Double Two Hearted Ale
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer Geek Stats:
| Print Shelf Talker
- Style:
- American Imperial IPA
Ranked #491 - ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #2,705 - Avg:
- 4.17 | pDev: 10.07%
- Reviews:
- 60
- Ratings:
- From:
- Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Michigan, United States
- Avail:
- Rotating
- Wants
- 33
- Gots
- 47
SCORE
92
Outstanding
92
Outstanding
Notes:
Everything you love about our classic Two Hearted® Ale... now in a double IPA. With two and a half times the amount of Centennial hops, Double Two Hearted® has intense pine and citrus notes, a resinous hop aroma and rich malt character.
Reviews: 60
| Ratings: 221
3.46/5 rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The beer pour looked clear in the glass with a nice amber color. The head was one finger thick and the carbonation was light. The aroma was very mild for the style. The smell did not contain much hop presence at all. The taste was a bit sweet at first before some hops made there presence known towards the end of the sip. The beer was quite hot in the finish with spicy aftertaste. This reminded me of diluted 20 minute IPA. I was hoping for something great with the legacy behind this beer. Sadly it fell short of my expectations.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The beer pour looked clear in the glass with a nice amber color. The head was one finger thick and the carbonation was light. The aroma was very mild for the style. The smell did not contain much hop presence at all. The taste was a bit sweet at first before some hops made there presence known towards the end of the sip. The beer was quite hot in the finish with spicy aftertaste. This reminded me of diluted 20 minute IPA. I was hoping for something great with the legacy behind this beer. Sadly it fell short of my expectations.
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4.58/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Two times Two Hearted makes Four Hearted and, "therefour," here we are with this year's most hotly-anticipated "holy hell they're actually doing it!" beer! Wow, I didn't think this would ever make it to New England, but very glad it did. This here's a new triple IPA from the makers of HopSlam, one of the original triple IPAs. However, I will say that it is extremely different from HopSlam... let's get right into it!
Pours a deep burnished copper color with some lighter amber highlights when held to direct light. Great, buoyant head of bone-white foam that lasts and lasts. Incredible legs and even-better lacing... holy hell, is this a gorgeous brew. It all comes together so damn well. Does Bell's have a huge winner on their hands here? Signs point to yes!
The nose of this beer is absolutely immaculate. It's everything you love about Two Hearted turned up to, well, 11 (percent, that is!). Just immense pine and sticky grapefruit with a ton of resin and a helping of malt to keep things grounded. Honestly very reminiscent of my first experiences with Enjoy By, but even stronger and bolder. Tangerine and orange pith with a good amount of floral hops and light ethanol-driven spice coming out as it warms up a bit. Almost comes across with a little bit of cocoa powder for some reason; maybe has to do with the interaction between the hops and huge malt character. Anyway... superb!
On the tongue, there's definitely a big hit of caramel malt, but it's quite well-tempered by a ludicrously intense hop display. Centennial is the hop du jour here, as the bottle states, and what a hop it is! Dripping with immense grapefruit character and just utterly-saturated with oily pine resin, DTHA is definitely worthy of its name and concept. The clean finish only helps things come together superbly. Mid-palate of floral hops and more pine. Almost seems like it's going to finish on the slicker side, but it ends up dry and even. Damn, this is a really good take on Two Hearted. As opposed to a lot of beers that are "double" whatever, this actually seems like a stronger version of the original beer and not another beer entirely. Kudos to Bell's for not taking this into Barleywine territory, either... I remember first time I had Double Crooked Tree from Dark Horse, wondering how that was an IPA. This is great. Good job guys!
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Two times Two Hearted makes Four Hearted and, "therefour," here we are with this year's most hotly-anticipated "holy hell they're actually doing it!" beer! Wow, I didn't think this would ever make it to New England, but very glad it did. This here's a new triple IPA from the makers of HopSlam, one of the original triple IPAs. However, I will say that it is extremely different from HopSlam... let's get right into it!
Pours a deep burnished copper color with some lighter amber highlights when held to direct light. Great, buoyant head of bone-white foam that lasts and lasts. Incredible legs and even-better lacing... holy hell, is this a gorgeous brew. It all comes together so damn well. Does Bell's have a huge winner on their hands here? Signs point to yes!
The nose of this beer is absolutely immaculate. It's everything you love about Two Hearted turned up to, well, 11 (percent, that is!). Just immense pine and sticky grapefruit with a ton of resin and a helping of malt to keep things grounded. Honestly very reminiscent of my first experiences with Enjoy By, but even stronger and bolder. Tangerine and orange pith with a good amount of floral hops and light ethanol-driven spice coming out as it warms up a bit. Almost comes across with a little bit of cocoa powder for some reason; maybe has to do with the interaction between the hops and huge malt character. Anyway... superb!
On the tongue, there's definitely a big hit of caramel malt, but it's quite well-tempered by a ludicrously intense hop display. Centennial is the hop du jour here, as the bottle states, and what a hop it is! Dripping with immense grapefruit character and just utterly-saturated with oily pine resin, DTHA is definitely worthy of its name and concept. The clean finish only helps things come together superbly. Mid-palate of floral hops and more pine. Almost seems like it's going to finish on the slicker side, but it ends up dry and even. Damn, this is a really good take on Two Hearted. As opposed to a lot of beers that are "double" whatever, this actually seems like a stronger version of the original beer and not another beer entirely. Kudos to Bell's for not taking this into Barleywine territory, either... I remember first time I had Double Crooked Tree from Dark Horse, wondering how that was an IPA. This is great. Good job guys!
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5/5 rDev +19.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
The beer pour a beautiful amber with excellent head. The nose is exceptional; imagine Bell's Two Hearted with an extra "something". The taste is divine. Seriously, Dionysus would believe that this beer was brewed specifically for his enjoyment. I poured this into a standard pint glass and enjoyed every nanosecond of my experience. The beer coated my palate in an indescribable way, almost like a blanket that just came out of the dryer...except that blanket is meant specifically for the human tongue. I would highly recommend doing whatever is in your power to purchase this beer; even if you have to camp in line for over 24 hours.
BA recommends that discuss the "feel" of the beer. The beer feel's amazing. This is the perfect beer for anyone wanting to sit back, relax, and just drink a beer.
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look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
The beer pour a beautiful amber with excellent head. The nose is exceptional; imagine Bell's Two Hearted with an extra "something". The taste is divine. Seriously, Dionysus would believe that this beer was brewed specifically for his enjoyment. I poured this into a standard pint glass and enjoyed every nanosecond of my experience. The beer coated my palate in an indescribable way, almost like a blanket that just came out of the dryer...except that blanket is meant specifically for the human tongue. I would highly recommend doing whatever is in your power to purchase this beer; even if you have to camp in line for over 24 hours.
BA recommends that discuss the "feel" of the beer. The beer feel's amazing. This is the perfect beer for anyone wanting to sit back, relax, and just drink a beer.
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4.21/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 8/21/2019. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass. It pours a cloudy, bright orange-amber color with rosy hues, and nearly a finger of foamy, eggshell-colored head and lots of spotty lacing. The nose is sweet malt-forward with notes of caramel, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, bubblegum, pine needles, floral hops, and spice. The smell really opened up as the ale breathed in the glass. Wow, this is a big ale! It's dense and opens with strong and sweet caramel malt and tangerine with grapefruit and lemon in the background. It's supremely dank with strong, resinous pine at mid-palate and moderately bitter Centennial hops. It finishes more fruity than bitter. The feel is thick and oily with moderate carbonation, and while the 11% ABV is noticeable it doesn't detract from the flavors. While it's intended to be a much bigger version of Two Hearted, I find it a totally different ale. It's sweeter and fruitier and much more conducive to a single pour with a hearty meal than for casual drinking.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled on 8/21/2019. Poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass. It pours a cloudy, bright orange-amber color with rosy hues, and nearly a finger of foamy, eggshell-colored head and lots of spotty lacing. The nose is sweet malt-forward with notes of caramel, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, bubblegum, pine needles, floral hops, and spice. The smell really opened up as the ale breathed in the glass. Wow, this is a big ale! It's dense and opens with strong and sweet caramel malt and tangerine with grapefruit and lemon in the background. It's supremely dank with strong, resinous pine at mid-palate and moderately bitter Centennial hops. It finishes more fruity than bitter. The feel is thick and oily with moderate carbonation, and while the 11% ABV is noticeable it doesn't detract from the flavors. While it's intended to be a much bigger version of Two Hearted, I find it a totally different ale. It's sweeter and fruitier and much more conducive to a single pour with a hearty meal than for casual drinking.
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4.03/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Sweeter than I anticipated but at 11% abv I guess you should expect that. Tasty beer - reminds me a little of the old Hercules DIPA from back in the day but sweeter and a little bit stronger I believe. A good hop flavor with plenty of malt in the background. I would call this a typical strong DIPA! Not sure why Bell’s felt the need to make this at this point but I’m happy to have tried it!
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Sweeter than I anticipated but at 11% abv I guess you should expect that. Tasty beer - reminds me a little of the old Hercules DIPA from back in the day but sweeter and a little bit stronger I believe. A good hop flavor with plenty of malt in the background. I would call this a typical strong DIPA! Not sure why Bell’s felt the need to make this at this point but I’m happy to have tried it!
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3.48/5 rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle. Clear amber. Smells of alcohol without even putting my nose to the glass. Smells of grapefruit and pine resin for hops. Strong caramel malt with a slight toasted malt aroma too. Tastes of equal parts pine resin and caramel malt. Orange and grapefruit hops temper it a bit. Booze is strong. Not terribly sweet, but it's got a hefty caramel and deep sugar flavor. Pine bitterness in the back end. Warming alcohol. It's quite a big beer, but it's pretty drinkable. At first sip, I was a little afraid it was going to be a giant mess, but I'm pleased. I'd take regular Two Hearted over this every time, but it's good for what it is.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle. Clear amber. Smells of alcohol without even putting my nose to the glass. Smells of grapefruit and pine resin for hops. Strong caramel malt with a slight toasted malt aroma too. Tastes of equal parts pine resin and caramel malt. Orange and grapefruit hops temper it a bit. Booze is strong. Not terribly sweet, but it's got a hefty caramel and deep sugar flavor. Pine bitterness in the back end. Warming alcohol. It's quite a big beer, but it's pretty drinkable. At first sip, I was a little afraid it was going to be a giant mess, but I'm pleased. I'd take regular Two Hearted over this every time, but it's good for what it is.
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4.21/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle, packaged 08/22/19. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a slightly hazy orange/amber color with about an inch off-white head that stuck around for a while. Good amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells mostly like pine and citrusy (orange, mango, citrus peel) hops, along with some caramel, bready malt and honey. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's the addition of some pineapple and a little bit of booziness. There's also a lingering bitter finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit slick and rich with a moderate amount of carbonation. Easy enough to drink for being 11%. Nice balance between the sweet/fruity and bitter flavors. I thought this was a good overall brew, glad I bought this! $17.99 a 6-pack.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle, packaged 08/22/19. Served in a tulip, the beer pours a slightly hazy orange/amber color with about an inch off-white head that stuck around for a while. Good amount of lacing. Aroma is nice, the brew smells mostly like pine and citrusy (orange, mango, citrus peel) hops, along with some caramel, bready malt and honey. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's the addition of some pineapple and a little bit of booziness. There's also a lingering bitter finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit slick and rich with a moderate amount of carbonation. Easy enough to drink for being 11%. Nice balance between the sweet/fruity and bitter flavors. I thought this was a good overall brew, glad I bought this! $17.99 a 6-pack.
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4.24/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle. Pours a brownish orange with an inch of head. Lots of lacing. The aroma is piney and resinous with a hint of orange. Bready malts as well. The taste is sticky pine and resinous hops. Some dark bread and more piney bitter bite. Herbal and citrus hop notes towards the end along with some caramel. Piney finish. Tastes about as boozey as I expected. Oily mouthfeel with a medium body. Worth seeking out. Also, thank you Bell’s for putting this in the rarely found nowadays 6 pack.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle. Pours a brownish orange with an inch of head. Lots of lacing. The aroma is piney and resinous with a hint of orange. Bready malts as well. The taste is sticky pine and resinous hops. Some dark bread and more piney bitter bite. Herbal and citrus hop notes towards the end along with some caramel. Piney finish. Tastes about as boozey as I expected. Oily mouthfeel with a medium body. Worth seeking out. Also, thank you Bell’s for putting this in the rarely found nowadays 6 pack.
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3.56/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Man, this beer was like when I got my hands on the Jenny McCarthy issue of Playboy as a youngster - just so much hype going into it. And like Tebow in the red zone during his college days, did it deliver? Not exactly.
My first Two Hearted was a monumental moment. It opened my eyes to IPA’s outside of the West Coast style. I mean, my first sip had me floored like that one time Buster Douglas lucked out against Mike Tyson. And Double Two Hearted? Nope. Not even close. Not only does this beer not floor me, I’m not even woozy with glee. It’s pretty much all sweet and bitter caramel. No real complexity. Huge disappointment.
Next!
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Man, this beer was like when I got my hands on the Jenny McCarthy issue of Playboy as a youngster - just so much hype going into it. And like Tebow in the red zone during his college days, did it deliver? Not exactly.
My first Two Hearted was a monumental moment. It opened my eyes to IPA’s outside of the West Coast style. I mean, my first sip had me floored like that one time Buster Douglas lucked out against Mike Tyson. And Double Two Hearted? Nope. Not even close. Not only does this beer not floor me, I’m not even woozy with glee. It’s pretty much all sweet and bitter caramel. No real complexity. Huge disappointment.
Next!
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3.08/5 rDev -26.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Closest beer I can think of is The Waldos Special ale from Lagunitas. This is a high-ABV old school IPA that is pretty much just caramel malt and bitter, herbal hops. Not much citrus/fruitiness in either the flavors or the aromas. Mouthfeel is soft but nothing extraordinary. Overall not the biggest fan
62/100
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Closest beer I can think of is The Waldos Special ale from Lagunitas. This is a high-ABV old school IPA that is pretty much just caramel malt and bitter, herbal hops. Not much citrus/fruitiness in either the flavors or the aromas. Mouthfeel is soft but nothing extraordinary. Overall not the biggest fan
62/100
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3.69/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Copper clear body with a large white head. Smells has plenty of pine, with very hoppy orange, lemon, pineapple, lime, and caramel malts. Taste is a a hype buster. So much hops that the finish is soapy. Malts are syrupy, there is some earth and dankness, but woah is it intense, and not in a good way. What made the orignal great was the balance, this is not balanced at all, so resinous it leans toward a barleywine but very bitter. Feel is syrupy, soapy, hoppy, and resinous. Thick and sticky especially as it warms. Not the beer it is hyped up to be, disappointing
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Copper clear body with a large white head. Smells has plenty of pine, with very hoppy orange, lemon, pineapple, lime, and caramel malts. Taste is a a hype buster. So much hops that the finish is soapy. Malts are syrupy, there is some earth and dankness, but woah is it intense, and not in a good way. What made the orignal great was the balance, this is not balanced at all, so resinous it leans toward a barleywine but very bitter. Feel is syrupy, soapy, hoppy, and resinous. Thick and sticky especially as it warms. Not the beer it is hyped up to be, disappointing
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3.85/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle, packaged 8/21/19. Pours slightly hazy amber orange with a medium creamy off white head that retains fairly well and laces the glass some.
The aroma is sweet fruity caramel malt with piney hops and a little booze.
The flavor is sweet caramel malt with fruit and a slightly harsh boozy bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, some of the good from two hearted, with a bit off a barley wine flair. A bit too harsh and boozy to be really good.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle, packaged 8/21/19. Pours slightly hazy amber orange with a medium creamy off white head that retains fairly well and laces the glass some.
The aroma is sweet fruity caramel malt with piney hops and a little booze.
The flavor is sweet caramel malt with fruit and a slightly harsh boozy bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, some of the good from two hearted, with a bit off a barley wine flair. A bit too harsh and boozy to be really good.
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3.31/5 rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Angry burnt amber, somewhat hazy, with a fluffy off-white convex dome.
Sharply resinous and oily of syrupy dank cat piss and fiery pine with a graham-like malt and an aerated boozy flavor. In the background is a note of hard orange candy.
You can't improve upon Two Hearted...especially when you basically go the route of the Planet Series.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Angry burnt amber, somewhat hazy, with a fluffy off-white convex dome.
Sharply resinous and oily of syrupy dank cat piss and fiery pine with a graham-like malt and an aerated boozy flavor. In the background is a note of hard orange candy.
You can't improve upon Two Hearted...especially when you basically go the route of the Planet Series.
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4.11/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a hazed copper-penny color with three fingers of light tan head. Spotty, soapy lacing.
Big malty aroma with resinous pine that’s a little spicy and gives a hint of earthy honey.
The taste follows fairly closely with a nice citrus addition and a dialing up of the spice. It’s big, malty and intense. Sweet up front with lingering piney bitterness.
Creamy feeling and fairly full-bodied, although not as thick as the taste might have you imagine. Moderate carbonation.
This is a sick, old-school imperial IPA that pushes up against the TIPA / American barleywine boundary. Definitely worth trying.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a hazed copper-penny color with three fingers of light tan head. Spotty, soapy lacing.
Big malty aroma with resinous pine that’s a little spicy and gives a hint of earthy honey.
The taste follows fairly closely with a nice citrus addition and a dialing up of the spice. It’s big, malty and intense. Sweet up front with lingering piney bitterness.
Creamy feeling and fairly full-bodied, although not as thick as the taste might have you imagine. Moderate carbonation.
This is a sick, old-school imperial IPA that pushes up against the TIPA / American barleywine boundary. Definitely worth trying.
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4.13/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pretty tasty. Fresh 2019 bottle poured to a tulip. Nose is piney, bready aroma. First sips are very malty, bready, followed by a hop bite that fades quickly. Very balanced from a malt to hop perspective. Slightly heavy mouthfeel, but doesn’t pass to syrupy. ABV hides, but only briefly. Two in, and I’m done for the night.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pretty tasty. Fresh 2019 bottle poured to a tulip. Nose is piney, bready aroma. First sips are very malty, bready, followed by a hop bite that fades quickly. Very balanced from a malt to hop perspective. Slightly heavy mouthfeel, but doesn’t pass to syrupy. ABV hides, but only briefly. Two in, and I’m done for the night.
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4.25/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
$18.99 for a 6'er of 12's at Family Fare. 11% ABV.
Pours out to a sparkingly clear deep rich amber (suspect filtered given all the hops and no sediment in the bottle), forming a modest off yellow head with good retention and average lacing. Carbonation is moderate, ~2.5 carbs. The nose is just like two hearted but with a bit more caramel, light raisins, and dates from the malts. Boatloads of centennial with the mango, pineapple and light spicy pine resin. The mouthfeel is syrupy, dense bodied, prickly from the hops and the alcohol. Lightly warming as it goes down. The taste is what you would expect for a double two hearted...just like two hearted but bigger with a hefty malt body. No off flavors or aromas. The bitterness remains well-balanced. The alcohol remains relatively well hidden in flavor.
This is nice. It's interesting. Is more better? That's to be decided. For the price, I don't entertain buying more and will chalk it up as a tasty experiment. I would rather drink Official than this. I'm curious if they filtered this (I HIGHLY suspect so. Their yeast is flocculant, but c'mon... considering the massive hops involved, it shouldn't be this pretty), and if so, what it would taste like unfiltered.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
$18.99 for a 6'er of 12's at Family Fare. 11% ABV.
Pours out to a sparkingly clear deep rich amber (suspect filtered given all the hops and no sediment in the bottle), forming a modest off yellow head with good retention and average lacing. Carbonation is moderate, ~2.5 carbs. The nose is just like two hearted but with a bit more caramel, light raisins, and dates from the malts. Boatloads of centennial with the mango, pineapple and light spicy pine resin. The mouthfeel is syrupy, dense bodied, prickly from the hops and the alcohol. Lightly warming as it goes down. The taste is what you would expect for a double two hearted...just like two hearted but bigger with a hefty malt body. No off flavors or aromas. The bitterness remains well-balanced. The alcohol remains relatively well hidden in flavor.
This is nice. It's interesting. Is more better? That's to be decided. For the price, I don't entertain buying more and will chalk it up as a tasty experiment. I would rather drink Official than this. I'm curious if they filtered this (I HIGHLY suspect so. Their yeast is flocculant, but c'mon... considering the massive hops involved, it shouldn't be this pretty), and if so, what it would taste like unfiltered.
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2/5 rDev -52%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Bottled 8/21/19; drank 9/8/19 @ the Yarchives.
Cloudy orange appearance.
A rough pour yielded a nice eggshell head; frothy lace.
Stale hops, baking soda, mild caramel & faint trash water notes in the nose. Yikes!
Thick, sticky mouthfeel.
Stale hops & trash water flavors up front; mild caramel & faint baking soda notes on the finish.
American barleywine trash; by far the worst beer I've ever had from a brewery I love. I hope they discontinue this one...
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look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Bottled 8/21/19; drank 9/8/19 @ the Yarchives.
Cloudy orange appearance.
A rough pour yielded a nice eggshell head; frothy lace.
Stale hops, baking soda, mild caramel & faint trash water notes in the nose. Yikes!
Thick, sticky mouthfeel.
Stale hops & trash water flavors up front; mild caramel & faint baking soda notes on the finish.
American barleywine trash; by far the worst beer I've ever had from a brewery I love. I hope they discontinue this one...
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4.19/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Darker then the NEIPAs I’ve been drinking as of late. It looks nice but the style just isn’t as pretty as the bright hazy IPAs now. Maybe that’s an unfair critique though as this is a different style. Smell I get pine and malt. I get that on the tongue too. It’s a heavy full bodied beer for sure. It hides the high alcohol well. It’s a really strong IPA, so this is impressive. I feel like the last time I had a Hopslam I felt like it was too strong. This has more balance if say. Overall I’m enjoying this but wish it came in a 4 pack instead of 6 as I might tire of it by then.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Darker then the NEIPAs I’ve been drinking as of late. It looks nice but the style just isn’t as pretty as the bright hazy IPAs now. Maybe that’s an unfair critique though as this is a different style. Smell I get pine and malt. I get that on the tongue too. It’s a heavy full bodied beer for sure. It hides the high alcohol well. It’s a really strong IPA, so this is impressive. I feel like the last time I had a Hopslam I felt like it was too strong. This has more balance if say. Overall I’m enjoying this but wish it came in a 4 pack instead of 6 as I might tire of it by then.
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3.31/5 rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Bottled August 21st 2019.
Pours a hazy gold, loads of bubble action, a firm inch of foam.
The smell is of bitter hops, alcohol, and a big bill of sweet malt. 11% abv and it sure smells like every bit of it.
Hop bitterness taste that gets overrun by the alcohol and the strong malty sweetness. I'm drinking out of a Melvin Brewing glass so I know aboot double IPAs and know what fits in my comfort zone for the style. This is an outlier for me.
Smooth thickish mouthfeel, which is fine.
Dang, this is a chore to drink. Two Hearted yes, Double Two Hearted no.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
Bottled August 21st 2019.
Pours a hazy gold, loads of bubble action, a firm inch of foam.
The smell is of bitter hops, alcohol, and a big bill of sweet malt. 11% abv and it sure smells like every bit of it.
Hop bitterness taste that gets overrun by the alcohol and the strong malty sweetness. I'm drinking out of a Melvin Brewing glass so I know aboot double IPAs and know what fits in my comfort zone for the style. This is an outlier for me.
Smooth thickish mouthfeel, which is fine.
Dang, this is a chore to drink. Two Hearted yes, Double Two Hearted no.
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4.42/5 rDev +6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours an effervescent amber with one finger of cream colored head. Below average head retention
S: Cakeyness, pineapples, fades a bit once warm, a little boozeyness late
T: Follows the nose, dryness, a touch of pine & grapefruit as well up front. Dryness, pineapple cake, piney & woody hops once warmed up. Finishes dry with a little kiss of pineapple boozeyness, grapefruitty & piney hops
MF: Fairly chewy, medium carbonation, great balance
Tons of flavor, dangerously drinkable. I was lucky enough to try the draft version a few days ago, very much the same beer, right now. Probably will hide a bottle just to see what it morphs into with some age on it
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look: 2.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours an effervescent amber with one finger of cream colored head. Below average head retention
S: Cakeyness, pineapples, fades a bit once warm, a little boozeyness late
T: Follows the nose, dryness, a touch of pine & grapefruit as well up front. Dryness, pineapple cake, piney & woody hops once warmed up. Finishes dry with a little kiss of pineapple boozeyness, grapefruitty & piney hops
MF: Fairly chewy, medium carbonation, great balance
Tons of flavor, dangerously drinkable. I was lucky enough to try the draft version a few days ago, very much the same beer, right now. Probably will hide a bottle just to see what it morphs into with some age on it
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4.61/5 rDev +10.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Got at Fareway of all places.
Deep gold color, pine notes, lots of fizz. The taste hit hard with pine and some sharp hops, with some resin hanging on for a while. The alcohol hits you towards the end of the bottle. This is a damn fine DIPA. Picture an older Hopslam formula without the honey.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Got at Fareway of all places.
Deep gold color, pine notes, lots of fizz. The taste hit hard with pine and some sharp hops, with some resin hanging on for a while. The alcohol hits you towards the end of the bottle. This is a damn fine DIPA. Picture an older Hopslam formula without the honey.
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4/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottled 8/22/19 (14 days ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 11% ABV. The beer pours bright dark honey amber in color with sticky light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin film and leaves some lacing. The aroma is strong with pine, candied citrus and slight booze. The flavor is semisweet caramel with loads of pine and citrus before a strongly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, sticky, adequately carbonated and mostly dry in the finish. Slightly boozy as it warms. Overall, very good. A touch too sweet for me. All the great things about Two Hearted are there, just in bold font.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottled 8/22/19 (14 days ago) poured into a Spiegelau IPA glass at fridge temp 11% ABV. The beer pours bright dark honey amber in color with sticky light khaki head. The head recedes to a thin film and leaves some lacing. The aroma is strong with pine, candied citrus and slight booze. The flavor is semisweet caramel with loads of pine and citrus before a strongly bitter finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, sticky, adequately carbonated and mostly dry in the finish. Slightly boozy as it warms. Overall, very good. A touch too sweet for me. All the great things about Two Hearted are there, just in bold font.
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4.07/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle. Brewed in Aug 2019 but missed exact bottling date. Poured into a pint glass
Pour: deep gold color with a hint of amber and some haze. Two finger white foamy head they leaves a cloudy surface and some lacing.
Nose: pine, citrus but pretty mellow considering it’s a DIPA. Subtle bready malt.
Taste: pretty much follows the nose but much more in your face with moderate bitterness through. Somewhat sweet finish. Reminds me a lot of a hoppier Hopslam. Plenty of bready malt balances the piney hops and bitterness. Some alcohol burn but fairly well hidden.
Mouthfeel: Rich, pillowy feel. Moderate to low carbonation, or at least that’s how it feels.
Overall: I really like this. It’s got way more punch than two hearted and a little more than Hopslam. Balanced pine/citrus, malt sweetness and bitterness. Drinks fairly easy for a big beer.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle. Brewed in Aug 2019 but missed exact bottling date. Poured into a pint glass
Pour: deep gold color with a hint of amber and some haze. Two finger white foamy head they leaves a cloudy surface and some lacing.
Nose: pine, citrus but pretty mellow considering it’s a DIPA. Subtle bready malt.
Taste: pretty much follows the nose but much more in your face with moderate bitterness through. Somewhat sweet finish. Reminds me a lot of a hoppier Hopslam. Plenty of bready malt balances the piney hops and bitterness. Some alcohol burn but fairly well hidden.
Mouthfeel: Rich, pillowy feel. Moderate to low carbonation, or at least that’s how it feels.
Overall: I really like this. It’s got way more punch than two hearted and a little more than Hopslam. Balanced pine/citrus, malt sweetness and bitterness. Drinks fairly easy for a big beer.
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3.79/5 rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottled on 8/22/19. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a deep golden with a subtle haze but still has some clarity to it; fluffy off-white head that falls leaving nice bubbly retention and solid lacing. The aromas are floral along with some citrus. Some caramel. Malts are there. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. More floral notes upfront along with some citrus in the finish. Some grapefruit, lemon and orange. Some soap. Some pine sap and resin. Solid bitterness. Strong malt backbone. It's on the sweeter side, but it's not cloying or anything like that. The hops slightly cut down on the sweetness. It finishes slightly warm along with some alcohol notes, but it's not hot or boozy. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's fluffy, slightly slick and syrupy. This one makes for a nice sipper.
This is a pretty solid brew. Very nice showcase of centennial hops. It's a big beer that drinks big. It kind of has an "old school DIPA" vibe going on, which I can appreciate. It's not really flashy, but it's simply enjoyable, well crafted and fun to drink. Not bad at all. I really do like it.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottled on 8/22/19. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a deep golden with a subtle haze but still has some clarity to it; fluffy off-white head that falls leaving nice bubbly retention and solid lacing. The aromas are floral along with some citrus. Some caramel. Malts are there. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. More floral notes upfront along with some citrus in the finish. Some grapefruit, lemon and orange. Some soap. Some pine sap and resin. Solid bitterness. Strong malt backbone. It's on the sweeter side, but it's not cloying or anything like that. The hops slightly cut down on the sweetness. It finishes slightly warm along with some alcohol notes, but it's not hot or boozy. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's fluffy, slightly slick and syrupy. This one makes for a nice sipper.
This is a pretty solid brew. Very nice showcase of centennial hops. It's a big beer that drinks big. It kind of has an "old school DIPA" vibe going on, which I can appreciate. It's not really flashy, but it's simply enjoyable, well crafted and fun to drink. Not bad at all. I really do like it.
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4.48/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A: poured clear
S: Consumed from both growler from eccentric cafe and bottle in past week.
T: Overall, good balance.
M: Mouthfeel slightly lower than expected for 11% beer, but still great.
O: Excellent beer overall. I would purchase this again and again at $18 per six pack.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A: poured clear
S: Consumed from both growler from eccentric cafe and bottle in past week.
T: Overall, good balance.
M: Mouthfeel slightly lower than expected for 11% beer, but still great.
O: Excellent beer overall. I would purchase this again and again at $18 per six pack.
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Double Two Hearted Ale from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
221 ratings
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