Two Hearted Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

    Two Heated Ale is an American India Pale Ale created by Bell's Brewery, Inc. which is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. American IPAs tend to be more fruity and floral in their hops selections as compared to the classic English IPAs which are usually more on the piney end of things. Two Hearted Ale has the distinguished honor of being my third favorite beer of all time. This is definitely my "go-to" beer when I'm out and nothing else sounds good.

    The beer pours a hazy yellow-orange with a nice two finger head on top. The beer leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass as the liquid level in the glass lowers.

    Common to most IPAs, Two Hearted's aroma is mainly that of citrus fruits with a small bit of pine-like scent as well. While there are notes of grapefruit in the aroma, lemon is the main citrus fruit in the ale's nose. Almost perfectly balanced with the hops scents is a sweet, almost muffin-like malt smell which reminds me of of baked goods.

    Two Hearted ale is a medium bodied beer with a low level of carbonation. The beer has a very creamy and easy-to-drink mouthfeel. After a few sips, an oily feeling begins to coat your mouth from the bitterness, but it never becomes unpleasant. At 7% ABV, Two Hearted Ale can sneak up on you and leaves the slightest alcohol warmth in your throat.

A stained glass window at Bells' showing Amboiju.

    The American IPA is not nearly as bitter as you would expect from the aroma. Bitter citrus notes are definitely present in the beer's flavor, but a sweet caramel malt flavor balances out the floral hops, keeping things pleasant. To me, the beer almost tastes like a sweet, lemon bread. The beer finishes a little more bitterly than it starts, though still not in a bad way.

    The name Two Hearted Ale comes from an ancient Native American story in which a young hunter attempts to feed his family by spear fishing for the great Amboiju, a stream fish said to be hundreds of years old. As these things go, times had become hard for the natives and this fish was their last hope. In his rush to become a hero, the young Indian speared the great fish, only to be carried miles downstream by the seemingly unharmed fish. On his long trek back upstream to his family, the young brave meets an elder fisherman who informs him that Amboiju cannot be killed using a normal spear, as the fish has two hearts. If one heart is wounded, the other heart keeps the fish alive until it can heal completely. At this point in the story, the old man teaches the young man (likely using a montage) to create a two-pronged spear with which to hunt the fish. With his new knowledge the young brave sets off on his journey back home, sticking close to the water in hopes of catching glimpse of his adversary. Sure enough, just as all hope seems to be lost and winter begins to set in, Amboiju is seen by the boy, sitting just a few feet off shore. The boy brandishes his newly crafted weapon and pounces into the water with the grace of a cat, piercing the great fish's side. Again, the fish pulls the boy through the water, though this time upstream. When the boy is able to lift his head from under the current he realizes that he is back in his village, and that the great fish was alive no more. Legend tells that Amboiju fed the boy's entire village for months, and allowed the tribe to regain their greatness among the proud Native American peoples.

    Of course I made up the story of Amboiju, but that sort of thing is why you're here, isn't it? Bell's Two Hearted Ale is my number three beer due to its amazing balance of sweet and bitter. I'll admit, when I first tasted the beer, long before I was a beer fan, I thought that it tasted like lemon dusting spray smelled, so I understand if others do not agree with me that it is a great beer. All I ask is that you give it another chance later on, once you have gotten used to the more bitter flavors in IPAs and might better appreciate the floral, citrusy hops in this great beer!

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