Two Hearted Ale IPA by Bell’s Brewery is an American IPA made with Centennial hops and a perfect malt backbone. One of the few IPAs that has a consistent aroma and flavor profile in every bottle and can. This article covers a review and relation to Tom Brady as a sports reference.
Technical Details for Two Hearted Ale IPA
- Beer Name: Two Hearted Ale
- Beer Style: American IPA
- Brewery: Bell’s Brewery (Comstock, MI)
- Brewery website: http://www.bellsbeer.com
- Purchased: Spirit Shop in Norman, OK
- Tasted: 6/12/21
- Glass Used: 16 oz beer can glass
Two Hearted Ale IPA Scoring Categories
Two Hearted Ale IPA Scoring Categories:
- Can Design: nothing better than fishing for trout in Michigan with your bare hands
- Appearance: dark gold/copper with some light haze 4/6
- Aroma: grapefruit rind and pine needles 22/24
- Flavor: citrus, lemon and tangerine notes mix perfectly together, touch of malt smooths out the finish, light lingering bitterness in aftertaste, very balanced from start to finish 38/40
- Mouthfeel: light, smooth, refreshing, not harsh for an IPA 8/10
- Overall Impression: perfect representation of the American IPA style and the reason craft breweries need to make “throwback” beer styles 18/20
- Total Score: 90/100
- Final Thoughts, this reminds me of IPAs before the haze craze hit in 2017. West Coast IPAs used to dominate the craft beer market with floral aromas and crisp hop profiles. Consistent from first swig to last swallow. It brings your taste buds back to the core ingredients used in every beer recipe (water, barley, hops, and yeast). This is a trip down memory lane that I’ll gladly take numerous times.
Brewery Background
Bell’s Brewery is located in Comstock, Michigan and opened in 1983 as a home brewing store. Bell’s started producing beer in 1985 and is the oldest existing craft brewery in the state of Michigan. Founder and owner Larry Bell uses meticulous brewing recipes. He’s been wise in expanding Bell’s product lines and distribution to become the seventh largest craft brewery in the United States as of 2019.
Bell’s focuses on brewing eight year-round beers and several seasonal releases. Distribution reaches forty-two states in the United States. Bell family repurchased all stocks held by outside investors in late 2012, causing the brewery to have full family ownership.
Two Hearted Ale IPA Background
Bell’s Brewery currently has eighty-five unique IPAs listed on Untapped. Two flagship IPAs stand out due to high reviews:
- Two Hearted Ale IPA – 7% ABV, Untappd rating 3.96
- Hopslam DIPA – 10% ABV, Untappd rating 4.28
Zymurgy Magazine releases an annual issue of the Best Beers in America. Pliny the Elder DIPA from Russian River Brewing won the top ranked beer award for eight consecutive years (2009-2016). Pliny the Elder is a must have DIPA for all beer geeks and is a damn good beer. Two Hearted Ale broke Pliny’s streak in 2017 and has been named the top beer four years straight (2017-2020).
Pliny the Elder and Two Hearted Ale are very different from each other recipe wise, yet the same with the end product. Top notch beers from the moment you smell their aroma to the time you’re done with first swallow. Both beers hold up flavor wise amazingly well each time you open a bottle or crack a can. In the current market of new beers being released every week, I’m gravitating back to the basics of craft brewing. Simple beer recipes are terrific when executed perfectly. That basic practice reminds your taste buds why you fell in love with craft beer in the first place. Try this approach, I’m sure most beer geeks and their palates would enjoy a trip back down memory lane.
Sports Comparison for this Libation
- Tom Brady, QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Played college football at the University of Michigan from 1996-1999. Was starting QB in the 1998-1999 seasons and capped his collegiate career with a come from behind OT win in the 2000 Orange Bowl against Alabama, 35-34. Most NFL scouts ignored Brady and his average statistics prior to the 2000 NFL Draft, except for the New England Patriots. Drafted in the sixth round in 2000, Brady waited for his chance to get on the playing field. Starting QB Drew Bledsoe had a serious injury in the second game of the 2001 season. Brady walked into the huddle and was the Patriots starting QB for the next nineteen seasons. Three NFL MVP awards and six Super Bowl victories later, Brady moved onto the Buccaneers in 2020 at the age of 43. Promptly won Super Bowl LV MVP honors while dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs secondary with his passing game. Seven Super Bowl victories and the winningest QB in NFL history, not bad for a guy who quietly waited his turn to be a starter. Brady has played at a consistently high level for twenty-one seasons while being surrounded by new co-workers. Similar career path to Bell’s Brewery and their award winning Two Hearted Ale. Just goes to show that life isn’t about how you start, it’s how you finish.
Are you interested in finding this beer? Check out this article that tells you how to locate great beer near you.
Cheers and keep it classy everyday!
