Two Brothers Heavy Handed India Pale Ale

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Warrenville, Illinois USA

Draught at Capone’s: Aroma of floral hops, pine, and grapefruit. Poured amber in color with a small, dense, off-white head that lasted throughout. Good lacing. Medium to heavily bitter flavor. Tastes of hops, pine, spruce, light pineapple, resin, and grapefruit. Light to medium body. Thin texture. Average carbonation. Hoppy thin finish.

Hello IPA, how are you today? Yes, I know, I know, I’m on record as not liking your type. Can we get past that and form a friendship? Well, perhaps. What are you going to give me? Are you the typical IPA, all lip and no substance? Can you give me more than a bold whiff of fruit? Clearly you have the orange aroma thing. But what does your dark amber color hold for my tongue? The fact is that, if I’m right--and I think I am--you’ll suggest that you have some complexity, perhaps a taste of sweet malts (if only you were a double IPA!) but you’ll continue to be your uninspiring IPA self. I’m sorry, it’s just not going to work out. It doesn’t matter how hard I want to try, or how nice you try to be with a tempered finish. At the end of the day I just don’t understand your type. You can’t make love happen like that. There’s no flicker between us, so we’ll have to part and look for other partners. It’s not about you, it’s about me. O.k.? Let’s just be friends.

Really off the beaten path for an IPA. Complex in a really good way. Sort of treading water between the APA and IPA realms, regardless I thought it rocked out. Fresh citrus aroma, I can sense the fresh whole hop flowers that went into this beer. Heavy malt nose to boot. Thick, dark copper in color with a lasting, creamy looking tan head and tons of lacing. Creamy and bitter with a full body. Smooth, very malty and rather thick. Not your typical flavor per style, this one seems to play more for the malt with the fresh hops contributing just enough to do their part. Biscuits, nuts, and toffee. A touch of brown sugar and honey. Grainy and a bit grassy with a subtle yet sharp hop flavor of pine and citrus. Spicy tea and vanilla bean. Yeah this is a good beer experience.

12 oz bottle. Hazy dark gold with no head. Sweet, aromatic, slightly hoppy nose with some chocolate notes. Taste is sweet, fruity and a bit alcoholly upfront, with a nice hop/malt balance throughout. Easy drinking beer that reminds me of St Arnold Elissa. Well done.

[Bottle] Pours clear caramel/amber with a small beige head. Great aroma of citric and floral hops, touch of alcohol, and a bit of grapefruit. Flavor is a hoppy front that quickly fades to a strange metallic/blood flavored finish.

Thanks 17thfloor! Pours a golden orange color with a lingering off-white head. Aroma is surprisingly sweet for the amount of hops. A heavy sugar nose and slightly fruity with pineapple. Flavor starts out sweet and caramel malty with a lot of sugar. The hops come quickly then and create a lasting bitterness. Nice pine hop oil quality that lingers. Medium body. Nice all around but a little too sweet then a little too bitter without a solid meshing.

Sample from a 12oz bottle. Pours amber with a 1/2 inch head. Aroma is malty with a decent hop balance. Flavor is hop up front with some malt to balance it out, but not much else going on. Finish is a bit thinner than expected. The only other brew I’ve had from them is Cane & Ebel, which is probably responsible for me expecting more out of this one. Pretty average.

Golden pour with some head. Aroma is a bit fruity. Flavor is slightly bitter, finishes dry. Bitter, but not too bitter. It’s a decent IPA. 10/2/2009: 2009 bottle. Pretty good ipa. NIce hop blend, light caramel malt. Good hop flavor and very clean finish.