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As I mentioned in my previous post, we’re out with a coworker who is in town for the week. We went out to Medici in Normal to grab a couple of beers and catch up. I was looking for something to add to this list and my coworker said she was looking for something “hardy.” So, I recommended New Holland’s Charkoota Rye Smoked Dopplebock, which I had there just last week. All agreed that it was like a BBQ rack of ribs in a glass. While everyone was trying it and talking about it, I sipped on my Heavy Handed IPA from Two Brothers.
It was a dark copper color and was fairly hazy. There was a thin foamy ring around the top of the glass and almost no head. The aroma was lightly floral and a little citrusy.
The body was medium and it was slightly crisp from carbonation in it. I was struck by the slightly fruity sweetness I noticed up front, with some lemony and floral flavors. There were some floral and citrusy hop flavors that came through in the finish and aftertaste. However, it was a fairly balanced IPA, tipping only a little toward the hoppy side.
I’d definitely pair this with a nice burger or other bar food. It was light enough that it would help to wash down some good greasy food, yet it had some flavor to add.
I think I was expecting a bit more of a hop bomb with a name like Heavy Handed. I’m not sure of the ABV, but there wasn’t much of anything that seemed “Heavy Handed” about it. It was fairly balanced and nothing too bold about it. Perhaps it was the combination of this beer following a pretty good Raging Bitch, and my expectation that this too was going to be pretty hoppy, but I only found this beer to be so-so.
My Rating: 
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