Bells Two Hearted Ale: Review

Indian Pale Ale Style

7% abv

12 oz bottle

Bell’s Brewery

Comstock, Michigan, USA

Bellsbeer.com

This had to be my first micro brewed beer back when it first came out.  I grew up being a Miller High Life drinker.  My dad was a controller for a Miller distributer. 

One night going into a party store the guy who worked there said, ‘if you like beer you have to try this new beer it’s really good.’  Do I like beer?!? What kind of a question is that I thought?  I was the connoisseur of cheap beer – Gobel, Falstaff, Buckhorn … you get the idea.  So, I bought this beer.  Oh my god, I thought I was going to get sick … it was terrible. 

So, that was my introduction to craft beer.  And today, I would drink Two Hearted Ale before I would touch a Miller. 

Let’s get onto the review:

Appearance: light and bright hazy golden wheat color with a white head and a bit of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: The bottle says it best, “…an incredibly floral hop aroma.”   I also think of light pine when I smell this ale.

Flavors: pine notes just dance across the tongue and then give way to a white grapefruit tone and the floral notes are here as well.  There is a touch of sourdough bread in the mix.  To me there seems to be a touch of mango in the background.  And, the good ol’ beer burp says, ‘tropical notes’ – grapefruit, mango, and orange juice.  Call Tropicana right now!  A new juice name “Tropical Beer Burp Juice.” 

Mouthfeel: pretty moderate for an IPA.  I might go a 6 on my strength rating.  The pine notes did not ravage or needle the tongue they just danced across it.