Two Brothers Heavy Handed India Pale Ale

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Warrenville, Illinois USA

12oz. bottle picked up today at The foodery. Pours a very dark amber/chestnut brown color with dark golden burnt orange hues when held to a light source and a one fimger foamy white head that quickly dissipates into a lasting ring that leaves sporadic spots of lacing behind. Fresh juicy oily hop aroma with lots of earthy dank floral, dry piny and sweet citrus character. Hints of grapefruit mango, chronic, pineapple, pine needle and orange peel are countered by a sweet caramel malt character that has a bit of a graham crackery scent. The aroma is my favorite characteristic of this beer. Unfortunately the mouthfeel and flavor don’t live up to the aroma. Fuller end of medium body with plenty of dry earthy hops with sweet citrus notes but the malt backboe is a bit too strong for my liking and there is a sweet alcohol presence mid palate that is a bit harsh. Pretty hop forward with dry pine nd sweet citrus notes, mostly lemon peel and grapefruit, followed by a sweet caramel/graham vracker malt backbone and a sweet alcohol presence mid-palate that lingers into a dry piny hop finish. Well balanced but probably too much so. Decent but not that exciting.

Cask at Ginger Man. Deep amber with a thick sticky white head. The nose is really great. Lots of bright citrus and a lot of zesty floral aromatics. Soft and fruity with a lovely fresh hoppiness. Surprisingly soft and velvety with a gentle grapefruit/mango hoppiness and a very moderate bitterness. There is an excellent soft sweet maltiness that just helps balance the soft resiny fruity hops and some soft creamy mouthfeel. The hops leave a delicious sticky coating of resin on the palate and just invite another mouthful. In this condition, this cask is amazing. Sublime.

Orangish golden pour and white fluffy head that releases a decent bitter pine and grapefruit aroma. Flavors are lighlty roasted crystal malt sweetness, bread dough, pine, citus and grapefruit. Decent bitter finish and pleasant to repeat.

TAP: clear reddish-gold pour with a white head. Citrus on the nose. Citrus/pine hop on taste, somewhat off-balance, and a lighter body. Decent, but not great.

Pours deep, slightly coppery amber with a 1 finger rocky yellowish head that has good retention. Aroma is pine, caramel, floral, biscuit, toasted grain, light orange peel citrus and a bit of black tea. Flavor is caramel, biscuit, toasted bread, a little butter, burnt sugar, light mineral notes and floral notes near the end. Finishes with herbal hoppy bitterness and pine, just a little tea. As it warms the tea comes out a little more and the bitterness seems to increase in strength and length of aftertaste. Palate is light to medium body, slightly slick on entry, drying out a bit, but still slightly slick on the finish and has a pleasant, moderate strength carbonation. Not a bad IPA, more along the "Englishy" lines of the style, but stronger and more bitter than most English IPAs I have had. Not bad 6/3/7/3/13

Smells like the raw dough of a pine and orange rind sugar cookie. Flavor is sour citrus and saltine crackers leaning toward a light bitter finish. Mouthfeel is silky to start with a refreshing prickly blast of carbonation toward the throat. Awesome beer and a great addition to the style. Beautiful medium amber glow on this one too. Thanks Two Brothers. 2009 12 oz.

I had the super Galena hops. The beer is very refreshing. The aromas are grassy and fresh. The hop bitterness produces and excellent finish. The color is deep gold/copper color.

I tried both the Williamette(2549) and the Columbus(3069) batches. I like the Columbus better because it has a hoppier aroma and flavor. Pours a ruby-copper with a nice sized off-white head that left plenty of lacing. Aside from the hops, the aroma has a lot of bready malt, almost like a dunkel. I lie the flavor of the malt, although it is unusual for an ipa. I found the Columbus variety to have more cirtus and pine than the Willamette, as well as ibu’s. Nice balance and mouthfeel.