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mikebiewer · 04-16-2010, 02:48 AM

Finally got around to doing a review tasting of this stuff. I find the more reviews I try the better I'm getting at categorizing styles and the more I recognize flavors.

Anyway, I tried Surly last week and this week I decided to do another American IPA. I felt the results were somewhat similar. I like IPA's, but I'm not sure how much I like the apparent sweetness associated with the American style. We'll see though. I haven't had to many English or Imperial's either.

Anyway, I thought it was pretty good, but I wouldn't make a night out of it.

How bout you guys?

The full review can be watched on my site: Review of Bell's Two Hearted Ale

**Homercidal** · 04-16-2010, 12:35 PM

Two-Hearted is my go-to IPA, although I do like some others, like Goose Island. Stevens Point also makes a Cascade Ale that is not really labeled as an IPA, but it's close IMO and pretty tasty.

I never really noticed the Two-Hearted as being very sweet, but I'll look for that again. Perhaps that is what sets it apart for me. I'm not sure I'd drink it all night either, but I am a light-weight, so I usually start with a lighter beer or two then move to IPAs and IIPAs. I usually have 3-4 beers per session, when I'm "drinking", so I guess being able to drink all night is not really a concern of mine.

I am a fan of the style of hops in this beer. I think they hit the balance well. I will say that after having a couple of Bell's Hopslams, the Two-Hearted tastes different now. If you have not tried a Hopslam, then put it on your list. TONS of hop flavor. But not overly bitter IMO.

***Yooper*** · 04-16-2010, 12:37 PM

Two-Hearted is my everyday drinking session beer. I like it. It's not sweet to me, but it does have a malt balance that quite a few IPAs don't have.

I love IPAs, though. That's my favorite style, so my motto always is "mo' hops is mo' better".

Synovia · 04-16-2010, 03:18 PM

I feel like, if "sweet" is your overwhelming perception of this beer, it probably wasn't fresh enough. When I think Two Hearted, I think "floral"

SpanishCastleAle · 04-16-2010, 03:42 PM

Quote:

It's not sweet to me, but it does have a malt balance that quite a few IPAs don't have.

Wonder how much the Bell's yeast contributes to this? I have a low-grav APA made with Bell's yeast and hopped almost entirely with Centennial (1-Hearted Ale?) and the beer attenuated well but doesn't seem too dry at all.

I brewed a 2-Hearted inspired ale with the cake from that APA but I just racked it onto some gelatin so it's still got some work. I'll dry hop it in about a week or so. This having never even seen/tasted the real thing.

carnevoodoo · 04-16-2010, 06:38 PM

Two Hearted isn't a sweet beer, really. And if all you've had are Surly and Two Hearted, you've nowhere near scratched the surface on American IPAs, which are usually dry, not sweet, and typically fairly hop forward these days. Remember that freshness for these beers is key.

carnevoodoo · 04-16-2010, 06:48 PM

Oh, and if there are bubbles coming from the bottom of your glass like that, they're probably not clean enough. Nucleation points and all that.

mikebiewer · 04-18-2010, 12:12 AM

Interesting feedback guys. Thanks

I'm pretty sure my glasses are clean, they get a dishwasher washing and then I rinse them and wipe them clean with a fresh towel before every review.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't drink a lot of IPA's. I do look for something more dry than I was getting out of the Bell's Two Hearted. Is it possible that I'm mistaking a huge hop flavor with a malty sweetness character? I felt that I wasn't getting that much citrus out of the beer so I attributed the apparent sweetness that I was experiencing with a malty, caramel taste.

Thoughts?

**Homercidal** · 04-19-2010, 01:31 PM

IMO it's not that sweet. Not compared to plenty of other beers I've had. But like Yooperbrew said, it does have a good balance, which you don't find in many IPAs. To me, there is a lot of citrus and floral notes, and not a lot of sweetness. And there is a big difference between getting a fresh IPA and one that is a few months old. Especially in Two-Hearted, where the hops flavor and aroma count more than the bitter.

Hey, if you don't like that one, there are LOTS of other IPAs out there to sample.

mikebiewer · 04-19-2010, 10:52 PM

I like it, don't get me wrong. I just wasn't expecting the sweetness. But, like you said, it could just be freshness. I'll for sure give it a try again because I like the beer, I just won't make a night out of it.

Thanks for the comments!