IPA, 7%ABV
Bell's brews Two Hearted year-round, but it's not available here in California so I had to trade for it.
Appearance: Rich orange-gold. A thick head that leaves moderate lacing on the sides of the glass and is retained as a thin film of bubbles on top of the beer.
Smell: Powerful tropical fruit -- mango, pineapple. Some orange as well, and a backbone of sweetness. If you breathe deeply enough, you also get a dank earthy quality which is nice and breaks through the sweet fruit.
Taste: Lemon, orange zest, dirty pine and grass, biscuit. The balance here is pretty nice. The hops showcase their flavors upfront, but the malt backbone is solid and you are left with a pretty drinkable sweet bread quality.
Mouthfeel: Kind of thick, but it actually finishes pretty dry. All in all, nicely done here.
Overall: The true hophead may be underwhelmed, as balance is the name of the game with this IPA. As someone who likes very hop forward beers myself, this wouldn't be my top pick. If I were trying to introduce someone to IPAs, however? This would be a great choice. This type of balance requires skill in brewing and I can definitely respect that.
4/5
Bell's brews Two Hearted year-round, but it's not available here in California so I had to trade for it.
Appearance: Rich orange-gold. A thick head that leaves moderate lacing on the sides of the glass and is retained as a thin film of bubbles on top of the beer.
Smell: Powerful tropical fruit -- mango, pineapple. Some orange as well, and a backbone of sweetness. If you breathe deeply enough, you also get a dank earthy quality which is nice and breaks through the sweet fruit.
Taste: Lemon, orange zest, dirty pine and grass, biscuit. The balance here is pretty nice. The hops showcase their flavors upfront, but the malt backbone is solid and you are left with a pretty drinkable sweet bread quality.
Mouthfeel: Kind of thick, but it actually finishes pretty dry. All in all, nicely done here.
Overall: The true hophead may be underwhelmed, as balance is the name of the game with this IPA. As someone who likes very hop forward beers myself, this wouldn't be my top pick. If I were trying to introduce someone to IPAs, however? This would be a great choice. This type of balance requires skill in brewing and I can definitely respect that.
4/5
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