Bells Two Hearted Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Golden orange color with a nice 1 inch white head that hangs around forever. Strong citrus hops aroma. Lots of hops flavor, medium body with lasting sharp hops bitterness.

(Draught at Akkurat, Stcokholm)
On August 9, 2008
Clear copper color, whipped cream like creamy lasting white head. Fruity, bitter, pine, spruce taste. Medium mouthfeel, high bitterness. Spruce, pine, resin, sweet, sticky, green hoppy scent.

Good, bitter brew with a fresh scent of hops which goes hand and hand to make this a very smooth beverage. Didn’t sell by the single bottles, but a 6 pk is well worth it. Not too strong and for the taste of a good ale, this one can’t be beat.

A nice IPA not over the top hoppy, just a mellow fragrant solid IPA. Pour is medium golden with a large fluffy head. Aroma is citrus and pine with some sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium light carbonation that you don’t feel until it hits your throat. Smooth slightly bitter finish that is much more refreshing than some othe others I’ve had. 1/31/09 had it again and I have to add it’s one of the best IPAs out there. Top notch hops, top notch quality.

12oz bottle poured a deep hazy orange with an initially large peaky white head that leaves some great lacing. Aromas of pine and grapefruit follow the blast of hops. Flavors are very much the same. Creamy, bitter goodness!

THOUGHTS: Nice but not as great as some of the ratings make it seem. A little harsh for me. I like a little balance in my IPAs. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a light to medium orange with a small, slightly off-white head that mostly diminished, but left good lacing. The aroma was light caramel malt and moderate to heavy pine and citrus (grapefruit and more orange) hops. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and bitter, and moderately acidic; while the finish was moderately sweet and heavy to almost harshly bitter with a long duration. There was orange, grapefruit and pine hops with a little caramel malt. The medium body was sorta creamy with fizzy carbonation and a moderate astringent finish.

Re-rate: bottle from Stan at Lone Hill. Hops were mildly cheesy, green and fairly fresh. Texture was refreshing. This is both mildly orangey and mildly planty and really quite good. Fresh must be a joke, cask a revelation. First rate: My thanks to 2nd Lieutennant nbutler11 (retired) for the use of his bottle. Had this (not immediately, but soon) after Founder’s Harvest. Overall, I found this sharper and shallower. Aroma is sharp and hoppy. Standard amber color with persistant white head. Flavor is breadcrust, alcohol, dark melon rind, black pepper and an inhale of vanishing vanilla. After following the recent thread "Only 1 Beer for the Rest of Your Life" and seeing 6+ responses for this guy, I will admit to being disappointed at the outcome.

The aroma is hoppy, citrus, a little pine. The appearance is a golden orange, cloudy with a big white head with excellent lacing. The initial flavor is bitter, hitting the back of the tongue, the flavor is a little pine, grass, herbs, outdoors. The finish is long bitter creeping to the middle of the tongue. Very good IPA.