You CAN Go Home Again: Sure Hope There's Two Hearted Ale When You Get There!
Written: Apr 20 '08 (Updated Nov 16 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: superb balance, and IPA that doesn't choke you with hops
Cons: not widely available
The Bottom Line: Bell's Two Hearted Ale is what every India Pale Ale should be: plenty of hops with superb balance.
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| scmrak's Full Review: Bell's Two Hearted Ale |
Thomas Wolfe was wrong: you can go home again. But when you do, let's hope your taste in beer has improved. The last time I was carded in the Acme Bar and Grill in my home town, I was probably hoping to score a six-pack of Stroh's; but last month (four decades later, give or take), I found myself sittin' once more in the Acme nursing a black and tan - and the Ms was drinking a Bell's Two-Hearted Ale from the tap. Kalamazoo's not that far away from Mom, after all. Now there's a beer that's a far cry from Stroh's! She refused to trade (no dummy, she), so I had to buy my own.
Bell's calls Two-Hearted Ale an "India pale ale style" beer. Now yours truly has had more than a few IPAs in his time, and he's even brewed a batch or two of the style; but I gotta admit, I ain't never tasted an IPA like Two Hearted before. The hallmark of the IPA is its level of hops - the style was invented to serve sailors on the way to India; that heavy dose of hops acted as a preservative for the long trip. Even good IPAs tend to whack you upside the head with a bazillion IBUs. Not so, however, this offering from Bell's: their brewmeister (accent on the "meister") has crafted a brew that is every bit as hop-crazy as your average IPA, yet has such superb balance that you don't notice the bitterness. Bell's has cranked up the alcohol content to 7% ABV, rather higher than the usual IPA.
Tasting Notes
The pour: A rich, ruby-tinged amber pour with a hint of cloudiness, culminating in an inch or so of rocky ivory head that quickly dissipates. Internal carbonation keeps a thin layer of lace on the surface throughout most of the quaff.
The nose: a fine floral note from the hops, faint undertones of citrus.
The tongue: A gentle progression through the flavors: it opens with a fruity flavor with hints of pine, which segues into the sweetness of a fine, pale malt; the smooth bittering hop note builds throughout. Excellent flavor and texture balance in the hops and malt. Mildly carbonated with a creamy mouthfeel.
The finish: I can't say enough about the balance of the flavors, but the finish is fine, too: good and crisp, and maintains the balance of flavors to the end.
This is one fine beer, and one that tends to be tough to find. Bell's (formerly the Kalamazoo Brewing Company) is well-known for being a bit cranky about dealing with states that have "non-standard" liquor laws. In my own (current) state of Illinois, Bell's is only sold in Chicago and the "collar counties" - though it's sold throughout neighboring Iowa and Missouri. Whatever the case, if you can find Bell's - and, more to the point, Two Hearted Ale - then by all means, get some. You're gonna like it.
Recommended:
Yes
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