No. 4 Two Hearted Ale by Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, MI
As part of my IPA comparison group, it made sense to include a popular, highly rated selection. With that in mind, I reached for a Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, which Beer Connoisseur rates a 96. Two Hearted Ale has a slightly higher ABV of 7.0% than most of the others selected and, interestingly, Bell’s does not publish the IBUs on this or any of their products. They, like many brewers, don’t believe IBUs always accurately reflect the actual bitterness in beers. This is also a single hop IPA, as it is made with 100% Centennial hops.
Two Hearted Ale makes a good first impression. It pours medium amber with a slight haze, a fluffy white head with mostly small compact bubbles and good head retention. The Centennial hops produces a citrus aromas and a hint of candy apples. Flavors are citrus with restrained bitterness and a low, malty sweetness to balance things well. The finish is medium in length with low bitterness and a soft landing.
This IPA is characterized by consistency of taste and the focus on Centennial gives you the opportunity to experience a single hops variety for all it can offer. Two Hearted Ale is an excellent, drinkable IPA and I can’t argue with Beer Connoisseur’s rating.
Would I recommend it? Yes
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