Trader Joes Vintage Ale 2005

Formerly brewed at Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chambly, Canada

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Very dark deep red color with medium sized tan head. Aroma is full of belgain esters, with notes of plums, dates, vanilla, toasted sugar. Flavor is malty, crisp, with hints of bananna, figs, burnt caramel, a mildly sweet finish with just a hint of bitterness as it finishes. Carbonation is prominent. A very subtle note of alcohol is present almost as an afterthought.

I enjoyed this Unibroue by way of Trader Joes, though not as much as other Unibroues. Has a nice mix of spice and sweet. A beer to savor. Created a huge head that lasted for a while. Very dark and delicious.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, GregClow, courtesy of Blankboy. Lovely aroma - standard Belgian Unibroue yeast, spicy, but also lots of interesting dark malt. Very dark brown, small white head. Wow, unique taste: spicy, lots of dark malt, very peppery, and sweet. Medium to full bodied. Sounds like I am describing just another Unibroue beer, but this one is unique and stands up to their best. Very nice.

Bottle from Cincy store. Dark brown color with a large light brown head that diminished slowly and produced good lacing. Good malty, fruit and spice aroma. Medium body with a sticky texture. Full complex fruit and malt sweet flavor with a long finish with a small alcohol tone. Good brew at a fair price.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow & tupalev -- my bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a good size beige head. Nice aroma of dark malt, dark fruit, pepper, other spices and the famous "Unibroue yeast". Flavour follows the aroma: lots of dark malt, pepper, dark fruit and yeast -- tastes great! Medium bodied. Alcohol very well hidden. I was looking forward to trying this and it did not dissapoint, another great Unibroue beer.

From a distinctive 750ml. Unibroue brown bottle with a blurb about the ale in back of the bottle, along with a "Best Before" date, 10/13/08, and the statement " This ale will age exceptionally over time." Made a good appearance, poured an opaque Coke Cola dark brown with a semi-sticky pale tan head. At first, had a sweet bubblegum/cola type of aroma, followed by taffy, toffee-ness. Good carbonation, maybe too much, and a slick, smooth, sweet medium bodied mouth feel, good drinkability. At first, had a very sweet bubblegum taste, then a slight cola taste and a light Noble hops bitterness, the malts are very sweet, and a very sweet, dry candied finish, a slight alcohol burn on the tongue, and a lingering bubblegum taste in the palate. An interesting Strong Dark Ale from Trader Joe’s/Unibroue, I have a couple of bottles to age, paid $4.49 a bottle, will try again in 2008.

Earthy nose with hint of leaves, brown color, huge foamy head. Yeasty note comes forward quickly, with a vanilla flavor in the background. Leaves a sweet toffee taste on the lips. Big bold beer and well balanced. Good one.

Pours dark brown with a good sized fizzy brown head that goes away quickly. The aroma has dark fruits especially dark cherries, bits of sourness and earthy yeast - fairly complex. Medium body with quite a bit of carbonation. Starts off with dark cherries, vinegar like sourness and rich earthiness. The carbonation then comes in and brings more earthiness, lots of spiciness. The cherries and sourness remain giving hints of a Flemish Sour. Wonderfully enjoyable beer.

A nice score from the depths of the closet. I picked this up a year ago when I was in California and had nearly forgotten about it. Near black with a foamy, short-lived dark beige head. Has the scent of a fruity danish (plum/prune, sweet bread, a touch of spice and yeast) a breakfast beer? Traces of cinnamon, cofee & dark chocolate join the danish on the toungue. With the sweetness and strength taken into consideration, this is relatively light feeling, not too sticky. Mild alcohol shows up in the finish. Much better as it warms than straight out of the fridge. I enjoyed this just as much if not more than the Oak aged Damnation I had last night.

Any first impressions?
-A sparkling foam disappears with time into the mauve darkness.
-Floral spices, coriander seeds, chocolate flakes, fruity cloves, and plastic effusions conjure up an attractive perfume.
-Roasted husks, herbal spices, cloves, berries, and added molasses obviously imitate Trois-Pistoles, and quite well!
-Fat but sparse bubbles break upon contact, leaving way for the complex maltiness.

What if you dig deeper?
-Finishes fruity, spicy, a continuation of the aroma and flavor profile.
-Barely any alcohol apparency for its size.
-Obviously a twist on Trois-Pistoles, a little bigger in sweet maltiness, but maybe as fruity and spicy.

Bottle; 2005 vintage.