Trader Joe's Vienna Style Lager - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

david18

New York

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A new Trader Joes opened up in my neighborhood on 72nd Street on Broadway on Manhattan's upper west side. I had heard a lot of good things about their beers. They seem to have a number of brands: The basic "made in mexico" brand. The Mission Street, which is a collaboration with Firestone Walker. And the "german" series, which this is part of.

I got a bunch of the German Style beers and assumed that the Vienna lager, i.e. Corona, Dos Equis, would be mundane and uninteresting. I was looking forward, however, to the Pilsner. The opposite is what happened. I loved the Vienna. Very good color, flavor, aroma and balance. Very good and I'll have it again. The pilsner, however, is not so great.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 21:37:41 | More by david18

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a transparent copper brown color, with a small off-white head. The head does not retain well, and there is no evidence of lacing on the glass.

Smell: Delicate sugary caramel, crystal malt.

Taste: Quite malty compared to what I was expecting. Caramel sugar up front, toasted malt throughout. No real hop presence to speak of.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation, but still retains a bit of a crisp character. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: Not a bad brew to sip and relax, without having much complexity to think about here.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 06:08:23 | More by KickInTheChalice

hmk22

New York

3.78/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pretty good beer...a little light in the mouthfeel department, but a decent hop profile without the malty syrupyness I sometimes find in so-called "Vienna"-style beers. I think Trader Joe's does a much better job than Costco with their in-house brand beer (although I have not tried all of TJ's offerings)...I think it's great that mass-market retailers are finally trying to make beers like Vienna. The price is good, too, and TJ's is a good shopping experience (with no Whole Foods attitude).

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2010 01:14:58 | More by hmk22

SShelly

California

3.6/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours moderate amber with thin white head.

Aroma is grainy and sweet, nothing special.

Flavor is a nice blend of sweet malt and light biscuit, better than average. Leaves a nice sweet malt character in the mouth.

Refreshing but a little underattenuated and thick, nit a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 17:43:26 | More by SShelly

Bfarr

Washington

2.3/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Little red amber with big tan foamy head with okay retention and uneven lacing. Light hop aroma and what reminded me of an adjunct lager. Smokey hop balance that muddies the waters until their is nothing but a generic beer flavor by the end. High carbonation with a mouthcoating numbness and slighly tacky feel.

There's just not much to say. It really wasn't anything in the way of interesting. oh well...

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2010 23:32:09 | More by Bfarr

Mosstrooper

California

3.18/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz bottle into 16oz Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Appearance: Light caramel in color with a fairly large off-white head that dissipates somewhat quickly and leaves behind a small amount of lace.

Smell: Smells similar to a malty pilsner.

Taste: Begins with sweet grain flavors, finishing with a buttery flavor.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with sharp carbonation up front that rounds out and a crisp finish.

Drinkability: This is a decent representation of its style, though even Sam Adams Boston Lager is better. Still, this is vey cheap and cheaper than even BMC beers (at least here in NYC) so is definitely something worth buying, even more than once.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 23:00:08 | More by Mosstrooper

IntriqKen

California

4.3/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a crystal clear, copper amber color with a cream colored 2 finger head that melted quickly to a mere ring in my glass.

Clean aroma of lightly roasted malts and a mild citrus from the hops. Diacetyl is present at the end as a light buttery aroma.

Mouthfeel is thick with tons of tiny bubbles.

Taste is a really nice balance of what appears to be Munich and Pilsner malts making it taste much lighter than it looks. Citrus hops are present from beginning to end making this a very refreshing Lager.

This is really light and wonderful with a nice drying and only a mild citrus aftertaste. I could definitely drink these all day and will be buying more...especially at under $6 a 6'r at Trader Joe's.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 22:38:45 | More by IntriqKen

ruckus232

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 Ounce brown bottle poured into a mug

Appearance: Clear amber color with a decent amount of off-white head that diminishes quickly.

Smell: Sweet caramel malty scent with a little bit of a bake bread smell as well.

Taste: Starts out with a nice sweetness that leads into a slight bitterness. Nothing outstanding but still pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2010 20:14:00 | More by ruckus232

CBlack85

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass

This beer pours a clear copper/amber color with a tall off white/tannish head. Good head retention that turns into just a small ring around the top of the beer, virtually no lacing to speak of.

Quite weak in the aroma dept., but there are some light grainy malt and caramel scents. I also get some bready notes. While the nose is weak overall, it is clean and appealing.

Biscuity and bready with some sweet caramel malt, the flavor is crisp, clean and light. A slight hint of floral hops lends a little bit of bitterness to this fairly well balanced beer. Medium/light bodied and well carbonated, this is really a nice light lager that is very easy to drink. Unfortunately, I think it falls short of what a good Vienna Lager should be, but it is a decent, enjoyable lighter beer

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2010 12:42:00 | More by CBlack85

BigIrishman

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear light brown with hints of gold around the edges, an offwhite soapy head on top leaves a bit of lace.

Smell: Mmmm malty. There is a dominant caramel smell that is mixed in with a a bit of a hoppy undertone.

Taste: Caramel and a slight toffee flavor mix with nice hints of hops and sweet austrian malt. Overall nicely balanced and goes down smooth without being overly sweet or tasteless.

Mouthfeel: A slight bit creamy but fairly light bodied.

Drinkability: A nice example of a great style. I could easily drink this all day long as it goes down real smooth and has a bit better of a flavor profile than many of the Mexican versions. Add to that the $6 price tag and this one looks like a winner.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 23:47:02 | More by BigIrishman

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Copper-amber with plenty of creamy foam. Pretty transluscent. A well-bodied beer.

Smell: Some biscuit and caramel malts. A nice sweet smell. Not much else here to speak of.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Again, nice biscuit and caramel malts. I don't detect much or any spiced hoppiness, but there is a bit of hop bitterness. A good creamy finish.

Drinkability: The root beer of lagers.

Overall: Thumbs up to Trader Joe's here. A well-than-above-average brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 16:40:16 | More by tjsdomer2

Redrover

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle poured into my SA perfect pint glass. The beer is amber with a fluffy tan head. Not much in the way of lace.

The beer has an aroma of caramel malts and some grassy hops.

The taste is slightly sweet with a bit of nuttiness in the finish. Given that Vienna Lagers make me think of Sam Adams, this one is less hoppy but does have that nice malt base. Beer stays consistent in flavor as you work through the glass.

The mouth has a decent heft for the style and I think it is pretty easy to drink. Would go great with Oriental chicken wings, pork chops and/or corn on the cob.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2010 00:03:58 | More by Redrover

punkindrublic50

New York

3.3/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Probably my go-to cheap beer for entertaining non-beer geeks, or for bringing to a housewarming or a bbq. First off let me be very clear - this does not compare to any of the drinkable beers in the craft beer movement, it is merely a step up from your typical budweiser/coors/etc. People associate Trader Joe's with being fairly healthy and quirky, so they aren't as reluctant to give it a whirl. The beer itself uses sweeter malts so it is good for female company, but don't expect much in the way of hops or depth of flavor. Its main highlights are its smoothness and acceptence by non-craft beer drinkers.

Oh and the most important part - the price. In Manhattan a six pack goes for $1-2 less than a sixer of bud light.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2010 14:57:24 | More by punkindrublic50

HappyHourHero

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Short, off-white head doesn't last very long. Transparent, amber colored beer holds a few streams of slowly rising bubbles. Mild aroma of spicy noble hops. Faint malt flavor up front. Crisp carbonation washes it away making for a mild bittnerness goes well with the dry finish. Although the abv is low there is just a hint of warming alcohol. Overall a crisp, clean, malty beer that goes down quite easily for a 5.7% beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 02:19:34 | More by HappyHourHero

magnj

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A - Perfectly clear amber body, 1 finger head falls quickly leaving no lacing, few bubbles.

S - Malty, mildly caramel, lightly toasty. Really pleasant.

T - Malt forward obviously, subtly sweet. Just like the smell it's somewhat toasty, somewhat caramel. Flavor lingers (good), occasional metallic aftertaste but otherwise super clean.

M/D - A little sticky but the body is still thin and it feels appropriate for the style. Very easy to drink and not light on the ABV.

I really like this , especially for the price.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 23:16:54 | More by magnj

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A Vienna style lager from Trader Joe's. The beer pours clean amber color with an inch of head. The foam disappeared quickly, though. The aroma is pure malt. A pleasant and inviting aroma. The beer flows smooth and with a medium body. A big blast of malty goodness on the palate. Not sweet, just malty. The finish is quick with just enough hops to balance. Drinkable and enjoyable.

This is the best beer from Trader Joe's that I have tried. For the price you can't go wrong here.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 02:27:06 | More by BeardedBoffin

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Looks like a lager, a little more color to it, unlike an American adjunct type. No noticeable aroma other than "beer" if you know what I mean.

Taste, a faint sweet yeast strain I'm guessing, little hop character. Probably a better summer beer. Not bad, just a polite, mild beer.

Mouthfeel, remains constant, doesn't develop any nuances throughout. Gets some drinkability props for being cheap.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 20:25:05 | More by Beerandraiderfan

pasdachuri

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark copper with a decent foamy white head retention.

Smells of sweet malts with a touch of floral hops. Typical Vienna malt scent.

Taste is mostly caramel and toasted flavors. Becomes a little sweet then finishes nicely with a slight bitterness.

Medium body. The carbonation level is just about right, and really brings out the hops.

Great session beer, not terribly special, but very well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 20:18:26 | More by pasdachuri

illidurit

California

3.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass. Clear amber color with a fading white head. Aroma is sweet toasted grains and toffee, with a whisper of bubblegum and red fruit with warmth. Toasty grainy flavor, seems pretty similar to an authentic Vienna lager but without the earthy hops. Sweet and a little sticky for a low gravity lager. Could stand to be crisper. Medium/light body with ample carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2010 09:53:38 | More by illidurit

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Single bottle poured into a tumbler. While the bottle had a batch number on it, I couldn't interpret it to guess at a date for this beer.

Appearance: Slight tan head that died down to form a thin film of foam across the top of the beer as I drank it down. Nice orange-amber color. Lacing was minimal, but I observed some towards the bottom of the glass.

Smell: Strong malt smell, maybe a hint of honey. Pleasantly "beery" comes to mind.

Taste: Malt up front, then some hop bitterness in the middle, and finally a combined malt/bitter finish. The aftertaste in the mouth is a little bit biscuit-like. When colder I got some honey flavors at the beginning of drinking it, but that went away as it warmed up.

Mouthfeel: Some carbonation on the tongue, but not a lot. Pleasantly coating on the way down and just thick enough to not be watery. Otherwise nothing special.

Drinkability: Went excellent with a meal - in this case a pork BBQ sandwich and fries. Could have another if I was having a big meal.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2010 23:42:21 | More by damndirtyape

redjameskidd

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I was really pleasantly surprised by this one. I had mostly written the Trader Joe beers off as not worth serious consideration, but this is definitely the best one I've had so far. I have a feeling that a beer like this will receive unfair judgement, given its source, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

A: Orangey-gold, like a glass full of orange blossom honey.

S: Crispy malt and a little german eurolager.

T: Just what you'd want from a Vienna lager. Bready, toasty malt, barely perceptible hops. Tasty.

D: Honestly, I could drink these all night, and they're probably no more than 5.99 per six pack. Could get dangerous.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 03:53:50 | More by redjameskidd

tjwarren

Ohio

4/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

This beer is right up my alley. Glad I tried it.

A - Nice dark amber. Probably my personal favorite color for a beer.

S - I got some caramel and breads didn't really reveal the hops, although smell is not my strong suit.

T - Very malty, very tasty. I was surprised how good it was and how balanced the hop finish was. It was so balanced. Not being a hop head I do enjoy a beer with some hops but doesn't taste like I am drinking pine cones.

M - Nothing special. Did not add or distract. Just a regular lager thing.

D - Good year round beer. Could not think of a time where this would be inappropriate. Perfect amount of alcohol to drink just one or linger over a couple through an afternoon or evening.

An above average lager with good taste and a great price tag of $5.99. Will return.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2009 15:09:08 | More by tjwarren

hossua34

California

3.63/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

A - Generic, medium brown-red. Clear. Seems to have a problem holding carbonation; the pour is very fizzy and produces a decent head, but it disappears right away leaving the beer looking flat. Also not much lacing.

S - Light, sticky-sweet smell of grains and honey. Molasses and cracker or bread notes. Very pleasant.

T - Taste is much like the smell. Crisp, bready and malty. Has a solid sweetness to it. An oaky, buttery taste hiding in the background. Not much hoppiness. There is a bitter aftertaste, but it is something wierd rather than hoppy. Actually the aftertaste is pretty unpleasant - it tastes synthetic.

M - Big mouthfeel issues with this brew. The carbonation issue I noted earlier is especially apparent in the thin, watery feel this beer has.

D - Far from perfect, but for the price ($5.99 for a six pack of bottles) I am not complaining. The kind of nasty aftertaste fades away quickly, and becomes less noticable as a bottle goes on. Not bad, not good - I might buy it again just for the price, and because I really like Vienna Lagers.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2009 00:53:20 | More by hossua34

Cyberkedi

Georgia

2.93/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear dark amber, rather typical but still appealing, with a fairly thick and persistent off-white head. Aroma is malty but not strong, nothing special but not bad either. Flavor is malty and has just a hint of fruit and a touch of caramel. Texture is fizzy and tingly. Overall, not too shabby.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2009 03:33:07 | More by Cyberkedi

mralphabet

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Light amber in color, very little head and no lacing.

S: Rich sweet malt maybe a little toasted.... slight peat moss smelling hops.

T: Very sweet malty with a very slight bitterness.... pretty plain Vienna Lager.. not bad at all...

M: Medium-light body with low carbonation. Very smooth aind easy going down... gets better as it warms.

D: It is a pretty average Vienna Lager and goes down very easy you could drink lots of these.

Hey it is worth a try and for the price it is a pretty good deal.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2009 01:32:48 | More by mralphabet