Trader Joe's Providential Belgian Style Golden Ale - Trader Joe's Brewing Company

Fuzzycuffs

Oregon

2.83/5  rDev -28%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle today, and drank this evening.

A: Pours a hazy golden colour. About what you would expect of the style. Two fingers of snowy white head, dissipated very quickly, leaving almost no lacing =(

S: Belgian spices. Orange peel, coriander, possibly a bit of star anise. Very strong, but not particularly defined. Might improve with age.

T: No booziness, despite the 7.5 ABV. A touch watery, but not exactly a session ale, due to the intense aromas that accompany it. Wet and spicy, not a whole lot of flavor from the grains.

M: Smooth body, mild, but prickly carbonation. Not much to say. Water.

O: Not a whole lot of balance. The wheat is mellow, the spices are in-your-face, and there isn't much else to say. Reasonably priced, but for a store that sells their delightful vintage ale, I was disappointed. Might buy again to cellar for two years, might not. Depends on whether I go back to Trader Joe's before I forget this brew exists.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 01:21:17 | More by Fuzzycuffs

Lawl3ss

Texas

2.96/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Chilled 22 oz. bomber into a stemless tulip pint. Bottling date appears to be July 27, 2012.

Look- Claims to be TJ Brewing company, but the bottle, cork, and cage are clearly embossed by Unibroue. Pours a hazy straw with a large, soapy head that falls to a sticky, dense cap over the course of a minute or two and then persists until the glass has been emptied. Excellent lacing.

Smell- As soon as the bottle's uncorked, there's a fresh, doughy bready aroma mixed with a cidery tartness. After the pour, it takes on a toastier feel with significant sweetness in the background, candied banana. Also some... coriander? Maybe some clove, lemongrass? Not much for a spiced ale, but there's something there.

Taste- Sharper than expected, almost acidic, cidery. Crusty bread dipped in milk, banana, marshmallow, doughy yeast. The tartness at the beginning of the sip never really goes anywhere, just a vaguely fruity start that goes into a clean doughy body, finishes quite clean. Overall impression of a bowl filled with graham crackers, bananas, and whole milk. It's not offensive, but it's somewhere between bland and outright weird.

Mouthfeel- Juicy feel, medium body, light-medium carbonation. Crisp on the sip, finish is creamy and coats the mouth. At first, the ABV is hidden, but as it warms a certain booziness emerges.

Overall- Decent fridge-cold, and I'd probably buy it again to give to a friend used to American Lager. Not something I'd seek out.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 05:09:17 | More by Lawl3ss

Vixie

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a lightly cloudy yellow with a bit of a white head. Looks a bit like a wheat beer, although not quite as cloudy.

Has a spicy smell to it. Main scents are orange peel, ginger, and clove. There is a touch of citrus and yeast as well.

Starts out with a hint of citrus, then a bit of pepper comes in. Finishes with a bit of an orange peel like flavor.

Feels seem a bit thin for the style.

Overall, not one of the better offerings from Unibroue. Usually their beers have a nice solid feel, both in flavor and texture. In this one, the flavors just don't mesh together very well, and gives it kind of an odd taste. It's also less solid than what I expect from them, almost tasting watered down. Trader Joe's has two offerings this year, and I'd say the regular vintage ale is the better choice.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:18:53 | More by Vixie

Rollzroyce21

California

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle poured into stemless wine glass.

Says golden ale on bottle, but looks exactly like a Belgian witbier.

Smells like one too; wheaty and Belgian-yeasty. Lemons. Slight bit of barnyard must.

And… yeah.. Witbier for sure. Lemon zest with Belgian esters. Not a lot, but some level of spice going on. Wheaty finish. The carbo is very sprite. Drinking pretty easily. Flavors not disagreeable at all.

Overall, if this were classified as a Belgian wit, then I would believe this to be a pretty decent example of style. But if they're calling this a BPA, then not so sure what to make of it. Still, I've had worse BPA's. This is on the lower end of Unibroue's pipeline.

I prefer the Vintage ale over this one. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 06:35:21 | More by Rollzroyce21

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best before 9/28/14.

Pours a murky light orange with a foamy bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, yeast, citrus, and spices. Taste is much the same with a slight tartness present. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with a good smell but the flavors don't quite match up in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 05:12:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

HalfFull

California

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found this one hiding in plain sight next to their Vintage Ale and brewed by contract with Unibroue just like the Vintage series. Not sure if this is a one time thing or a seasonal or regular offering. Came in at $5.99 for a corked 750 ml painted bottle.

Pours a sunburst golden with notable haze. Bright white cap offers decent though surely not meringue like retention. This beer did open with a firm bottle conditioned pop and more robust than the Vintage series tends to be. Bit of lemony hop aroma mingles with that distinctive yeast aroma of Unibroue beers along with a subtle hint of ginger/clove. A decent amount of wheat seems evident and would well explain the haze on the pour. Pale malts and tart lemon cracker with a hint of sweetness lingering on the finish.

Feel is spritzy and bright in a way yet lacks significant malt depth as for the general style. Yet this is surely not a Duvel-esque attempt at a Golden Ale given the presumed wheat and spices. Light as the feel is, the 7.5% is hidden as the beer is quite soft on the palate.

Overall quite interesting while being not quite what I was expecting. Spices become notably more prominent with warming as do yeast esters and the carbonation holds well. Simple yet complicated at the same time. Interesting to stumble upon this just 10 days before the world ends, as it seems like a softened La Fin du Monde...

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 03:38:10 | More by HalfFull

mpyle

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

App - cloudy (knocked over bottle shortly before tasting - may have been an issue), straw colored. Poured a fairly large white head with good retention.

Aroma - subtle spicy aroma, slightly sweet. A bit of pepper and corriander.

Taste - Fairly bland spicy flavor, minimal malt. A bit of citrus sweetness. Dries out in finish - well attenuated and subtle hop bitterness are enough to make that so. Fairly clean finish with a slightly lingering bittersweet spice.

MF - Modest body, fairly high carbonation. A bit of alcohol warming, but not harsh.

Overall - Well balanced and drinkable, but not extremely flavorful or exciting.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 20:50:25 | More by mpyle

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a light to medium golden amber. No pop from the cork and only a hint of carbonation, must have picked a flat bottle. Aroma of Belgian yeast, sweet malt, cloves, hint of banana. Flavor is mild Belgian spicing, apple and pear juice, finshes rather dry with light residual hops and spicing. Light to medium bodied, but no carbonation. Rather attenuated and light flavored, but what flavor is evident is pleasantly Belgian. I got the last bottle at my Trader Joe's and may have to wait to re-review this in case I got a bum bottle. Don't know if the flavor has been affected by whatever caused the lack of carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 04:26:46 | More by LiquidAmber

ESPNman

California

3.68/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

2012 vintage, served in a Stone IRS snifter

A - Pours a hazy, golden straw color. Two fingers of thick foamy off-white head that resembles shaving cream. Moderate retention, decent lacing. It almost looks like a cloudy chardonnay.

S - Not a ton here... mostly Belgian yeast fruit esters and sweet malts. There's also a bit of tart lemon in there, as well.

T - Much better than I expected, given the nose. There's a fair amount of yeast flavors in this brew, but they're well balanced with a bit of tart apple and sweet malts. More funk than I was expecting, but in a good way. Juicy, tart apple, pear, and apricot flavors mix well with the sweet pale malts and (too much) yeast.

M - My favorite part of this beer, hands down. It had a creamy mouthfeel, medium carbonation, and just enough liveliness to bring this beer something special. It's perfectly matched to the beer... although it's not exactly typical for the style. It feels thicker, and less carbonated than most Belgian Pale Ales, but with the funk that this one brings, it really shines.

O - For the price, this one's a winner. It's not going to win any awards, but it's a classic Unibroue-style beer. I'm curious to see how this one will age, and look forward to grabbing a few bottles of it next year.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 07:36:47 | More by ESPNman

augustgarage

California

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL caged-and-corked bottle into my Bruery tulip.

Bright gold liquid with a fist of active pearling magnolia soft peaks. Thick tendrils of lace, superior retention.

Clean malt aroma (Pils?) along with hints of orange zest, coriander, and a hefty dose of distinctive yeast.

Initially sweet with notes of pear and golden raisin. Very mild bitterness with a gentle herbal/peppery noble hop flavor fading away in the face of the phenols and alcohol. Becomes increasingly dry into the finish which has faint mineral and metallic qualities.

Medium-bodied, effervescent, fully carbonated, zesty.

A very nice offering from Unibroue, on par with their regular offerings but at a good discount in comparison.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 11:28:02 | More by augustgarage

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance. Pours a very hazy yellow gold with 1.5 fingers of fluffy white head that lasts a while and leaves some decent lacing.

Smell. Fruity Belgian yeast and traditional spices with a little light grainy malt coming through.

Taste. Light grainy malt, belgian spice and yeast, and a little tart lemon. Not bad at all.

Mouthfeel. Below medium in body, pretty lively and fine medium+ carbonation.

Overall. A nice lighter Belgian style ale. Would be great on a hot day.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 20:07:50 | More by Rutager

FosterJM

California

3.76/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

1675th Review on BA
Bottle to Goblet
750 ml C/C

2012 release
Purchased at Trader Joes Chino Hills

App- Pours the requisite orangey color of a golden ale. Small hints of yellow throughout. A bit of a dense center. A nice 2 finger white head that was a bit puffy. Settled to a nice cap and then left good cling lines.

Smell- Opens up a small citrus note infused with a semi balanced yeast/spice combo. Retained Unibroue notes and was a bit restrained but thick on the nose at parts.

Taste- For being a new addition to TJs lineup, it was pretty solid. More yeast than it needed and a bit thick spice. It was fairly balanced and creamy. Tasted like a Unibroue beer with that oak spice taste.

Mouth- A semi solid medium body with a fairly creamy medium carbonation. A bit bubbly at times and a bit dry at points. More yeast remains on the back of this beer.

Drink- A nice beer. Again semi balanced and a good price point for what it is. Might be worth aging a couple. Unibroue seemed to create something nice here.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 21:44:30 | More by FosterJM

mactrail

California

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy pale yellow in the Ommegang chalice with a nice robust foaminess. Lots and lots of suds in the mouth. Long nose of fruit and grain.

Rather sweet, like a Hefeweizen, at least for a while. Tart with fruit like pears. Lots of the The classic Belgian yeasty flavor just doesn't quit. Very dry sensation takes over. It gets to be more like unripe pineapple. Quite a lip-tickler and actually quite peppery hot along with the coriander intensity. Thoroughly interesting spicy brew but a truly odd interpretation of Belgian styles. Sort of an imperial "Blanche de Chambly."

You're getting a real deal on this Unibroue beer at Trader Joe's. From the 500 ml bottle bought at TJs in San Diego. Label says "Best before 09-28-2014."

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 05:04:07 | More by mactrail

Dave1999

Virginia

3.79/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a semi transparent yellow with a big foamy white head.

The smell is yeast,spices,bannana's and cloves.

The taste is light, slightly spicey,lemons and yeasty. The initial taste was pretty decent but the finish it quite watery.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with medium carbonation.

A decent light beer, tastes fairly decent and is a good price.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 01:07:48 | More by Dave1999

Rukasu

District of Columbia

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear golden color, a bit cloudier near the end of the bottle due to settled yeast. Strong white and fragrant head.

S: Floral and fruity with yeasty mustiness. Coriander and citrus rind, tropical fruit, and warming alcohol.

T: Sour citrus, Belgian yeast, more coriander.

M: Very light carbonation, quite flavorful but easy drinking. Wheatiness adds a bit of sharpness.

O: Pretty solid, yet inexpensive Belgian ale. May say TJ's on the label, but you know it'll still be a decent beer because they always team up with Unibroue.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:16:16 | More by Rukasu

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.86/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I picked this up yesterday at Joe's for $5.99. Was skeptical until I saw on the bottle that it was brewed by Unibroue. Can't be too bad, eh?

Into a small tulip, it pours a bright yet muted golden color. The carbo is fine and steady, adding to a healthy, fluffy 1" layer of marshmallow white foam. Lacing is thin and scattered. Aroma has some spiciness and ginger, with some bready, toasty malt added to the mix. It is light and airy on the tongue, with a bit of prickle, and the body is about medium.

Flavor is light and fruity, with orange-peel very noticeable. Has some light, crackery sweetness, and ginger makes another appearance. The finish is quite dry, with a bit of white-pepper spiciness. Fairly good, and refreshing on a warm, sunny day. Not in a Fin du Monde category, but still good. Prosit!!

3.86/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

1563

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 18:07:54 | More by Bierman9

negroobserver

New York

3.94/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance...
Heavily carbonated. Requires a soft pour. Completely translucent under light. Visible rising carbonation in the glass.

Smell...
Sweet. Spicy. Earthy. Clean and crisp. Refreshing.

Taste...
Starts off sweet.
Light flat bitter finish.

Mouthfeel....
Not too dense. Mellow rounded and soft. Tingling sensation on the tongue from the carbonation.

Overall....
A nice enjoyable mid summer afternoon beer. Could drink this all day at the beach.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:52:12 | More by negroobserver

Oaklander

California

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The haziness from the wheat is apparent through the bottle. Even the gentlest of pours will yield a thick mousse-like head that lingers. And lingers. Smells like a blend of vanilla and lemon peel. Thick, creamy mouthfeel; the foam lingers at the back of the throat. Tastes like hefenweissen on steroids, didn't know that was possible, spicy-tangy flavor that yields to a lasting banana taste. Don't let the gentle ride down the esophagus fool you, one of these bad boys on an empty stomach and it's hammock time!

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 21:37:25 | More by Oaklander

Mavigo

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just got this, looks like it's brand spanking new, contract brewed by Unibroue, world class brewery. Served it in a snifter.

A: Pours a cloudy golden yellow color, with a short white head that dissipates fast with medium amounts of white lacing.

S: Smells yeasty, wheat, grains, malts, smoky, wood

T: Tastes good, smoke flavor, wheat and grains, malts, yeast, woody, very smooth, quite nice

O: Overall its a great bargains, good solid flavor, contract brewed by an incredible brewery, great value, well worth it, like $5 a 750ml bottle, very nice, I've been quite happy with Trader Joe's specialty beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 01:10:39 | More by Mavigo

mikeg67

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle. Pours hazy-golden with a white head and lively carbonation. Aroma is of funky yeast, pale malt, pears, cloves and some bananas. Body is full and crisp. Funky yeast, spices, pale malt and ripe fruit fill the mouth. Finish is long and very spicy. This brew is very nice to sip.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 22:27:46 | More by mikeg67

BeerManDan

California

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

The color when poured was of an hazy medium light golden yellow with a fair amount of foam and also a fair amount of lace the the side of the glass. The smell of malts, mild hops and spices filled the nose with a pleasant aroma. The taste was of a lightly carbonated flavor of malts, hops and spices (cloves for one) and a nice pleasant finish on the end. A nice balanced of components on this Belgium Ale from Unibroue for Trader Joes.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 22:59:22 | More by BeerManDan

Kendo

New York

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the caged and corked 750 ml bottle into a Duvel tulip. Body is hazy golden- yellow with a fizzy-bubbled 2-finger white head. The occasional splotch of lace is left on the side of the glass on the way down.

S: Nice Belgian-type nose - some floral notes over yeasty scents: a touch of banana and some clove. A bit of funkiness.

T: Mild yeasty tastes and funkiness over bread doughy malt. Generally sweet, with a touch of fruit (apricot keeps coming to mind, along with tropical fruit). Warming from alcohol felt in belly but not really noted on the palate. Finishes clean, semi-dry and with a good beer-like taste (think some cereal grains); no real bitterness, however. May be the best example of "liquid bread" that I've had in awhile.

M: Good creaminess due to the light, airy fizziness. Call it medium in heft, maybe a tiny bit lighter.

O: Good stuff. Not sure why this one's listed as a "Trader Joe's Brewing Company" beer instead of Unibroue (the cork even has that Unibroue "U" and the name Unibroue on it), and I can't help but wonder if it would have better ratings here if that were the case.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 00:10:02 | More by Kendo

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Grabbed this at Trader Joe's today, along with a couple 2012 Vintage Ales. This is the first that I have seen on this variety and their weren't a lot left when I got there.

It pours a cloudy golden color. The brew seems to have an overly carbonated look and feel, almost like champagne. Not a very powerful brew with a nice sweet taste to finish it off. It definitely lacks the punch one would expect from a 7.5ABV brew.

A nice, if not strange brew. If I can find more when I go back next week, I might grab em and see how they age.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 03:03:19 | More by Shibbykaiyai

impending

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-

750ml into a tulip. Pours a mid tone hazed golden yellow, towering yellow egg cream colored froth remains clinging as it subsides.

Sweet yeasty spicy fruity goodness. Clean, upbeat, unmistakeably Unibroue.

Taste is of light skinned fruits, apple, pear and a delicious but subtle orange citrus. Minor phenolic bitter comprises the aftertaste. Crisp. Shy of medium lively mouthfeel.

unmistakeably related to Don de Dieu
an exceptional value
cheers
jd

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 05:11:57 | More by impending

ONUMello

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip
A: Hazy yellow with lots of carbonation and a two-finger head
S: Lots of wheat, florals, banana, clove. Very nice
T: Largely matches the nose, with wheat, banana, apricot and spice
M: Light but smooth with pleasant carbonation
O: A nice beer, especially from a producer like Unibroue for a beer with a mass retailer label

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 03:04:53 | More by ONUMello