Trader Joe's 2006 Vintage Ale - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

instrumentality

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Of the few Trader Joe's brand beers I've had, I don't recall one that particularly impressed me. But then, this beer was made for Trader Joe's by Unibroue. Unfortunately, for me, that isn't a point in its favor, as I've also had four different Unibroue beers and found most to be less than desirable and only one, La Fin du Monde, to be decent at best.

Then again, the main quality I disliked in all of Unibroue's offerings was the clove flavor, and this particular flavor has since begun to grow on me slightly, so I'm actually somewhat optimistic.

The print on the back of the bottle towards the bottom says "Best Before: 08-28-2009." This tells me that regardless of how I feel about this particular batch, it might be worthwhile to grab another and stick it in the cellar. In the meantime...

Bottle: 750mL with a twist-off cork.

Glassware: Stone Imperial Russian Stout tulip glass.

A: Magnificent. A very dark brown, almost indistinguishable from pitch black, and utterly opaque. This is only half of the spectacle, however - the other half of the glass is filled with a bubbly, champagne-like head that, after about ten minutes, only subsided about 30%.

S: The nose is partly phenolic (like band-aids), partly sweet (white grape juice), and vaguely like malt balls. If I were to smell it blindfolded, I would have thought it was a tripel or at least something considerably more pale.

T: The flavor is immediately characteristic of Unibroue with a substantial (but not burning) dose of clove and alcohol. This then evolves into a soothing flavor of malt balls, which in turn morphs into white grapes and champagne.

This is probably the best tasting beer I've had from Unibroue, but it still falls a little short of what I normally enjoy. The more I drink, the more the phenolic aspect seems to show up in the aftertaste, until I have the somewhat uncomfortable feeling as though I've been sucking on a band aid.

M: This beer has a bizarre mouthfeel for 9% ABV. When it first enters my mouth, the body tastes very watered down, and then suddenly a wave of clove and alcohol comes crashing in and then slips away just as quickly. I would have preferred a bit more fullness to the body in this case, but at least it's not intrusive.

D: Despite the fact that the aftertaste gets a bit funky after awhile, the actual drinking experience is pretty nice. The brew is impressively smooth, disguising the alcohol content very well, and I could easily consume the entire 750mL in about ten minutes if I weren't sitting here writing a review and trying to savor the beer's nuances.

The bottle says that aging will bring out a more complex flavor: that's all the incentive I need to buy another bottle or two and cellar them for a year or two. This beer is still relatively fresh and has already earned Unibroue more of my respect; greater complexity can only be an improvement.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2007 05:49:22 | More by instrumentality

matjack85

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

02-02-2013 23:29:26 | More by matjack85

beerpadawan

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%

08-27-2012 20:19:03 | More by beerpadawan

fatbatcat

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

07-07-2012 18:10:05 | More by fatbatcat

brandoman63

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%

11-22-2011 22:16:16 | More by brandoman63

nickd717

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Review dated 1/9/2009, from 750ml bottle.

Dont hate because its from TJs! Unlike other Trader Joes products (see Chuck, Two Buck) this is actually quite tasty and satisfying. Pours a reddish color with medium off-white head. Flavor of yeast, roasted malt, candi sugar, coriander, and some cherry. Fairly sweet and well spiced. Not bad, not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 15:56:10 | More by nickd717

womencantsail

California

2.15/5  rDev -44.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

A: The pour is dark amber/red-brown with a thin tan head forming.

S: Oh man, this is very medicinal. Smells like bandaids, sage, menthol, and anise. It's also pretty obviously oxidized. The intense herbal and medicinal thing isn't really for me...

T: It doesn't improve at all on the palate. Cough syrup with plenty of sage and eucalyptus. There's a bit of a sour apple flavor, which is weird, along with some warming alcohol and cardboard.

M: The body is medium with a pretty high carbonation and definite alcohol heat.

D: This was all sorts of no good. I wouldn't even bother with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 07:56:42 | More by womencantsail

Beerenauslese

California

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a 2006 vintage bottle that has been stored in my cellar for 3 years.

Pours a dark reddish translucent brown, with ample head that resolves into a fine layer of bubbles, leaving some lacing on the glass.

Aromas of dark malt, bread, spice, fruit.

Tastes of sweet dark malt, with milk chocolate, light coffee, coriander, and dark fruit. Very sweet at first, finishes dry with tastes of coriander and hops. It is a bit candy-ish in its sweetness, the way root beer is.

Body is light and carbonation is very pronounced, resulting in a refreshing soda-like mouthfeel.

Brewed by Unibroue, this is a class beer and has aged well, getting somewhat more mellow, but still sweet, spicy, and carbonated. This could probably cellar well for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2010 03:06:34 | More by Beerenauslese

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

looks like a coca-cola w/a bubbly tan head. aroma is molasses, dark dried fruit, and nutty. smells also a bit like cola. tastes, again, a bit like cola with warming alcohol on the end. dark malt is dominant w/spicy, fruity yeast and a drying finish. a bit red-winey as well. mouthfeel, again is kinda like a dryish cola with similar body and prickly carbonation in the mouthfeel. a sipper, and if you tried to make a belgian strong dark ale into cola, you'd have this.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 21:58:27 | More by MrMcGibblets

stpadddy

California

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Alright, I cracked this open Feb 2009. Had it with tacos. Two years on the shelf gives this beer a lot of character. When young, it had too much of a bite, too heavy. But that has been lifted with time, and this is a smooth, slightly sweet, very enjoyable bottle of dark ale. Please give this one time, and it will turn into something worthy of the wait. Don't be fooled by the $4.99 TJ's price tag (it's still Unibroue in a TJ bottle). Not much smell until you get your nares right in there, but then it hits you -- cola. And taste -- like a Coca Cola with almond liquor notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2009 04:55:31 | More by stpadddy

magictrokini

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As always, my disclaimer: I don't really like dubbels as much as other beers. With that being said, although this beer has all the markings of a dubbel, I thought it was great. Dark mahogany pour with a short tan head. Thick, and equally thick lacing. Cherries, plums, grapes, and clove in the nose. More dark fruits in the taste, lots of plums, red grapes, and cotton candy-like sugar. Malty without being super-heavy. More of a cake-batter malt taste without the weight. Nice, complex tastes that don't overpower like other dubbels.

On the side, I was under the impression that all Trader Joe's beers were Unibroue products.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2009 19:51:47 | More by magictrokini

yesyouam

New York

4.47/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Trader Joe's Vintage Ale looks dull and black, but when held to the light, it is revealed to have a raspberry-like hue. It is also revealed to be quite turbulent. The off-white head is huge and foamy and lasts forever. It has a huge, spicy, fruity aroma: apples, cherries, plums, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, sherry, maple syrup, cassis. It is tender to the mouth with a big and frothy medium body. The finish is dry. It starts sweet and syrupy with a berry flavor; the bitterness rolls in with a wooden fruitiness; the bitterness turns to spice: cinnamon, perhaps coriander and tobacco. Fruit and toasted malt sit under the whole thing. The aftertaste is faintly bitter and lingers. I'm glad I let it sit for a year-- the cork was ready to jump out!
(rated Aug 28, 2007)

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2008 06:14:31 | More by yesyouam

tpd975

Florida

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Cigar City Brew for this one.

A: Pours a nice dark brown hue with a small wispy head. Little retention with spotty lace.

S: Nice dark fruit aromas supported by yeast and light spices.

T: Bold yeasty goodness right from the start. Nice sweet dark fruit, and a touch of the spice. Rather solid brew.

M: Medium in body, smooth, with wonderful carbonation.

D: Besides 2 Buck Chuck wine add this one to your shopping list if you find yourself at Trader Joe's.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 22:54:08 | More by tpd975

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bought this back in 2006, and have been cellaring it until I opened it on 12/01/08. Huge pop when I took the cork out. Dark brown color, with an extremely large white head. I was surprised to see this much carbonation present after two years. Had to pour in two steps to avoid overflow. Used a tulip glass and a Unibroue glass. Smelled like sweet Belgian sugar. Taste was much better than I expected. Tons of flavors of ripe figs, cherries, and grapes. Excellent. Only detractor was the fizziness, which I could feel in my mouth with each sip. I thought that aging it might mellow that out a bit. Alcohol was also right up front, felt it pretty quick. A great beer to share while having a dessert of some local pastries.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 23:39:55 | More by morebeergood

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have cellared this a bit, to lose some Unibroue yeast. I guess 2.5 years is only half the objective. Despite this sour mouldy yeast characteristic of Unibroue, the beer was good, well carbonated still though little head on dark. Some sophisticated spicey taste, not overly but quite a nice one.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2008 00:58:52 | More by northyorksammy

Floydster

California

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml corked and caged bottle purchased almost a year ago at the Trader Joe's in Westchester for five dollars, split with my dad and friend tonight, best by August 2009, poured into my Rubicon snifter

A-Dark brown body, looks like a coke, some lighter tints in the light, one inch light tan head that does not last long, lots of bubbles going away quickly, not much retention or lacing
S-Belgian yeast, pineapple, coconut, honey, toffee, banana, cloves, coriander, cinnamon, mild hops, pepper, various dark fruits, and orange juice
T-Starts off with a big spicy flavor and lots of island-like fruits, which was odd but it made me wonder if this was brewed in Hawaii and not Canada, spicy and burnt through the middle, finish has some sweetness with banana and caramel, Belgian yeast becomes stronger once it warms all the way, nicely balanced overall, time has really allowed the flavors to mold together and complement one another
M-Nearly full bodied, too much carbonation, sweet and spicy mouthfeel, taste lingers nicely, fizzy effect
D-Could drink a couple glasses of this but alcohol would start to kick in, you can taste it and it is nine percent, sweetness and citrus can get heavy on the stomach too, pretty smooth overall though

Drank this before the 2007 and this was much more flavorful in my opinion, also had this fresh but preferred some age on it, have one more bottle and will hold onto it for another year or so, looking forward to drinking again, recommended

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2008 02:00:47 | More by Floydster

trackstar1043

California

3.08/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Poured a dark brown almost black, with a thick frothy head stayed around for a while.

S - Roasted aroma of nuts,, carmel, cafe, very malty a bit of spicy sting.

T - Thick and heavy with a profound burnt taste and a spicy lingering going down.

M - Heavy and creamy.

D - Not so much, every now and then to spice things up.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2008 22:25:25 | More by trackstar1043

Zraly

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Stored in a cool, dark place for over a year. Brewed for Trader Joe's by Unibroue.

Pours a dark, almost opaque, brown with an ample light tan head. Streaming with spicy, phenolic smells.

Unbelievably smooth. Rich, creamy, spicy flavors supported by a strong, but not intrusive, malt-heavy, chocolate-like backbone. The carbonation is substantial, but lends an interesting dimension to the profile. Finishes with chocolate, citrus, dried fruit, and cinnamon notes. A lingering flavor consists of dried cherries, brown sugar, and cola flavor.

A wonderful dark belgian-style ale from Unibroue, and very typical of their niche. Excellent choice for an excellent price ($4.99 for a 750 ml). A good potential partner for this is a helping of homemade black forest cake. Yum.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2008 01:09:39 | More by Zraly

Natural510

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I cracked this one open on NYE 2007-08.
It poured out of the 750ml bottle with an overabundance of carbonation, much like a Belgian it attempts to mimic. The head was very thick and did not quickly dissipate.
The color was very opaque, even after holding it to light in a clear glass I could barely make out a deep brown hue. Much like a root beer.
Unfortunately, the appearance was the best part of the brew, as it also tasted like root beer. A 9%ABV root beer...very sweet like soda and also as thin. The mouthful was okay due to the carbonation, but I couldn't finish the bottle due to the overly sweet & thin flavor.
All in all a fairly disappointing choice for New Year's, luckily I had an Optimator in the fridge as backup.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 05:59:29 | More by Natural510

MiScusi

California

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Brownish with hints of maroon, clear liquid on inspection. Thin and dissipating off-white head.

S- Lots of mustiness from Belgian yeast. Fruits dominate as well, I pick up mostly grapes.

T- Belgian yeast, some dark sweet malt, fruit... dry finish. Alcohol is noticeable especially after warming up.

M/D- A relatively light body... carbonation is a bit tingly. Overall a pretty good Belgian style beer, especially for the price of $4.99/750mL

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2007 00:07:39 | More by MiScusi

pinballwhizard

California

3.23/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Good taste, but an excessive amount of carbonation. Reportedly brewed by Canada's Unibroue in the dark Belgian ale style for Trader Joe's. If you are a fan of "belgians", then you will probably enjoy this. Everyone else should probably avoid it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2007 08:29:48 | More by pinballwhizard

Westsidethreat

California

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Super fizzy carbonation which I expect to settle down here soon. The head is made up of really large, light khaki colored bubbles. Body is a thin dark brown, reminiscent of cola.

S: Crazy smelling beer. Loaded up with coconut, banana, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, mint and molasses.

T: Starts sweet with some tripel flavors hitting the tip of the tongue. Lots of pineapple, flower nectar, mango chutney and cantaloupe. As the beer transitions across the palate, coconut and other tropical flavor can be found flitting about. At this time, that trademark Unibroue yeast comes into the picture, bringing with it floral and dry hay particulars. The “dark beer” part of this brew doesn’t really come into the picture until right about now. Almost a dirty roasted barley position moves in but really doesn’t stay too long, which is fortunate…not into “dirty” beers. Could have been the hops I suppose lending that flavor but it tasted like it was entwined in the grains. Finishes lightly roasted and long lingering tropical flavors.

M: Medium to full body and fuzzy.

D: A lot of these Unibroue beers run together, but the tropical flavors help this one stand out. Definitely enjoyable and highly quaffable. The sweetness is great but not so much that it hinders the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2007 05:00:29 | More by Westsidethreat

t0rin0

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Found this somewhat by accident as I usually make an effort to avoid over priced places like Trader Joes but I'm glad I found this stuff. I guess they're making room for the 07 version because they had 6 or 7 cases out on the end cap of the beer isle.

So its bottled in a 750 ml corked bottle and it says Unibroue on the cork. On the back of the bottle it says "This vintage ale commences with a rich head of foam..." and that is definately the first thing that I noticed. That is of course after the cork put a dent in my kitchen wall after launching at about mach 1. The foam was a nice dark color that filled most of the glass and then died rather quickly. The liquid is a nice dark red/violet color and its a bit hazy when held up to a light. The beer smells quite nice. The roasted malts are noticeable and theres a subtle fruit smell in the background.

Once the foam died a bit and the beer could be consumed, there was a nice dark chocolate / raisin / dark belgian flavor. Nice balance of the malt and the "noble European hops" that the bottle talks about. Its also got an interesting spiciness. The only reason that I gave the beer a 4.0 in taste is the alcohol burn that was present.

Now that I know better, I will go back to trader Joes and buy a few more of these bottles and try them after they've had more time to age.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2007 07:02:22 | More by t0rin0

aquaderek

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured this beer into a Michael Jackson, Beer Hunter Snifter glass. It poured a dark raisin type color with 3 inches of head that settled down to about 1 inch. The nose sweet, think fig newtons and cherry coke, some christmas spices like ginger and nutmeg. The taste is balanced, but not what I expected, sweet and incredibly drinkable considering the 9% abv, I find it almost refreshing. Maybe I am serving it a little too cold...

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2007 03:40:44 | More by aquaderek

srandycarter

California

3.28/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into tulip.

A - Pours dark, cola color. Large, off white head last pretty long. Lacing pretty stubborn and persists throughout glass.

S - Again, with the cola, sweet malt, some vanilla notes and candy.

T - Ok, this is the cola of beer! Very carbonated, cola and candy.

M - Too carbonated. Doesn't have huge mouthfeel. Not much balance in the end.

D - Not my favorite. Interesting, but one is enough for the year.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2007 04:50:16 | More by srandycarter