Big Hearted IPA

Review Date 9/10/2024 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Imperial IPA   Brewery: Bell's   Country: USA   State: Michigan   $ Per OZ: $.15 (B)   ABV: 9.5%

I picked up a can of Bell’s Big Hearted IPA, an Imperial IPA mind you, and immediately wondered what was the difference between this beer and Bell’s Double Two Hearted? Imperial IPA and Double IPA are pretty much the same thing, though there are differences between these two Bell’s beers.

For some breweries, their Double IPA will be stronger than their Imperial IPA, for others it is vice versa. In Bell’s case, the Double is the stronger of the two at 11% by volume. Double Two Hearted is, like Two Hearted Ale, brewed with Centennial hops, but Bell’s does not say on their website what they use for Big Hearted. What they do say is:

Big Hearted IPA is an Imperial IPA featuring citrus, and berry hop aromas with slight bitterness. We have been very intentional about honoring the Two Hearted IPA legacy when creating Big Hearted and it was imperative that these new “Hearted” beers would sit alongside our iconic Two Hearted IPA and be equally enjoyed for their perfected flavor profiles. Growing the Two Hearted brand family has been a long-term goal at Bell’s, and we couldn’t be more excited to share Big Hearted with our IPA fans and expand upon Two Hearted’s longstanding heritage.

That said, I found my can of Big Hearted IPA to be quite different from the other beers in the Two Hearted Line.

Bell’s Big Hearted IPA has an alcohol content of 9.5% by volume and apparently Bell’s uses cane sugar to bring up the strength. I paid $2.99 for my 12-ounce can from Half Time Beverage. Total Wine sells it for $10.99 a six-pack in Lexington Green, Kentucky and $3.49 in a 19.2 ounce can in Greenwood, Indiana. My can was stamped BBD 23JUN24 on the bottom. I drank it on September 5^th, a bit past that date, but I think this one could go longer with no ill effect.

Bell’s Big Hearted IPA pours to a bright orange color with a thick head of rocky foam and a nose of rich candy malt and earthy hops. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body up front, perhaps a bit more than that. It’s sticky and rich on the palate with caramel malt and blackberry and dry earthy herbal hops into the long dry bitter finish.

This was a very tasty beer indeed, and the price is right to boot. I think I prefer Double Two Hearted, but that said Big Hearted is a big winner in my book.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??