Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

jdkitchi

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought a few of these bombers from Trader Joe's the other day and wanted to try one. This is made by Unibroue and I believe it is Trois Pistoles Belgian strong dark ale. I've had the 4 or 5 more common Unibroue brews and like them a lot.

Poured into a Duvel large tulip glass. There was a massive amount of head on the first pour. The smell is complex. Dark malt, fruit, spicy Belgian yeast a little hops.

There is plenty of carbonation for a lively mouth feel. The first taste especially with the foam was fantastic. Very complex flavors and aromas. It's sweet, spicy, fruit, hoppy and delicious. There is a little bit alcohol kick too. This just keeps getting better as you drink it. This is a world class brew.

As I stated earlier, I think this is the Trois Pistoles from Unibroue. I do have a bomber of that in the cellar that I'll have to crack open and see if it's the same someday.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:37:25 | More by jdkitchi

pkalix

California

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

huge foamy head. very dark and unable to see through even the sides of the tulip glass holding it.
smells like a dark belgium, malty and dark fruit-y.
taste is the same- dark fruit-y, heavy on the malt, a little taste of alcohol on the finish.
this is my first trader joes and i was thinking what a great job they did of brewing such a semblance of a belgian dark ale. and then i read someone said that unibroue is producing these. that explains why it tastes so good. very good considering the 9% abv, in fact. and the tasting ended prematurely after the kids accidentally threw the dog's ball into the glass.... had to be there....

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 02:01:08 | More by pkalix

mikeg67

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle. Pours dark brown with a long lasting, thick, beige head and nice lacing. Aroma is of funky yeast, caramel malt, brown sugar, spices and hops. Body is full and smooth. Funky yeast, caramel malt, brown sugar, spices, dark fruit and hops fill the mouth. Finish is long and very spicy. Very nice, delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 22:14:49 | More by mikeg67

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a chilled tulip glass. Brewed for TJ's by Unibroue, the pride of Chambly, QC. Can't wait to try this.

-Appearance 4.0: Poured out a very dark brown/black. Completely opaque and gem-like. Huge, inch high head finally dropped down to a thick, khaki-colored swirl on the top.

-Smell 4.0: Very subdued bouquet. Citrusy, with noticeable malt. I also smell a very faint aroma of spices...star anice...nutmeg... . Very nice.

-Taste 4.5: Front is dry, with a light maltiness. Middle really hits you with the Belgian candi, but is subdued and balanced along with the taste of spices: very light hints of those mentioned above and also that wonderful Belgian yeast. Finish is dry, with some light alkaline hoppiness and malt. Aftertaste is brief, but features the candi sugar and more subdued spices. Everything is well-balanced and delightful.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Carbonation is right on target for this style. Great complement to the beer.

-Overall 4.5: Excellent Belgian Strong Dark. This is obviously a "holiday" style beer, but it is head and shoulders over anything you will pick up at any other grocery store. Why? The balance. Nothing is overpowering or screaming "I AM A HOLIDAY BEER!" Instead, what you get is a very nuanced and enjoyable seasonal brew that is a real treat. Buy it if you can find it. It's times like these I feel sorry for my friends in Pennsylvania (their TJ's cannot sell wine or beer).

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 04:18:55 | More by BeerDocT

cosmicevan

New York

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I've been a long time fan of the unibroue undercover trader joe vintage ale series (although didn't love 2010 fresh). the wife nabbed me a bottle of this today while doing some grocery shopping...took a while to hit town, but it is here. will i get a case? let's try one bottle first...in 2010 made the mistake of jumping on a case without a taste. enjoyed from a unibroue tulip.

a - brew poured a deep purple with a generous 2+ fingers of foamy yeasty head. looking good...like classic unibroue/vintage ale! perfect to style. what do you expect? it is one of the masters.

s - oh joy! not over spiced, just BSDA magic. dark fruits...prunes soaked in sugar water with grapes and berries. great belgian candied yeast. yowza, smells awesome! i cannot wait for a sip!

t - oh joy. it is REALLY GOOD. i couldn't be happier. they dialed the xmas spicing back in a major way. one of the better vintages in a few years. kind of takes me back to when i first discovered this beer back in 2009 and fell in love. definitely dialed back in intensity. really classic with the dark fruits and candied belgian sugars. very accessible.

m - a bit watery on the flavor profile. not as rich and creamy as i look for in the style, but nice drinker and good feel and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:50:02 | More by cosmicevan

NatetheGreat

Nevada

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I really enjoyed this one.

is deep deep brown, almost black with a large, somewhat rocky head.

aromas are complex and inviting: sweet candy, green apple, spices including cinnamon and clove, rum raisin, some banana, musty.

flavor is sweet up front with a big, thick maltiness. spices are pronounced, as is the alcohol, although not too much. cheery, spices, and apple come through. finish is a bit sweet. not much hop presence.

moderate carbonation. very tasty and complex.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 07:07:32 | More by NatetheGreat

Arithmeticus

Maryland

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

Poured at room temp in flared glass from hotel

A: nearly solid black; very nice frothy head; good carb action
S: strong malt aroma; yeast/lees prominent (reminds me of Unibroue's other offerings)
T: supergreat taste; cherry and plum flavor dominate, with a nice thread of spicing; sweet; hops understated; yeast conditioning is nicely blended into the body

Really fine beer; one of my favorites of the month

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 23:25:33 | More by Arithmeticus

lanceballance

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

Very warm mouthfeel. Hints of ginger and clove. Also, chocolate and coriander. Not a very hoppy aroma. Some alcohol heat on the finish, but not overpowering (does not feel like a high gravity ale). Pours "whiskey" brown...very high level of carbonation on the pour that diminishes quickly.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 23:50:38 | More by lanceballance

MattyG85

Minnesota

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

Poured from a 750 ml corked bottle into a Duvel tulip glass. 2012 Vintage.

Appearance: Pours a deep and dark brownish amber that is pretty cola like. Big four finger tan head that settles into a very thin patchy layer. Leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A fruity and spicy Belgian style aroma that is typical of Unibroue. Belgian yeast with a consider amount of spicing including clove, pepper, coriander, and a touch of cinnamon. Big hints of banana along with some apple and orange. Belgian candied sugar and dark malts with hints of toffee, dark biscuit, and chocolate. Big dark fruit presence with hints of fig, raisin, and dates. Pretty solid.

Taste: Like it smells, fruity and spicy Belgian taste. Belgian yeast with a lot of spices up front including cloves, pepper, cinnamon, and coriander. Fruity esters of bananas, orange, and apple. Dark malt with a taste of dark bread, toffee, and chocolate. Candied sugars and a good mix of dark fruits including fig, dates, raisin, and plum. Taste is fairly dry with a lot of spice. It comes together well.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium to high amount of carbonation. Crisp, spicy, and pretty drying. Alcohol is hidden pretty well.

Overall: Another solid year for this Belgian style ale. Big on the spices, which I like. Solid fruit undertones.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 07:55:14 | More by MattyG85

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into goblet.
Quite a nice aroma. Solid mix of yeasty spices and firm malt foundation. Then subtler and occasional aroma's of tartness, sour and sweet fruit (I like this last part as it seems to stay around and it is quite pleasant).
Really dark body with brownish read highlights. Dark tan head that is full. It does settle out some but not too quickly.
Initial taste is really nice. A little more of the added spices are evident, but that nice sweet and sour fruit aroma carried to the flavor. The malt is firm but not heavy handed. The yeast flavors are the same. Seems like the spices are showing with a cinnamon and very slight nutmeg showing. Just enough drying.
Light and effervescent with sufficient carbonation.
As much as I can tell I"m digging this quite a bit more than the 2011. Really like the light fruit aroma and flavor and it seems to stick throughout. The drink was goo throughout the whole bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 12:49:43 | More by garymuchow

BeerManDan

California

4.19/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

When poured into a tulip glass, the color was very dark, dark, brown with a fair amount of tan foam and a medium amount of lace. The smell of sweet spices, fruit and roasted malts were evident in the aroma. The taste was sweet carbonated malts, spices, fruit like sweet figs, rasins, with maybe a hint of coffee and cocoa. I think this is a complex Belgian Dark Ale. The alcohol of 9% is not overpowering, but sutle in a nice way. This is a pleasant surprise and is, for me, the best Vintage Ale that Trader Joe's had made. Unibroue is one of my favorite craft brews and again, I'm not disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 23:17:33 | More by BeerManDan

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

From the 750 ml. corked, caged bottle. Sampled on April 15, 2013.

It pours dark brown with reddish hues and a full, fluffy tan head that sits on top for several minutes.

Aromas are wonderfully sweet at first with notes of dark malts, Belgian sugars, brown sugar, fig, Allspice, caramel, yeast, and a mild but clean hop backdrop.

The body is full and creamy.

The taste is wonderfully malty and brown sugar sweet with the slightest alcohol note but nothing that puts me off. The spice is delicately dropped in.

Brewed by Unibroue. I wonder if this is a variation of the Don de Dieu. Still, overall very nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 22:09:57 | More by puboflyons

beck2008

California

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased in Cerritos, CA $4.99

A- very dark brown, big tan head on the first pour, drops a bit after the 2nd and 3rd pour.

S- fruity cherry, spice, yeasty, very "Unibroue"

T- dark cherry, apple, and clovy spice. Alcohol is hidden very well. This beer tastes good if you let it aerate a bit like you might with wine. I usually pour a glass then put it back in the fridge with a loose cap. I actually enjoy this one better after a day being chilled.

M- great carbonation, very smooth

O- I've had all the vintage ale offerings for the last 5 years and I have to say this one is the best. I really like this one. At $4.99 it's no brainer for anyone who is into Belgiums. If you like Maudite by Unibroue, then you'll love this one (and at half the cost!)

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 01:40:16 | More by beck2008

TheSixthRing

California

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a near black, dark ruby brown with a light tan 3 finger head. Good retention. Leaves behind a small, spotty lace.

Smell - Aroma consists of sugar and cream, spice, bubblegum and candied plum or black cherry.

Taste - Follows the nose. Assertive notes of cream and spice to start, while moderately sweetened dark fruit character shines through mid-taste. Finishes creamy with notes of bubblegum and a hint of spruce pine.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied. A touch syrupy. Well carbonated, leaves a nice tingle on the tongue. Smooth, creamy finish.

Overall - Another creamy Belgian offering from Unibroue. So many intricate layers to wrap one's mind around. Lots of sweetness, becomes a bit cloying after a glass or two. Great candidate for storage.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:52:00 | More by TheSixthRing

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

very cool of unibroue to brew this beauty for trader joes. i had this in st. louis. pours a redish brown color, hazy from some suspended yeast, with a lacey tan head. the nose is spicey and wintery, warm, some notes of honey, dried fruit, and more hops than i expected. the flavor is complex as hell, is this aged in oak? tastes like it might be. a pick up some licorice, cherry, and birch syrup. finish is sweet and long, alcohol is strong and warming. great carbonation keeps it lively, and a full body is just what the doctor ordered for winter time. this is a really neat brew, and one id like to age for awhile to see how it matures. love this mix of sweet and spice and fruit. its a great bottle to share though. overall an impressive product, and one i will seek out again. this is literally christmas in a bottle for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 17:32:13 | More by StonedTrippin

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

The always dependable brewers of Unibroue takes their regal brewing disciplines to the Trader Joe's family with their Vintage Ale 2012- a strong, dark Belgian ale that celebrates all 9% alcohol and with the complexity and balance that it deserves. Its a beer that's certainly built for celebrations and holidays.

Dark brown in its initial hue, a nod to the light reveals deep golden, lighter brown, and redish amber highlights. Much clearer than expected, the initial pour reveals very low haze that's hardly describable through its dark gaze. An expansive froth grows above the beer with a light tan color and sticky broken lace. Lingering 'til the end, the beer sells its Belgian roots well.

Aromas of perfume, toast, pepper, and cola waft over the nose and take the sense of smell in a lot of different directions. Malty notes of lightly scorched caramel and candy is met with dry toast scents for a complex malty upstart. Spices of clove, cinnamon, black pepper, and alcohol follow closely behind; before the supple notes of burnt berries and grilled plantains round out the light estery make up.

Similarly, the beer opens with the malty taste of hard candy, heavily caramelized malt, and cola-like sweetness. And like some colas, spicy peppercorn, and toasted bread, burnt wood accompany the dry malt taste. Sweetness fades at middle palate and allows the spicy additions of clove, cinnamon, and pepper to provide dry taste throughout. It's this point where a short-lived soap character reveals itself, and this is gone before the finish. Charred currant, cherries, plantain, and red grapes seem to rise at the same rate as alcohol and give a slight medicinal taste to its closure.

Firmly dry from nose to finish, the beer favors a drier and spicier pace than most for its style. This demeanor means that the medium creamy-sweet upstart is short lived and quickly shed in order to favor a toastier, drier, and highly peppery texture. Quite warm and spicy throughout, the beer doesn't mind light spice tannin, winy acidic, and woodish textures that unwavering even deep in finish.

And like Trois Pistoles and Le Terrible, Trader Joe's 2012 Vintage Ale displays the dark ale signatures of Unibroue accurately and boldly. It's a wonderful beer that's highly enjoyable in its assertive dry, spicy tone now but will surly mellow gracefully for years to come.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 05:55:11 | More by BEERchitect

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.01/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Pours dark brown with a coarse, spongy head of beige. A partial skimcoat with errant dots of lacing for the duration of the glass.

Aromatics are spicy and chock full of Belgian character. Cloves, nutmeg, apples, and bubblegum ride atop cocoa-laced malt with raisins and rum.

Medium bodied with a creamy, crispish mouthfeel. A bit tacky.

Rum-soaked raisins with clove-studded apples and sweet malt starts the palate. Hints of nutmeg, cardamon, and boozy phenols follow through.

Finishes with lingering spice-dusted raisins and dark rum.

Tasty beer but could use some age to let the spices mellow a bit.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 22:22:20 | More by brewandbbq

Mavigo

Michigan

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

I've been eating their food for years, didn't know they brewed. Fancy looking bottle at a low price, count me in!

Served in a snifter.

A: Poured a deep brown-almost black color with a ruby tinge, had a 1/4 inch caramel head without much lacing.

S: Smells nice, dark fruit aromas, brown sugars

T: Tastes really good, dark fruit, brown sugar, zesty spices, very smooth, little bit of warmth from the alcohol

M: Very well balanced, light-medium carbonation, good flavor, although I would've liked a little more flavor, its really good.

O: This a great, great beer for the price, $5?, other Belgian ales will set you back $10-12. They change the recipe every year, I will probably go back and buy a few more, great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 23:58:44 | More by Mavigo

CloudStrife

New York

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

750ml split and poured into a snifter. Best before 07-06-2015

A: Pours a dark copper brown, just a little light gets through the glass. 2 finger off white head real dense small bubbles, takes a while to dissipate. No real lacing.

S: Sweet smell, yeasty with hints of orange and other spice.

T: Belgiany yeast blended with orange and spice. Coriander comes through, slight anise as well. Plenty of malts add a good fermented fruit backing. Would compare it to a dark tripel. Licorice lingers a little.

M: Nice full mouthfeel, good carbonation and a clean finish. Alcohol is well hidden. Maybe a little sweet to drink all night.

Overall is a steal of a deal, great brewery backing this vintage ale. Have had a few Unibroue's and this one seems unique. Gonna sit one down to see how it fairs.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 02:21:32 | More by CloudStrife

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

Bottle shared by my brother in law, thanks for the opportunity Dave!
Pours a deep dark brown with a smallish off white head that shows moderate retention and lots of lace. The aroma holds lots of brown sugar, a smattering of dark fruit, lots of yeast and fruity esters, a bit of pepper, and a faint non descript spice. The flavor follows the aroma quite well. Lots of dark fruits and dark sugars with a strong bit of Belgian yeasty flavors. There's a hint of spice but it is faint and compliments rather that overpowers like so many other holiday brews. Medium to thick body with a moderate to high level of carbonation and a sweet sugary almost bubbly mouthfeel. This is a very nice beer. It has that unmistakeable Unibroue taste and aroma. I'm told that this was six dollars for a 750, that's a hell of a bargain these days for a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:00:50 | More by johnnnniee

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Poured into a Unibroue tulip glass. Pours a very dark, almost opaque brown with a huge three finger light brown head with great retention and massive lacing. Aroma of dark fruit, sweet malt, Belgian yeast and spicing. Flavor follows, with spicy dark and dried fruit, caramel malt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Sweet start, but finishes semi-dry. Medium bodied with good mouth feel from active carbonation. A bit attenuated compared to a Belgian strong, but flavorful and well made. I really like getting this each year and after a year or two the body gets more depth. A great annual ale at an incredible price.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 04:49:18 | More by LiquidAmber

zeff80

Missouri

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

One to drink, one to age.

A - Poured out a dark, dark brown color with a one-finger, tan head of bubbly foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of spices, dried fruit and rich caramel.

T - It had a biscuity malt backbone with a very spicy punch. Some dried fruit and caramel flavors.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is a good Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Looking forward to trying the one I'm aging.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 02:08:57 | More by zeff80

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle served in a chalice.

L - deep brown color with a beige head that thinned to a light film.

S - yeast and dark fruits (plum, date, raisin & fig).

T - dark fruit flavor blend and some caramel sweetness with the yeast in the background.

F - medium bodied with a little fizz, goes down easy.

O - a good beer especially at the price ($5), thanks TJ!

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 02:23:36 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

barnzy78

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle, pours an opaque very dark brown with a tall, bubbly, beige head, good retention, but not much for lacing. Aromas are fruity, Belgian yeast, bready, sweet, earthy. Tastes are well balanced with dark malt, candi sugar, bready yeast, fruity, earthy. Thin-to-medium mouth-feel, higher carbonation but acceptable for the style. Overall, I recently had a year old 2011 and the year of aging it seemed to help it some. I have another one of these to save for winter 2013. Gotta love Unibroue!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:07:18 | More by barnzy78

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Yeah, a mason jar for such a Belgian-style brew. Deal with that shit. Anyway, this stuff pours a deep ruby-sienna topped by over a finger of sandy tan foam. The nose comprises slightly tart red grapes, cinnamon, clove, banana, fig, and a touch of that general Belgian-y yeast character. The taste brings in more of the same, with a heavier focus on the spices (particularly clove). The body is a light-leaning medium, with a moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda drying finish. Overall, a pretty tasty BSDA. It's a tad too bubbly for my tastes, but beyond that it's good times.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 05:53:40 | More by TMoney2591