Better than the bottle version in my opinion, great hops without overdoing it

Serving type: cask

01-13-2011 04:59:50 | More by in780

JizackFH

New York

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got my growler filled with a cask pour of this beer at Bierkraft in Brooklyn earlier today.

A - This beer pours a really dark amber color. Hardly any head on this and it did not last long

S- Smells pretty average for an IPA. The hops are not as present as I wish they were.

T - Hops come out first and aren't too strong, also a little taste of citrus and caramel.

M - Coats the mouth decently, nice medium body, goes down pretty easily. low carbonation.

D - This is a very drinkable beer it goes down nice and smooth and none of the flavors are too strong. I could drink this often and a lot of it.

Serving type: cask

10-24-2010 05:03:45 | More by JizackFH

bonbini26

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on cask @BTAH 10-12-08

A- Murky Red/ copper in colour. Tight off-white head. Fades to a thin cover that lasts 'til the end. Good lace.

S- Citrus, orange peel. Tangerine, grapefruit. some bread, even pumpkin notes

Taste: Very fruity and citrusy. Biscuity malt in the background. The flavours are the same as the aroma. Moderate bittering, most of the hops used were aromatic/flavouring hops. A nice balance

Mouthfeel: Soft, but lively carbonation. Classis cask conditioned mouthfeel. Lots of small bubbles. Medium bodied. Nice hop balance not overpowering easy drinking

OVerall, a decent cask IPA, ive had much better where the hops come out more aggressively, this one was a little on the light side for me

Serving type: cask

10-13-2008 01:39:57 | More by bonbini26

AylwinForbes

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Drank at source, served at cellar temperature in a 16 oz glass. This is kind of drinking experience is why one goes to the pub rather than stay at home and save money with a sixer. There is no substitute for a well-made beer served from the cask. An everyday experience in the old country, it is relatively rare here. Fortunately we live near the Two Brothers and there is always one on the cask.

It turns out there are several batches of the Heavy Handed made this year using different species of hops. The tap version was made with different hops from the ones (Cascade) that appear in the cask form. The difference is profound.

Beer appears almost clear warm walnut color with about a half inch of thick creamy head. Ebullient perfumed aroma fills the glass. On the palate there is a wonderful balance of fresh fruit (a hint of citrus but not overwhelming) and long-lasting bitterness.

It's not really high alcohol, but stronger than the average IPA I think; but it goes down with breathtaking ease. Dangerously so.

Serving type: cask

09-27-2008 21:43:50 | More by AylwinForbes

FreightTrain

California

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had this beer multiple times, two different ways. When I first had it from bottles, I was impressed and pleased with the nice fresh hop aroma and bitterness. The different lot numbers representing different hop varieties was a nice twist and a helpful addition to the usual tasting process. Overall, a good beer in the burgeoning wet-hopped IPA style.

Then, tonight, I had this beer from a cask (at d.b.a. in New York City.) It was a whole different beer, and it blew my mind. The more subtle carbonation, warmer temperature, and fuller mouth feel rounded off the sharp edges and really let the floral hop flavors come through. It was extraordinary, a really wonderful beer. It would seem that the cask is exceptionally well-suited to the wet-hopped style, and I would highly recommend ordering this if you can find it casked.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the lot number, so I'm not sure which hop variety I was drinking. Such is life.

Serving type: cask

11-20-2007 08:48:40 | More by FreightTrain

BrewSomerville

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Aroma: Citrus, orange peel. Tangerine, grapefruit.

Looks: Red/ copper in colour. Tight off-white head. Fades to a thin cover that lasts 'til the end. Good lace.

Taste: Very fruity and citrusy. Spicy hops. Biscuity malt in the background. The flavours are the same as the aroma. Moderate bittering, most of the hops used were aromatic/flavouring hops.

Mouthfeel: Soft, but lively carbonation. Classis cask conditioned mouthfeel. Lots of small bubbles. Medium bodied.

Overall, this is so far one of the best Beers that I have had while staying in Chicago.

Serving type: cask

11-06-2007 01:02:04 | More by BrewSomerville

kajerm

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Cask pull at Clark St. Ale House-- these guys sure do love their Two Brothers.

Pours muddy orange with golden highlights, little or no head (which is expected for a handpull), and not much lacing either. The beer is completely opaque from the huge amount of yeast in suspension. This is just fine with me.

The aroma is light and citric, one of those hops that starts with a C that the kids are so crazy about these days. I could make up more fruit, flowers, or herbs that I smell here, but I'll save it-- this pretty much just smells like an American IPA.

The flavor opens up very light, maybe a shred of caramel malts, then hop flavors start to take over, finishing with bitterness. The citric character is seems duller than average; it's possible that the flatness of the cask is blunting it a bit, although I've never had the same problem with any number of other hoppy beers on cask. The bitterness is very restrained, lacking that lip-smacking, palate-searing finish that masochistic hopheads (like me) tend to look for.

The mouthfeel is very light, bordering on watery.

An easy drinker, I suppose, but this is basically a bog-standard American IPA.

Serving type: cask

09-29-2007 18:12:21 | More by kajerm

laintringulis

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Handpulled from the Clark Street Ale House.

Pours a dark angry amber with a slight burnt orange color and large off white head that lasts throughout drinking. Moderate lacing.

Smells: Primarily pine smell with vauge citrus undertones. Caramel malts and a substantial grassiness.

Taste: Brief caramel toasted malts, then a nice refined pine hop flavor and a very lightly grassy citrus finish. A little sweeter than I usually like, but not bad. Fairly simple in complexity, but done well.

Medium plus bodied. It was almost too smooth and creamy for an IPA. I would have preferred a drier finish. Finishes slightly filmy, not oily.

Easy to drink. Sessionable. Nice solid beer.

Serving type: cask

12-23-2006 07:45:28 | More by laintringulis

GreenWBush

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I remember sort of ripping this beer apart on my initial bottle review stating that if I wanted marshmellows, i'd eat marshmellows. That particular flavor is still part of the malt profile and overall texture and mouthfeel but from cask this is a wickedly drinkable beer.

Copper in color with a relatively small head but damned amazing lace. This probably has alot to do with the cask, but just gorgeous to look at.

The nose of the beer is equally intriguing. When you hit upon the right malt/hop combination and technique sniffing beer can be like teleporting yourself to the hop fields on harvest day. This beer surely achieves this, just a gorgeously flowery hop aroma that makes you hungry.

Unfortunately the flavor can't quite match this particularly amazing aroma - what with the marshmellow malts and all - but this is still downright tasty real ale. Hop burps are the best...

Strangely, though this beer doesn't taste all that hoppy or bitter, there is a peculiar grapefruit aroma that just hangs right in your sinus as you drink this. Weird.

This really hits the spot for cask ale and hoppiness - one stop beer shopping.

Serving type: cask

10-29-2005 19:59:26 | More by GreenWBush

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, code on the bottle reads 2OT 2552, so perhaps that means October? I'm not sure, and I'm not about to look it up. The brewery is about 5 towns away though, so I am just going to assume it is fairly on the fresh side, although I won't be disappointed to find out otherwise. Poured into a Boulevard tulip.

A - Semi-aggressive pour yields about a half finger of head which recedes very quickly into nothingness. Extremely cloudy murky orange color with some significant amounts of sediment chillin out. Scant, scattered lacing.

S - "Wet" hop smell for sure. Smells slightly dusty. The nose doesn't appear to have a terrible amount of action happening. A slightly skunkier smell begins to creep out as the beer warms a bit.

T - Gives me that sort of lemon iced tea taste which is provided by whatever breed of hop it is. Again, I'm not sure. Initially, the taste reminds me of the Redhook Long Hammer IPA, which is one of my more favored IPA's. Therefore, I'm going to say it is a delicious brew.

M - Resinous hop aftertaste. Perfectly balanced with a nice medium bodied feel to it. A very smooth beer.

Smooth, tasty, with a nice 6.7% abv. Definitely a beer to session or to have more than once. I only wish that I had a Two Brothers Heavier Handed IPA to go along with it so I could make some sort of comparison. Definitely a must-have IPA for serious fans of this style.

Two Brothers Heavy Handed ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:57:38 | More by mfnmbvp

Amish_Ambush

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Original Review: 10-05-2006

Notes: This IPA touts a medium sized head that will reduce to hardly any lacing at all. The color is a deep amber. This brewery uses "wet" hops for their beer. What does that mean? It means they are using newly harvested hops that have not been dried out. Which means you are getting a fresh hop flavor with this IPA. I will say that I've had hoppier IPA's but this one is unique in its hop profile. It is nice to partake of an IPA that isn't trying to knock you out with an overwhelming blast of hops. Instead the two brothers brewing company go with hop freshness (and balance); it shows. The body is creamy, smooth.

Comments: Overall, a different take on the IPA. I enjoyed this so much that I will pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 01:19:17 | More by Amish_Ambush

Amalak

New York

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. It has a thick, completely opaque dark caramel/bronze color with a good slightly tan head that leaves a fair amount of lacing..

S. Very rich hop and fruity scent.

T. It comes off as a bit flat. The sweet banana and citrus taste hits you hardest. It has only a mild hoppy bite to it. It is quite smooth, and has a bit of a smokey aftertaste.

M. Medium bodied and very smooth.

O. It almost has a fruit punch taste to it. It's not bad at all, but it's not exactly what I look for in an IPA, either. But well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 01:40:47 | More by Amalak

TheSSG

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a HUGE, resiny head. Hop aroma is dominated by grapefruit. Amber-burnt sienna color. Starts with that grapefruit hop flavor, moves into a pretty hefty bitterness that peaks with a citrus rind/pine sap flavor. The finish smooths out to allow the malt to come through, but that assertive pine lingers throughout.

This is a very nice IPA, though I'd like it more if the hops subsided sooner to allow a touch more malt through.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 04:02:35 | More by TheSSG

rlee1390

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Clear ruby red, some carbonation, one finger head

S-Malt heavy, some hops, tad bit of earth and citrus

T-Very malty for an IPA, some earthy dirt/grass notes. Slight bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, some carbonation, does not have the hop resins of other fresh hop IPAs.

O-Way to much malt, not enough hops. This is most likely the only fresh hopped beer I've been disappointed in.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 16:47:38 | More by rlee1390

BierStein711

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Gorgeous beer!

Two finger head, clear in color, moderate carbonation.

smells of hops, pine, and a hint of oak

Tastes so lush with hints: of apricot, grapefruit, floral hops, biscuits, and perfection

This beer is ambrosia with its sublime mouthfeel!

I will buy a six pack again soon.

"I am drinking ale today." -Edgar Allan Poe

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2012 21:25:57 | More by BierStein711

madvermin

California

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours a murky copper-red with orange and yellow tints. Head is of medium thickness, is finely bubbled and dissipates quickly to a thin film that remains throughout without lacing.

Clean and fresh citrus is the first aroma, with a more meaty and sweet jackfruit coming right after. Caramel malt hits the back with a finishing aroma that is just a wee bit too sweet for my preference.

Taste is nicely bitter, and definitely not too sweet like the smell. Citrus isn't as well pronounced, but the mixture is still nice. More plant like qualities, and weedy, than fruity. Malt backbone and strong and firm without ever dominating.

Mouthfeel is full and slightly carbonated. Love the balance of this on first sip, and it is great until the last as well. Fine foam when swished is a real treat. Dry finish is also exemplary. Rarely does a beer with a simply decent taste and smell have such a good mouthfeel, but this is one of them. Drinkability helped greatly by that fact, along with the overall score.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:57:04 | More by madvermin

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It’s the hop harvest again, and I’m a happy man. Cheers to wet hops!

A: Orange-red in color, translucent and shimmering. Very slight head of tan, wet cream that rises to a half-inch and disappears entirely. Moderate strands of lacing.

S: Tangerine, peach, white grape; a sweet, juicy citrus in the hoppiness. Small amount of cracker and bread crust in the timid malt backbone beneath, giving it a grounded, grainy character in the background. Not bursting with hop aroma, but quite pleasant.

T: This has more of a pilsner taste than I was expecting: biscuity, bready, crackery yeast tastes with spicy hops overlaid in force. It’s a crisp, refreshing palate with a hop bite of white pepper, herbal pine, grapefruit, and tannins. It takes only a moment of weightless wet hop bitterness before the aftertaste, which is a mild, oily dryness.

M: This is another reason it resembles a pilsner to me: pretty light and fizzy feel. Makes it go down quickly, but without extended time to really enjoy it.

O: A good introductory harvest ale for the season. I couldn’t see myself buying another bottle of this, but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 23:47:25 | More by BarryMFBurton

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.9/5  rDev +26.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Recieved in beer trade from cousin who lives in Illinois:

Even though a decently high ABV, I didn't want to wait too long to do a review, if anything changes, I'll be sure to note, here goes:

Into a pint glass (and a nonic no changes are noted):

A: cloudy burnt orange colored body with a nice one finger white foamy head that leaves super nice spotty spider web lacing. The way the head dies is enthralling as it lingers a bit, turns lumpy, picks up the pace and then slows down, not sure how else to describe this, but what a show! The body is clear yet there is no carbonation seen rising.

S: earthy, hoppy and malty, almost perfect at least to me.

T: brings back the earthy, hoppy, maltiness and gives a good citrus back-up that I really like, holy crap, wow!

M: medium, with a superb creaminess, nothing harsh on the tongue. Though the ABV is fairly high, this is a fairly drinkable IPA.

O: holy crap, for a long time I didn't like IPA's and then I learned to distinguish between English and American and thought I liked the English more, this one really changed my mind. All I have to say now is that this is labeled as an American IPA and I've had 4 of them between the time I've had them and the time I just now reviewed this. This is an American IPA that people need to get. This is superb!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 19:02:00 | More by kangarooAdam59

ShastamcNasty

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy burnt orange with two fingers of head medium retention and lots of lacing

S: earthy hops and carmal malts is all im getting

T: Tastes of earthy piney hops and citrus heavy with plenty of that enjoyable bitterness sought after in this style. Also getting some spice on the back end.

M: Medium bodied and creamy smooth feel. small amount of carbonation

O: This a great representation of the style with loads of flavor and a great mouth feel that makes this brew very satisfying and leaves me wanting a few more.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:51:47 | More by ShastamcNasty

metter98

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is hazy orange amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high beige head that slowly died down, leaving a very large patch of bubbles on the surface, a thin collar and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of oak are present in the nose along with some hints of citrusy hops.
T: While oaky flavors are prominently featured in the taste, there is also a good balanced between malts and hops, the latter of which contribute a light to moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels a little more than medium-bodied and a relatively crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is lots of lingering dryness from the oak barrel aging.
O: I enjoyed this IPA because the oak barrel aging completely changed the dynamics of the smell, taste and mouthfeel, making this quite unique compared to other beers in the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 02:08:48 | More by metter98

Treebs

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at Wild Monk. Not sure of the hop varietal, but I'd guess Willamette. Served in a shaker pint.

A: Pours a darker amber color with a fluffy white head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin film and it leaves some nice sticky lace down the glass.

S: Light caramel malt body, some mild citrus, and a little spiciness as well.

T: Fuller caramel malt body with a some light citrus and a nice resinous hop bite. There is a touch of woody spice on the finish with malts coming back adding some sweetness.

M: Medium bodied with a nice bubbly carbonation and a light resinous finish.

O: Pretty solid overall. Definitely enjoyed this variety of Heavy Handed more so than the other I've tried.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2012 17:14:47 | More by Treebs

312HopBomb

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler pouerd in a Duvel tulip.

Appearance is a glowing red garnet with a medium/large head of ivory froth.

Aroma of light pine, light citrus and rich malts. Rock candy and brown sugar.

Taste starts slightly sweet and malty which quickly turns to a crisp and floral/piney hop middle. Finish is slick/oily and medium bitterness and grapefruit pith.

Mouthfeel is medium/full and with slick hop oil coating the tongue.

Overall a balanced and enjoyable take on the fresh hop experience. It is slightly malt foward but the hops shine through as intended. This is perfect on a fall day watching football.

Serving type: growler

10-07-2012 21:41:11 | More by 312HopBomb

barnzy78

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 Lot 2552 (Centennial)
12oz bottle, pours deep copper with a thin, foamy, ivory head that leaves great lacing on the glass. Aromas are fresh hops, spicy, piny, citric, bready malt. Tastes are bready malt up-front followed by a healthy dose of fresh, earthy, resiny, piny hops, some citrus - maybe orange rind or grapefruit rind. Body is medium, lower carbonation; finishes dry and bitter, while the hop oils stick to the palate. Overall, I always look forward to this fall seasonal release from my local brewery. I was glad to pick up some Centennial wet-hopped this year!

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 03:12:45 | More by barnzy78

blackcompg

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - poures a finger of golden eggshell head, body is a gorgeous slightly hazed orange amber, nice lacing left after the session.

Smell - floral hops, citrus zest, bready malts, hard candy.

Taste - starts with a rush of floral hops, then there is herbal hop flavors of basil and coriander, slight rye spice, then citrus flavors of grapefruit meats and orange zests, finish is grapefruit pith, dried orange peel and peach pits, some slight pine. All the while in the background there is a slight citrus and floral sweetness providing a really nice balance.

Mouthfeel - nearly medium with the bold hop flavors, carb is nearly medium but provides a smooth and silky feeling. Very drinkable and satisfying.

Overall - just a wonderfully bold, complex and balanced ipa - so many nice hop flavors going on here, all bold and discernable, and all working so well together. This is a must try for hop lovers - just in time for autumn.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 03:24:11 | More by blackcompg