I’ll be the first to admit – the IPA craze is a bit much. With breweries fighting to out hop each other on beer after beer – it can be exhausting for my taste buds. Don’t get me wrong – I love a good IPA. I also love variety and would like to taste something other than hop resin when I drink a beer.
With that being said – today I tried Bell’s Brewing Two Hearted Ale. Bell’s is out of Comstock, Michigan and they make some tasty stuff. They have a summer ale called Oberon that I really enjoy. This beer appears to be named after a river in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Two Hearted River also makes a title credit appearance in a Hemingway story – so the beer has some standards to live up to.
Two Hearted Ale advertises itself to be a beer with crisp finish and a strong hop aroma. Bell’s didn’t lie on either of these points – it fits the bill.
The beer pours a light amber color with a small amount of fluffy head. There may have been more head in a proper glass – but I have been on the road lately and only had hotel glassware. After the pour – the first thing that hits you is the hop aroma. Light and sweet with a little bitterness in the background – citrus and flowers. If judging by the smell – I would say this is going to be a hop monster.
I’m wrong.
The hops are there in the front – but the immediately give way to the delicate bread and caramel flavors of the malt. Nothing fancy – just good quality beer flavors. As promised – the finish is crisp and maybe even a bit on the dry side. There is some lingering bitterness from the hops. I could see drinking this beer on a hot summer afternoon – very refreshing. It would also go great with pizza or a grilled steak.
Overall – Two Hearted Ale is a solid IPA. Definitely worth picking up a six pack for you everyday drinker.
Final Rating: 3.5/5
Up and Adam 