REVIEW 54: TWO HEARTED ALE

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  USA

BREWERY:  Bell's Brewery, Inc.

STYLE:  IPA

ABV:  7.0%

PURCHASE:  Six-pack of 12-oz. bottles, $13.00

SERVING:  12-oz. bottle, poured into Guinness-branded imperial pint glass. (It was either that or a Collins glass tonight, my friends.) A dense, spongy, three-inch head emerged from a standard pour; a slower pour still got two. Excellent retention.

APPEARANCE:  Tannish-caramel color. Kind of cloudy--hazy is probably a better word--at upon first pour. Has the appearance of suspended yeast and/or bubbles. Becomes more transparent as it warms a bit. Luminous white head and superb lacing around the glass.

BOUQUET:  Hops are the centerpiece here, as you would expect. But they are rounded out by a variety of essences, and quite nicely: Orange spice, coriander, grapefruit, rolled grains, and yeast, mainly. Multi-dimensional for an IPA. 

PALATE:  Middle-of-the-road body, but somewhat light for a beer of this magnitude (7% alcohol). Carbonation sets in a beat or two after entry, then softly crescendos and can become sharp if held too long. Taste is primarily hoppy, but not as conspicuous in that regard as other IPAs--especially those this side of the Atlantic. Juice-like finish, followed by an aftertaste characterized by subdued spiciness--mainly orange zest and coriander, a common combination in the microbrew world. Almost goes down like a witbier.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Yup. Like a witbier. Want to introduce a Blue Moon drinker to the world of IPAs? This is the beer to do it with. 

This is about as smooth and as drinkable an IPA as you will find. Unlike other IPAs, the hop factor is more inclusive than prohibitive here. I rank it accordingly.




GRADE:  A-

Bell's second brewing facility, located in Comstock, Michigan.