Sunday, April 17, 2011

Bell's Two Hearted Ale

Another case of old notes, again from December, 2002, although I was newly a fan of this one, as told inside. 

 This beer has taken off around here, since then, so much so that it's more popular here than in Michigan (or so I'm told). So popular that people just expect to find it in every bar they walk into. I took it off tap when Surly Furious came along, but these days the local palate has adjusted and it seems like everyone digs the hops and there's plenty of drinkers around here for both. 
Without further ado, my notes from 12/05/02, unvarnished or retouched: 

 "If I could do one little thing to improve the world's happiness, it would be to slide this sunny brew down the lips of every unsmiling face and bask in the results. Big, beautiful, bone-white head. Light amber color, surprisingly clear for an unfiltered beer. 

 Aroma defies conventional description, for it is nothing less than a hoppy fruit explosion! A cornucopia of flavors bounce inside your nose and all along the tongue...grapefruit, strawberries,peach,apricot, melons, citrus, bananas,even. 

 Delicate malt, providing ample balance. Extremely smooth and easy-going, with so much, but not too much, in the hop department to keep the senses satisfied. Never dull. Delightful finish, that creeps up, then kicks back in. My only fault against Bell's brews is the inconsistent information. Their 6-pack text congratulates you for reading it, but there's stuff missing from the labels,like ABV, style, or what's the significance of those two fish. {I know now, that it's in reference to a river. What I don't understand to this day is why beer geeks on BeerAdvocate hate the label so much. Fish bigots, are they?} It's in such a league of it's own, I wasn't sure of the style for some time. On draft, this is the perfect IPA, for those who prefer flavor." 

 Hmmm, it seems I borrowed the sentiment of that last line for the Furious can copy. Well, steal from the best, as they say.

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