Is Bell's Two Hearted Ale the Best U.S. Beer?

Regional wrote:

No, just no wrote:

Not even close. The beer game has evolved rapidly and brewers all over are doing far more creative and tastier stuff all over the country. Bell‘s is an upgrade from run of the mill beer for sure, but the leaders are:

Weldwerks, Imprint, Trillium, Tree House, Other Half, Firestone Walker, The Veil, Mikerphone, Moksa, American Solera, Southern Grist and many more.

A lot of this is going to be regional. I am in MN and I have never seen any of those breweries you mentioned.

Messed up the quote on the last post.

Firestone definitely distributes to MN. But you guys have surely so you’re all set. They’ve been killing it for awhile.

I'll have to look for them. Surly is great, but I actually prefer some of the other breweries here anyway. I mean honestly theres so many good beers these days its hard to say one rises above the others.

Mikellar and Evil Twin are both great. Too bad those brothers cannot get together and make one line of beers. Both are great gypsy brewers.

Allagash

Surly

Green Flash

Twin Brothers

Jai Alai

Cigar City

St. Arnold

Harpoon

Ommegang

Texas Ale Project

Rahr Brothers

Regional wrote:

No, just no wrote:

Not even close. The beer game has evolved rapidly and brewers all over are doing far more creative and tastier stuff all over the country. Bell‘s is an upgrade from run of the mill beer for sure, but the leaders are:

Weldwerks, Imprint, Trillium, Tree House, Other Half, Firestone Walker, The Veil, Mikerphone, Moksa, American Solera, Southern Grist and many more.

A lot of this is going to be regional. I am in MN and I have never seen any of those breweries you mentioned.

Hah, well then if you haven’t heard of those I’m not sure what to say. I‘ve got breweries on there in MA, TN, NY, IL, CA, OK, PA, IL, VA, and CO, so I wouldn‘t call it regional! Perhaps you‘ve just stayed local, but there is great stuff around the country.

You can't get it, but WeldWerks's Juicy Bits is better.

The Bells Two Hearted Ale is good and Oberon a good summer drink. Hopslam is too hoppy but at 10oz or a flight glass (4-5oz) is good.

Bell's is "big" micro beer like New Belgium Elysian Fields and Avery.

If you want to do the ice fishing up north and cold weather sipper thing try to find the Victory Black Forest Cake Stout w/Cherry. Victory is also "big micro" out of PA and this stout is a fascinating beer. Even better in a belgian glass. It had a reddish tint in that copper top.

There are also many local breweries to choose from in my neck of the woods but of those many maybe only three or four that are legit.

Great local craft in Denver/Boulder area.

- Gravity Brewing - big hitting delicious beers (very underrated)

- New Image - fruit and sour specialty (also underrated)

- Cerebral - flights in 150ml beakers

- Crooked Stave - sour and finesse

- Bruz (Belgian)

- Odd13 - awesome place in a run down part of town

- Weldwerks

- Funkwerks

Lucky Pie in Lodo and Louisville are excellent middlemen. Best pizza when they dont burn it! Romero's in Lafayette is also decent for its heavily involved selection.

Avery is a bigger micro company with good beer but that is no surprise.

Oh yeah and anytime Cerebral comes out with a blue or green beer it is awesome.

.InjuryProne. wrote:

New England breweries have had the IPA game on lock for the last 5+ years hence why every brewery is making New England style IPAs...I got into craft just as the heavy hitters were taking off in NE. Hill Farmstead / Trillium / Treehouse/ alchemist

It’s really difficult to beat those 4 in terms of IPAs but there are small breweries all over the country now capable of making quality beers.

My girlfriend's family is big on beer so I've had the luck of being able to try a ton of really good NE IPAs.

Two summers ago was probably the best -- on a weekend to the Cape where her aunt and uncle live, the fridge was stocked with Treehouse -- I got to try Julius and Doppelganger which were fantastic. Couple weeks later, at her house, fridge was stocked with Heady Topper... also very good. Doppelganger was my favorite out of those three.

I also tried an unknown Trillium out of a growler at a wedding last summer (also their family) which was great too.

Two Hearted is my wife's Go-To as well as a few of my friends. I like it as well. I prefer to try new stuff. Particularly local breweries wherever I travel. I like the Southern Tier beers including Nu Juice and 2X and Live session

Sixpoint Brewing Bengali and Resin are both excellent.

Resin is 9.x. Bring a driver.

Redneck from rural Indiana wrote:

Y'all fancy hipster boys with your pretty little drinks. Real men drink good ol American Budweiser.

That’s not a beer. That’s an abomination. ?

Yeaaauuuup wrote:

The Bells Two Hearted Ale is good and Oberon a good summer drink. Hopslam is too hoppy but at 10oz or a flight glass (4-5oz) is good.

Bell's is "big" micro beer like New Belgium Elysian Fields and Avery.

If you want to do the ice fishing up north and cold weather sipper thing try to find the Victory Black Forest Cake Stout w/Cherry. Victory is also "big micro" out of PA and this stout is a fascinating beer. Even better in a belgian glass. It had a reddish tint in that copper top.

There are also many local breweries to choose from in my neck of the woods but of those many maybe only three or four that are legit.

I personally think Bells Hopslam is the best beer I’ve had. It’s a double IPA that’s hoppy but with serious malt that balances so not bitter.

This is a great thread and underscores the wide variety of great beers now available, but at the end of the day taste and preferences are subjective. Depends on what you like.