Trader Joe's 2011 Vintage Ale - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a finger of frothy tan-khaki head. Fades very slowly.

S - Dark caramel malts, raisin, plums, and other dark fruits, Belgian yeast, clove, pepper, other spices, a touch of sourness, and a touch of booze.

T - Dark caramel malts with raisin, plum, dates, and other dark fruits, Belgian yeast, clove, pepper, and other spices, a bit of residual sugars, a touch of sourness, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Nice BSDA. Good Belgian character and spices.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:48:51 | More by ngeunit1

yamar68

Minnesota

3.99/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The most stubborn cork I have ever encountered. After struggling with my hands, then a plain corkscrew, and finally a wine opener, I sliced the print of my right thumb clean off. Lots of blood... we're off to a great start.

Very dark stuff. Muddy brown without much clarity to speak of. A swelling khaki head fills the glass and then some. Lacing is loose but consistent.

Intriguing... loads of soft pale fruits, sour yeast, some cola aromas, smooth and sweet, approachable, tame.

Fresh grape, more cola presence, frothy carbonation makes for an exciting presentation of flavors, sweet grain, it finishes pretty damn clean and rather wet. I can totally dig this.

That said - my thumb is now wrapped in gauze and electric tape... it's stinging pretty good, luckily I've already had a few but this is going to be a treat to wake up to.

Before you buy this, get some good gloves. Maybe chainmail.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 07:00:13 | More by yamar68

brentk56

North Carolina

3.21/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown color with ruby highlights; an inch of tan does an adequate job of leaving a smattering of lace

Smell: Molasses, prune, charred black bread and cloves

Taste: Burnt brown sugar and prune flavors, up front, but there is an excess of clove and sour off-flavors, in the middle; the sourness dominates the finish, as well

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: In order to make the price point, I suspect Unibroue makes some compromises with the ingredients, particularly the malts; this beer strikes me as not having the body or the robust complexity of even a mid-tier BSDA

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 23:12:03 | More by brentk56

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.44/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

I had this stored in my basement for over a year, thought I would take it out and give it a try. Poured from a 750 ml bottle, into a snifter. Poured a amber color, produced a tannish head, decent retention and it left some lacing on the glass. The Aroma consisted of roasted malt, sweet caramel and prunes. Full bodied, this Belgian Strong Dark Ale the base consisted of roasted malt, caramel and some wine like fruitiness, most likely from the yeast. Overall, it was decent, it under preformed my expectations, but maybe my expectations were to high. Unibroue brewed this ale for Trader Joe's and thus far everything i have sampled from Unibroqe has been outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 18:23:13 | More by GossageBrewery

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.89/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2011 vintage. Poured from a 750 ml cork n cage bottle into a Pipeworks snifter.

A- pours a dark brown with a 3" tan head. Some small bubbles speckle the glass with a thin ring of lacing.

S- dark fruits, some pepper, some clove and some other spice I can't pick out.

T- amber malts, dark fruits, clove and spices, some bread, and Belgian yeast.

M- medium body and med/high carbonation. Slick at first with a crisp and slightly dry finish.

O- loudest cork for a beer I have ever heard! Pretty good beer, but nothing I would rush to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 03:41:45 | More by kawilliams81

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Reddy-brown-black with a light tan head, thin ring of retention, very little lace.

S: Peppery spice, a bit phenolic, dark fruit, jaggery.

T: Raisins, dates, figs, pepper, jaggery, candied mango, curacao orange rind, cola, good bitterness, slight alcohol warmth.

M: Well-attenuated, moderate body has a crisp finish.

O: Good overall brew, probably a bit better than what the score adds up to...

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:55:50 | More by Derek

ndepriest

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into a snifter.

It's pours pretty dark, but there's some light around the edges. Tons of carbonation.

The smell is dark fruit and yeast with a mild sweetness. The taste is similar to the smell. Lots of dark fruit, and the yeast gives it that distinct Unibroue taste. The carbonation is very present in the mouthfeel. It's a bit distracting and odd that it's still so carbonated after 1+ year of age.

Overall, not bad, especially for the price. I have a couple of others bottle that I'll hang onto for a while longer to see how they turn out. For what a bargain it is, I recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 16:55:39 | More by ndepriest

Murrhey

Montana

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle in my house in Orange, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Finger width khaki head. Little retention.

S- Hoppy and sweet. Has nice notes all the way. Dark fruits.

T- Dark fruits and burnt sugar. Crazy tastes. Has alcohol to contend with.

M- Very heavy and almost soda like carbonation.

O- Might want to buy and age again. Not great for me now though.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:59:43 | More by Murrhey

Tinfang

California

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a short wide-mouth glass, cooled to 52 degrees. Best by 6 july 2016. Cork came out with a dramatic POP.

A: dark ruby with a creamy half-inch head that dissipated not too quickly. No lacing.

S: a bit of malt and definitely spices. Smell was fairly predictive of taste.

M: substantial but not thick. Left a bit of a coat in the mouth.

T: nice spice profile that lingers. Ginger, coriander, clove. Unmistakeable Unibroue funk. Slight aftertaste of bark, not pleasant.

I bought three cases of this for cellaring. Can't find my tasting notes from the bottles when fresh, but it seems to be aging just about as one would expect i.e. plenty of character with the individual spice notes more unified. Nothing about this ale struck me as an increase in complexity with time.

Very good for the price, and merits a try, but there's no free lunch. I drink a lot of Unibroue products and they are among my favorites. There's a wee something lacking in this recipe (one less spice? No fresh yeast? A step omitted from the brewing process?) that prevents me from having an immediate "Delicious!" reaction. I also found two bad bottles out of the first dozen I've opened, one of which was undrinkable. That's never ever been the case with anything else from that brewery.

Next scheduled sampling in November.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 20:17:14 | More by Tinfang

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into goblet. Purchased at my first Trader Joe's in Ann Arbor MI.

A- Almost completely opaque dark brown pour with red highlights around the edges, Finger width off white head that quickly drops to a thin cap. Lacing is decent.

S- Super typical Unibroue dark aromas. Dark stone fruits, bananas, cloves, slight apple and spicy yeast. This is identical to the other dark Unibroue beers and I like it.

T- Bananas, dark stone fruits, apple juice, slight grape, bananas, cloves, a touch of cinnamon and a nice yeast taste is in all Unibroue beers.

M- Lighter side of medium bodied, great carbonation.

O- I really like Unibroue, they truly do their beers very well. I enjoyed this one equally as much.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 22:40:05 | More by korguy123

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Trader Joe’s 2011 Vintage Ale opens with a nose that makes immediately apparent the beer’s Unibroue brewing, containing that special funkiness that comes from Unibroue’s yeast, which lends the beer a part-Belgian, part-near-Flemish overtone, being ripe with bananas and cloves, but also sour notes, like fermented apple cider. Apart from the yeast aromas, which seem to take up the majority of the nose, the beer does feature thick molasses notes, crusty brown breads, and a few fruit esters, such as plum, fig, and white grape. Touches of grapefruit citrus rim the edges, as well as a peppery spice. As a whole, the nose is certainly intriguing, and comes across as very Christmasy in some ways, like alcoholic fruitcake. The strange spice, banana, and clove notes are perhaps a bit overpowering, making other aromas very difficult to locate, and do come across slightly more like fermented apple cider than is necessary, but the beer still manages to be strangely alluring.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a hit of bananas and cloves, followed immediately by an orange, berry, and spice mixture, the latter containing lemon, ginger, and white pepper. The spices are potent enough that they bite at the soft tissues. Some brown bread crust, raisin, and molasses notes add additional complexity, though the beer does come across somewhat like an alcoholic Dr. Pepper because of the spice and malt combo. The flavors last the entirety of the mouthful, and extend easily into the aftertaste, losing their potency very slowly. The 9% ABV becomes a little more apparent here, coming across as a part-bourbon, part-cognac alcoholic vapor that mixes nicely with the spices and fruits. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium to medium-high, fizzing on the tongue.

Overall, this is good beer, and certainly lives up to Unibroue’s high brewing standards. The fruits and spices do come across as slightly overpowering here, but then I admit that’s a problem I have with most of Unibroue’s offerings. I also think the beer bears slightly too much resemblance to alcoholic fruitcake. But the flavors that are present have excellent strength and variance, and blend extremely well to create a taste sensation unlike almost anything else on the market.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 16:33:15 | More by jondeelee

jjanega08

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage with a best before 07-06-2016

A= Pours a deep black color with no light passing through and a tall three fingers of deep brown tannish head on it that holds nice retention and nice lacing.

S= Smells like spicy belgian yeast. Cinnamon and coriander. There is a little bit of a lavender or anise aroma coming from it. Decent dark fruit aroma to it as well.

T= The flavor is again deep belgian yeasty spice to it. A almost a classic christmas spice taste if that makes sense. Reminds me of ginger bread and cinnamon with a little bannana to it. The dark fruit character is toned down as it is mostly just a ton of spice and yeast.

M= Very highly carbonated and light on the tongue.

O= This is a pretty nice beer. I imagine it to be a great christmas beer. Maybe not so much suited for mid May. Worth trying however and I actually enjoyed the shit out of it.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 05:04:12 | More by jjanega08

Etan

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml into a snifter. 2011 bottle - it's a gusher.

A: Pours a dark purplish brown with a huge off-white head.

S: Big bubbly yeast and vinous esters. Red grape, brown bread, dark candi sugar, nutmeg.

T: Smooth big yeast, dark crushed grape, banana bread malts, oregano, nutmeg, blackberry, subtle cocoa and sweet alcohol.

M: Creamy, big carbonation.

O: Not the most complex BSDA I've had, but it's pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 19:40:32 | More by Etan

kaseydad

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Broke my favorite snifter so am using a pint glass. Bleh.

Pours a dark flat cola color and a huge amount of beige foam that stays throughout session.

Smells of light booze, floral, dark fruits (plum, pear, apple0, clove and wood. Lots to whiff here.

After the heavy carbonation, the taste consists of fruitiness and a mix of spices on the finish and a dry alchohol finish. Pretty malty as well.

Overall I think I may have drank this a little early. A lot of carbonation going on and the booze is pretty evident. Definitely can't beat the price and still solid after all these years.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 18:49:08 | More by kaseydad

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 1/2" tan coloured bubbly head over black liquid.

S: Apples, cloves, pears and figs. Somewhat similar to Trois Pistoles.

T: Cloves, apples, cinnamon, figs, pears and raisins. Complex and spicy. Somewhat sweet.

M: Medium viscosity and carbonation.

O: Very drinkable, and you can't beat the price.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 01:43:04 | More by DaftCaskBC

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bottle, 9% abv. Best before 7/6/16. Deep brown in color, with an airy tan head. Head retention is pretty nice. Ruby edges when held up to the light.

Slight roasted malt aroma combines with some darker fruit in the nose. A bit of a Belgian yeasty, spicy and earthy note. Not overly complex, but nice.

Darker malt, with a bit of a caramel feel, and just a slight roasty feel. Darker fruits, with some raisin and fig notes. Yeasty notes give an earthy feel at the end.

Medium body, but the ample carbonation gives a much lighter feel. Alcohol is very well hidden. Not very complex, but still tasty and a great value.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 00:11:20 | More by Bierguy5

DCon

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bought a 750mL 1PT. 9.4fl.oz. bottle of this from Trader Joe's in Creve Coeur, MO for $4.99. Poured from the Corked/Twisted Melt Top bottle w/ a Greenery in Silver on the bottle into a Stemmed Goblet glass. Has BEST BEFORE 07-06-2016 on the back of the bottle.

Aroma- Has a nice amount of richness, malt, and sweetness from the beginning of the aroma. A nice caramel and dark fruit aroma comes in mid smell and then a light amount of spice.

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger head that dies fairly quickly. Has an amber/brown colored body with good clarity? Leaves light suds behind.

Flavor- The flavor includes dark fruits and a light caramel taste. Not as complexed as I would like but has a nice "similar" belgian strong ale profile. Has a medium bitterness level at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium Bodied, Medium-High Carbonation, Smooth, Malt strong, and leaves belgian yeast and dark fruits on the palate afterwards.

Overall Impression- For the price, you can't beat this one by Unibroue/Trader Joes! Doesn't even need to be aged. I will be buying another one of these to stick in my cellar and see how it ages for a year or two. Get your hands on this one or past years!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:54:26 | More by DCon

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter this ale has a thick, long-lasting khaki head with a black body and faint garnet hue when held to a bright light--very nice. The aroma is dominated by Belgian yeast character, mainly clove and spicy pepper, some banana and a bit of sweet malt. The flavor is a nice mix of fruity esters, spices, peppery, chocolate malt and medium-low hop bitterness. The finish is pleasantly dry and the spicy/fruity esters linger nicely. The carbonation is medium and body medium as well. Overall a flavorful, interesting beer, certainly worth giving a try, if I make a trip to Trader Joe's I'd pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 04:00:36 | More by uwmgdman

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a snifter

A: Pours very dark brown and opaque. There is a foamy tan head of one finger that sticks around for a while. Leaves mild spotty lacing.

S: Primarily dark fruit with a good helping of cloves and some Belgian yeast.

T: Fairly smooth with more dark fruit flavors. Clove is strong as well as some alcohol esters. Toffee and caramel take some of the edge off. Milder notes of yeast. As it warms I can make out banana bread.

M: Soft, full mouthfeel but more carbonation than I care for.

O: Better than I was expecting, given that this is 4 dollar per bottle Trader Joe's beer. An honest attempt at a Belgian dark ale, but falls somewhat short. The flavors don't quite meld well. It's still a good deal for the price.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 02:15:01 | More by WankelEngine

Sam21

Connecticut

2.35/5  rDev -38%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Received as a Christmas present. Has a best by date of 2016. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance - Pours with a very dark brown body. It only shows its true color when held up to the light. The head is a cola brown and fades rather quickly leaving very little lace. It looks nice at first, but lacks staying power and ultimately struggles in comparison to other Belgian Strong Darks.

Smell - Dry spice. Heavy yeasty clover aroma and perhaps a touch of mint. It is very difficult to pull any sweetness out of the aroma. In general, the aroma feels muted.

Taste - Light malt sweetness is quickly steamrolled by a wall of spicy clove. The yeasty clove is far from balanced and really overwhelms any malt complexities. The finish lacks dryness and sees a hint of sweetness overwhelmed by spice. Typically, I love the complexities that a Belgian dark can bring to the table, but this beer is a bit muddled.

Mouthfeel - The body is light with unpleasant soda-like carbonation. It lacks that fine effervescent carbonation of the style.

Overall - I am a big fan of Belgian and Belgian-style beers, but this beer misses the mark. Way too spice centered and doesn't let the natural beauty come through. As it warms in the glass, it becomes even less appetizing.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 23:59:51 | More by Sam21

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750mL bottle, best by 07-06-2016, served in a Duvel Tulip.

Appearance: Black, with hints of brown when held up to the light. Tan/coffee with a lot of cream colored head that eventually got quite thin. Tiny bit of lacing here and there.

Smell: For all the flavor this has, not a lot going on in the aroma dept. Almost odorless when cold. By the time it warmed up, I could finally pull out some wintergreen and that was about it. By the time the glass was warmed up to room temperature the smell moved again to a mix of cinnamon and wintergreen. Very unusual aroma beer.

Taste: When first poured and cold, it was cherry and cola. As it warmed up, spicy flavors came through, which at first I thought was cinnamon, but as it warmed up, it was clearly wintergreen. Malt in there, along with wintergreen and a hint of yeast. Malt has some coffee and caramel hints to it, but the spiciness of the wintergreen makes it hard to pull out.

Mouthfeel: Plenty of carbonation, effervescent even but not fizzy. A bit of stickiness at the end.

Overall / Drinkability: Very complex beer with a lot going on. The wintergreen is unusual, and by the end of the glass was really lingering in my mouth as a spicy sensation. Almost, but not quite, medicinal in nature with that spiciness which at one point made me wonder about finishing it. But - the constant changing of flavors kept this an interesting beer that had me continue to sip and figure out what the heck was going on. So high marks for an interesting beer, but not something that is very drinkable. One glass is enough. Maybe with the right meal it would work though. Or with more time this beer morphs into something else entirely like it did in one sitting as it warmed up. Indeed, they do recommend cellaring this one right on the bottle and I'm beginning to think they're right.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 00:13:08 | More by damndirtyape

NuclearDolphin

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Oversized Wine Glass

Appearance - Opaque Black even when held up to light, they don't get much darker than this. Head is slighty brown with good retention

Smell - Figs, spices, hefe-style cloves and bananas but what really caught me by surprise was the apple smell! For a Belgian Strong this is a very fruity smelling beer!. The malts in here are also fairly strong too.

Taste - Cloves, Figs, Cinnamon, Brown Sugar and a strong malty backbone.. The hefe-style bananas and red apples make for a fruity yet pleasant aftertaste. The taste is very complex and it all comes together nicely. And there is no boozy flavors in here either, which is even better!

Mouthfeel - Body is average in body, but it feels thick. Carbonation is more on the intense side, but it doesn't detract from the overall flavor.

Overall - I never considered Trader Joe's brand ales to be complex, but this ale has changed my mind about that. It's smooth yet complex flavor makes this easy to recommend. I picked this up for $5, and I think it was a purchase well spent!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 03:15:11 | More by NuclearDolphin

nickfl

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Poured with a large, three finger head of light tan foam on top of a dark brown body with some amber highlights. The head settles slowly and it deposits average lace on the glass as it recedes.

S - Caramel, toffee, and Belgian yeast notes of coriander, cinnamon, banana, and clove.

T - Caramel, toffee and dark fruit up front with notes of plum, clove, and red apple. More toffee and raisins in the middle with a bit of cinnamon. The beer finishes with a nice combination of spicy and fruity yeast character that works nicely with the dark sugar of the malt.

M - Medium-thick body, high carbonation, and a very dry finish.

D - The yeast character is spot on for the style and the dark malt is full of complex, dark sugars that work perfectly with the fruity notes. Very drinkable with a dry finish that really hides the high alcohol content, this is a really nice Belgian beer, I would not have guessed it came from North America, let alone that it was brewed for a grocery store chain!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 07:00:17 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: single finger frothy head with decent retention and some lacing on a dark body with some light getting through.

S: mostly dark fruit, mostly red apple and plum, and clove.

T: dark fruit, mostly raisin, plum, cherry and fig. Nice breads, banana, spicey and zest note as well

M: moderate to high carbonation. medium bodied.

Overall: This is a very drinkable member of the genre. Not too sweet, complex and flavorful.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 06:58:58 | More by kylehay2004

NatetheGreat

Nevada

4.48/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I really liked this one. It's dark brown with a large head and minimal lacing. Huge, complex, enticing aroma with cinnamon, apple, raisin, and a sweet-spicy mix that includes alcohol. Tastes much like the smell with layers of sweet fruit and spicy undercurrents. The mouthfeel was a bit thin but overall a great beer at a great price.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 07:44:39 | More by NatetheGreat