Two Hearted IPA
- 🍺 Style: American IPA (India Pale Ale)
- 📊 ABV & IBU: 7% ABV – 55 IBU
- 🌑 Appearance: clear amber-golden body, creamy white head
- 👃 Aroma: intense Centennial hops (pine, grapefruit, floral notes)
- 👅 Flavor: balanced malt/cereal backbone, citrus, resin, herbs, dry yet smooth finish
- 🔥 Finish: controlled bitterness, lingering but highly drinkable
- 🏆 Awards: voted “Best Beer in America” (Zymurgy/AHA, 2017–2019), Silver Medal GABF 1998
- 🎯 Particularity: brewed exclusively with Centennial hops, regarded as the archetype of the balanced American IPA
- ⭐ UNTAPPD Rating: 3.94 / 5 (→ here)
Two Hearted Ale (IPA) by Bell’s Brewery: History, Tasting Notes, and Reviews
History of Two Hearted Ale
The Two Hearted Ale takes its name from Michigan’s Two Hearted River, a waterway renowned for trout fishing in the state’s Upper Peninsula. The first version of this beer appeared in the late 1980s, originally brewed as a Pale Ale with English malts and Wisconsin hops—the two “hearts” behind its name. The recipe as we know it today was officially launched in 1997 as a seasonal winter beer (August 15 has since been celebrated annually as “Two Hearted Day,” marking the anniversary of the first brew). By 2003, Bell’s decided to make Two Hearted a permanent offering in its catalog, and it eventually overtook Oberon Ale as the brewery’s best-selling beer in 2013. In 2022, Bell’s officially rebranded the product as “Two Hearted IPA” (instead of “Ale”), continuing its “Hearted” brand line, which also includes variants like Hazy Hearted IPA and Big Hearted IPA.
This beer has also earned notable distinctions. For example, it won the silver medal (India Pale Ale category) at the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. More recently, it was voted “Best Beer in America” by members of the American Homebrewers Association (via Zymurgy magazine) in 2017, 2018, and 2019—a success made all the more remarkable since it had spent six years overshadowed by Russian River’s Pliny the Elder. These awards highlight its reputation as a benchmark in the American IPA category.
Full Tasting Notes
The Two Hearted Ale displays a bright, clear golden-amber color topped with a fine, creamy white head. It has an alcohol content of 7% ABV (according to Untappd and BeerAdvocate), with a firm bitterness (around 55 IBU) that remains perfectly balanced. The sensory characteristics are as follows:
- Style: American IPA (classic U.S. style).
- Aroma (nose): strong and clearly hop-forward, dominated by pine and citrus notes (grapefruit, resin) typical of Centennial hops. Also detectable are fruity and floral hints from the house yeast.
- Flavor (taste): malty backbone with toasted cereals, accompanied by herbal and citrus nuances. The intensity of the hops blends with a fairly rounded malt base, resulting in a very balanced malt-hop profile.
- Bitterness: pronounced but controlled (dry pine/resin notes in the finish), with medium persistence. As one drinker notes, the beer “doesn’t have the bitter bite of other IPAs, it’s very smooth.”
- Hop profile: brewed 100% with Centennial hops (only), a Pacific Northwest variety. This hop provides the resinous and citrus character mentioned above (the brewer refers to an “intense hop aroma and a beautiful malt balance,” with “massive” kettle additions for grapefruit and pine flavor).
- Balance and drinkability: exceptionally well balanced, Two Hearted Ale drinks very easily despite its 7% ABV. It has a medium-light body and refreshing carbonation, which give it remarkable drinkability (fans often describe it as “very drinkable”).
- Visual appearance: golden to deep amber color, dense off-white head (vivid bronze in a glass).
- Mouthfeel: medium body, slightly dry texture, finish marked by light resinous bitterness. The head fades slowly, leaving fine hop lacing.
- Alcohol by volume (ABV): 7%.
Expert Notes
In the specialized press and at beer competitions, Two Hearted Ale stands out as an ambassador of American IPAs. For example, it earned the exceptional score of 95 on BeerAdvocate (World-Class rating). As mentioned, it was voted Best Beer in America by Zymurgy/AHA for three consecutive years (2017–2019). At the Great American Beer Festival, it won a silver medal in the IPA category in 1998. Although Bell’s is a large craft brewery, these accolades often rival those of smaller brewers—proof of the quality and consistency of this beer.
Consumer Reviews
The beer community is generally very enthusiastic. On Untappd, the Two Hearted IPA holds an average rating of about 3.94/5 (with nearly 548,000 reviews). On BeerAdvocate, it scores around 4.27/5 across more than 15,000 ratings. Comments often highlight its amber color and remarkable pine, grassy, and citrus aromas. Reviewers emphasize its malt-hop balance and drinkability: for example, one reviewer notes “Look: 4.25, Smell: 4.5, Taste: 4.5” and describes the beer as “rich vibrant bronze, off-white head, lively floral hop nose…, balanced taste, which is not too bitter… Excellent brew.”
Other reports mention a malty nose of bread and caramel, alongside a hop-forward palate (citrus, pine, grass) that remains perfectly controlled. Some drinkers point out that, despite its reputation, its aromatic character is not “overly aggressive”: the bitterness is pronounced yet smooth.
In summary, reviews consistently describe Two Hearted Ale as a complex yet very well-balanced and highly drinkable IPA, which explains its enduring popularity among beer enthusiasts.
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