JosephsBrau Winterfest

Dark brown coloured body with a very nice dense tan head. Aroma of raisins, malt, toffee and nuts. Medium-bodied; Strong nutty flavours with some malt and caramel noticeable and a bit of funk fading afterwards. Aftertaste shows raisins and malt more than anything with some metal and nuts also coming through. Overall, not such a great beer - however, it was decent to try. This twelve ounce bottle cost only $0.50 from Trader Joe’s in San Francisco (North Beach), California...which I sampled on 31-March-2008.

Possibly the least impressive dopplebock I have ever tasted. Very little taste, aroma, or body. The clerk said it is a "very good beer" so I was expecting much better. Even at a dollar a probably not a worth a purchase.

Brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is lightly alcoholic, caramel, light smoke, raisin. Taste is malty, with light caramel, lightly roasty. Not bad.

Better then expected. Caramel - chocolate aroma. Clear mahogony color, not much head. Deep roasted (near burnt) flavor, caramel. Palate coats nicely and stays around witha slight bitter edge to offset the other sweet notes. Excellent for the price.

I bought this at Trader Joe’s and thought I was in for a treat when the checkout clerk remarked, "Oh, good one. I drank that last night." I should’ve double-checked my receipt for errors because, without a doubt, this was the worst beer I’ve had in a year. It started with the aroma. Pure stank. I thought it was rotten. Distinct sewer, rain puddle smell. I poured it into a glass. Poured smoothly. Deep brown color. Never formed much of a head. From the first sip I knew this one was going to be bad. Chewy, licorice, mud flavor. Tasted like Penzoil with strained prunes. Might make a potent laxative, actually. Would never drink this again. I ended up pouring the last 5 down the drain. My drain seems to drain faster? Hmm. Drano has a new competitor.

Bottle. Pours deep mahogany, with a small tan head, quick dispersion. Aroma is very caramel, and sweet. Well it smells better than it tastes. Caramel and sweetness, but a little watery, and at least it was quite inexpensive--1$ for a single at Trader Joe’s.

Clear raisin brown, eggshell head, poor retnetion. Brown sugar and molasses malt, but thin and very fizzy with a metallic alcohol finish.

Didn’t expect much other than a decent, inexpensive winter beer from Trader Joe’s. But damn, this beer is flavorful and mouth coating. Very malty, with more than a hint of port wine.