Customer Reviews

Tasty! Review by Sean

Rating

I really enjoy this beer. Nice flavor and simple to make. I did a yeast starter with the Wyeast 1056. Turned out great! Brewed it 3 times in a row now. Gets better every time. (Posted on 5/15/13)

Amazing beer and fast turn around Review by Matthew

Rating

I let this primary for a little over 3 weeks then kegged it. started drinking after 2 days in keg ...let me tell you this beer is awesome..I had a few popular excellent store bought beers in my fridge and after having this its hard to drink those store bought ones cause this beer just destroys them in every way..the freshness of the hops the malts all come together perfect..im amazing that i brewed this..i feel like a brew master..Be prepared to brew more cause this one will not last long..epic beer..dont hesitate to pick up this kit..trust me (Posted on 4/14/13)

Great Easy IPA Review by Corey

Rating

This is my first IPA I've made. I am a Stout/Porter/Brown Ale drinker and rarely come away from those except for an occasional Cream Ale so I'm trying to learn to appreciate the taste of hops as much as I enjoy malty brews. I brewed this up per instruction and let it ferment away. Fermented a little on the high side, but nothing crazy. Once finished, I kegged it and carbed for 5 days before sampling it. I was really confused by this brew at first. It had amazing taste (for my first IPA) but was thin like water. I had forgotton that I hadn't drank a reg non-thick beer in awhile. After drinking a few then a few more I decided I liked it. Since then everyday it has gotton better. I'm actually writing this review because I came in to order another AG kit of the stuff because I know it's going to go fast. Highly recommend the stuff, it's great.



(Posted on 4/11/13)

Best ever Review by 80over80

Rating

This is the best beer i have brewed, hands down. Friends say I should bottle this stuff and sell it (but I won't, of course).

I've made this beer two ways: 1056 starter and kegged, and US05 into bottles. The bottled version was too estery for my taste, but the 1056 batch was out of this world, and was gone in an embarrassingly short time. This is an easy first all-grain recipe, and I highly recommend it. If you try it once, you'll want more. (Posted on 2/2/13)

make a barley wine Review by mark

Rating

This is a great kit I have made it several times and its tasty. The last time I added 3 pounds dme and 1.5 bounds brown sugar and this made a great barley wine that I would say is better than sierrra nevada bigfoot (Posted on 1/19/13)

You will Brew This One Again Review by hdgypsyman

Rating

I just ordered my third kit in 2 years for this beer from Northern. My only complaint is that it just does not seem to last very long....
It's just a beer that is so good that I don't want to be out of it ever! (Posted on 12/18/12)

Tools some time.... Review by Trevor

Rating

There is a reason this kit has 5 stars! I generally sample my brews after 2 weeks in the bottle and let sit in primary and/or secondary longer than the generic recipes call for. At 2 weeks in the bottle, I wasn't a big fan. It was good, but not great. Had I rated it at that time, I would give it 3 stars. After closer to 6 weeks in the bottle, this beer has carbed up perfect, has amazing head retention, great aroma, and such a smooth flavor you can't have just one. Will be brewing this one again very soon. This also appeals to the "hop head" as well as the bud drinker. A must try! (Posted on 11/26/12)

A must for the IPA Lover Review by Brian

Rating

Outstanding recipe. Side by side with its commercial equivalent (two-hearted ale) it is very hard to tell which is which. The grapefruit/citrus aroma is very inviting, coupled by a perfect balance of bitterness that is not too overpowering but just right, ending with a definite citrus blast and crisp finish. I have received nothing but rave reviews. A definite must for the IPA lover. Brewing another batch this Friday. (Posted on 11/4/12)

Excellent First All-Grain Experience Review by Tom F.

Rating

This kit was my first attempt at an all grain beer. The results far surpassed my expectations. If you are looking for an opportunity to test the AG waters, this kit is a very, very easy one to recommend. Thank you Northern Brewer. (Posted on 10/21/12)

If this beer ever spilled I would lick it up from anywhere Review by KCole

Rating

Its that good! (Posted on 9/20/12)

Amazing Review by Nevada

Rating

This is the best ipa I have drank let alone made the hop aroma is amazingly strong but the flavor is not overpowering bitter just has good hop flaver I bought the kit with the poster and glass but now I will be brewing this as a reguler (Posted on 9/16/12)

Just plain good! Review by Beerman

Rating

Until a few months ago, I had never tried the 'real' deal but a friend on a trip brought some home. It's my kind of beer so I knew I wanted to brew it. Found all kinds of recipes on the net but settled on NB's AG recipe. They've done me well so why mess with it?
I brewed this as per instructions and fermented in a primary for exactly 3 weeks then into a keg at room temp for a week. Popped it in the kegerator and 5 days later, my first taste. ......very, very nice!
I'm expecting another bottle of the 'real deal' next week and am going to do a side by side but I don't care if it turns out not even close as this is still my kind of brew.
Definitely will brew this one again on rotation. (Posted on 8/17/12)

Great beer Review by Rick

Rating

Great IPA. It has a great malty sweetness and very well balanced with the hops. It is a little spicy in its early stages of life, but it won't make it past this weekend because I am taking the keg to a party. I won't be able to see how it ages, but IPAs are supposed to be consumed quickly. I suck at writing. If I changed anything I would add a little more dry hops to improve the hop aroma. (Posted on 8/4/12)

dead ringer Review by nchomebrew

Rating

Oh yeah, this is good beer. Very close to two hearted. Little more alcohol and hops and it would be even better. One of my staple/go to beers. (Posted on 7/25/12)

Dead On! Review by Wally

Rating

My favorite beer is one that happens to be from Michigan. I am a novice when it comes to brewing but sure nailed it with this recipe. The only problem it that I am going to have to brew again soon because the brew is about gone. (Posted on 7/7/12)

Really Great IPA Review by Jason

Rating

This was my first AG batch and it came out fantastic. The crush was perfect and I did this kit using BIAB (Brew in a Bag). The body was not too malty but enough to feel full and the hops were well balanced and kind of on the floral side. I did up the dry hop to 2oz of Centennial and 1oz of Columbus. I also added the remaining .25oz of Centennial from the kit at flameout. As a result I have a really good aroma but I think you could add another ounce to the dry hop and be fine. Overall I highly recommend this kit. It was very easy to do. (Posted on 6/9/12)

Spot on! Review by Tim

Rating

If you like the original...brew this up and put it on tap. Most clones fall short, this does not. It produced an IPA that was approchable for craft beer novices and loved by hop heads. (Posted on 5/17/12)

Keeping this on tap! Review by Hop Salad

Rating

This has been my best beer to date! My efficiency was 85% and it ended up being 8% ABV! It almost blew the top off my fermentation bucket. 10 days primary, 2 weeks secondary dry hopping, and 2 weeks force carb. Keg was gone the next day! I will definitely be brewing this again! (Posted on 4/9/12)

Amazing IPA Review by Scott

Rating

This is probably one of the best tasting kits I've ordered from NB. It really is a dead-ringer to the real deal, and a very simple grain/hop schedule for those just getting into AG. I can't keep this one around long enough and always end up wishing I had brewed more.

My only suggestion with those willing to experiment is to order additional Cent hops for dry hopping. Bump it up an Oz or Two and stagger the dry hopping across three weeks. (Posted on 3/2/12)

Excellent Beer! Review by David

Rating

This was my first all grain batch. Sampled it this weekend for the first time and this might be the best beer that's ever graced my taste buds! Had some family over this weekend and it was a huge hit. Everyone raved about how good it was. I will definitely be brewing this one again. (Posted on 1/3/12)

Excellent IPA Review by cluwood

Rating

Probably the best beer I've brewed (Posted on 12/27/11)

Just like the original... Review by Rick

Rating

Just wanted to update my review from 8/12/11...beer still tastes great, down to my last bottle and definitely going to brew another batch ASAP. Actually just tried the "original" Two Hearted Ale from Belle's...this recipe from NB is spot on...hard to tell the difference! Nice work NB! (Posted on 12/22/11)

Best IPA! Review by Brian

Rating

What can I say but, wow. Not only is the this the best homebrew I have ever made, but it is possibly one of the best IPA's I have ever had. You really need to brew this to prove to your friends how good of a beer you really can make. (Posted on 11/19/11)

great beer Review by shogun0660

I brewed the AG version a few batches ago. Unfortunately, missed the OG by about 10 points or so. So after 4-6 weeks it was pretty unbalanced in the bitter direction. Over another 4 weeks, however, it balanced out very nicely and was a fantastic IPA. Brewing it again this weekend with an additional ounce of dry hops and a touch of wheat to try and get better head formation/retention. Also, since brewing this have gotten my own grain mill, so hopefully will hit the OG. This will likely be my "house" IPA that i always have on tap. (Posted on 10/13/11)

Dorked up the Mash Review by Daniel

Rating

First time I've done an all grain int 15 years. I got a mash efficiency of 50%. The alcohol content was just gonna be too low, so I added two pounds of DME to the secondary. This is the best IPA I've had yet. Bitter, with nice malty backbone. I'm gonna try it again when I get my mash efficiencies up. Nice recipe.

Went with the Liquid yeast. This is the most active yeast I've ever seen. I'll be using more too. (Posted on 9/11/11)

A-W-E-S-O-M-E Review by Rick

This was only my second try at AG brewing...and WOW! This tastes better than most IPA's I've grown accustomed to buying at the store. Will DEFINITELY buy and brew this kit again...seriously AWESOME beer. (Posted on 8/12/11)

2nd Review Review by Lawrence

Rating

I already posted a review about 2 weeks ago but needed to add on. Yesterday I went to our Monthly Brew Club meeting where members tried, among others, my Dead Ringer Ale. The reviews were 100% positive. One member who is not an IPA fan liked it. Several people who have been brewing for years raved at how good it was. One person asked "Do you have more of this at home?". When I said yes he replied " When can we come over?". Seriously not one of the dozen people did not complement me and the beer. It is good! (Posted on 6/20/11)

Whole Heartedly A Great Recipe Review by Clonebrewer

Rating

Spot on! I added a couple more ounces of Centennial in the dry hop. (Posted on 6/17/11)

Oh My You Got To try Review by Lawrence

Rating

I had my first bottle of this today, a 5 Star for sure. I only had the Bell's 2 Heart once on tap and liked it so when I saw this kit and the great reviews I wanted to try it. Primary and Secondary were both about 10 days and it's been in the bottle 3 weeks, being an IPA I think in another 1-2 weeks it will be even better. It has got a very nice balance of hops, you know it's there but to me far from overwhelming. I am a big fan of Harpoon IPA because of this, to me it's a commercial IPA with just the right hop flavor. Try this, if you don't like it you won't have a hard time finding friends to finish it off for you. (Posted on 6/6/11)

Really, Really Good Review by hhs co

Rating

This is a pretty simple recipe....and goodness is it delicious. Too bad NB had to rename it, but I can't recommend this kit highly enough. (Posted on 5/8/11)

Hoppier than a Mo Fo Review by Eric

Rating

This beer is truely amazing. If you like American IPAs and want a really hoppy strong beer, this is it. I never write a review without having the brew in front of me. Sometimes the hops can be overwhelming but after a while, they tend to slightly wear off. I've only made this once and I dry hopped for the entire 2 weeks in the secondary fermenter. I say, brew this beer, you'll love it! Cheers! (Posted on 2/1/11)

Excellent clone Review by Jason

Rating

My go-to beer. Also tried a Two Hearted clone from a recipe I found online and this was much closer. Highly recommend. (Posted on 1/25/11)

My new fave Review by kegtoe

Rating

I did this beer as my first AG beer. I wound up missing my OG by several points so i added some extra light DME at time of boil.

I'm with a few other people as how close it was to Bell's. HOWEVER, this is without a doubt the best beer i've made yet. I have made a few AGs since this one and have refined my process to get better OGs. Also have many extracts before this but the 3HA is the best yet. Lots of floral aroma, some citisy flavors - almost grape fruit like. (Posted on 8/21/10)

great beer Review by brian

Rating

my three hearted ale spent 2 weeks in the primary, 2 weeks in secondary dry hopping, and six weeks aging in the bottle; and i am really enjoying this stuff. i love how the beer changes as it sits in the glass waiting to be consumed. it starts out a little spicy from the cent hops and gets smother closer to the bottom. dang, time for another. (Posted on 3/31/10)