Trader Joes Vintage Ale 2010

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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750 bomber shared with friends along with 6 other tastings. Dark rich brew with moderate tan head. Very simular to our favorite La Fin du monde. Aromas of ripe peaches plums and grapes. Little less yeast esters than La Fin but still noticeable. Slightly sweet palate with a malt backbone and almost no hop pressence. Dry sweet finish which masks the alcohol very nicely. Enjoy this one!

(750ml bottle, courtesy of AmEricanbrew) Pours a brown body with a medium beige head. Aroma of raisins, yeast, dates, coriander, and some sulfur. Flavor of raisins, baked apple, banana, caramel, coriander, light pepper, and yeast.

$5 bomber is a great value. pretty similar to what i remember of my other Unibroue experiences. Dark pour. Tart, fruity, banana, cloves. Decent brew and a good value.

a friend brought out a bottle of this to share and was very much a treat since I had not had unibroue in some time. Fairly dark but allows enough light through and for me to see the carbonation. The was vanilla and spice, particularly clove and nutmeg. overall taste was spicy with some herbal tea notes. Great soft sparkling palate. must try this next year or look for a few more bottles

750 ml bottle purchased at none other than Trader Joe’s and still for only $4.99 as it has been in previous years. Pours a dark brown with notable deep red highlights and a big frothy dark beige head. Aroma of overripe dark fruits, caramel, Unibroue yeast, spice, and some phenolic notes which distract. Flavor has a strong spice note (ginger stands out), herbal / medicinal notes, holiday candied fruit, caramel, and hints of dark roasted malts (cocoa). Nice prickly carbonation on the tongue. The high ABV is well hidden. This is similar to last year’s great 2009 vintage ale, but not as good as the 2009. Still, for only $4.99 per 750 ml bottle, I think I will pick up a few more bottles for aging. (80, 437)

Bottle courtesy Americanbrew. Clear rouge pour with some brown notes. Lots of tan head. Aroma is dark malts and lots of Unibroue yeast. Dark fruits abundant. Flavor is the standard Unibroue house flavor with dark raisins and plums. Finishes spicy fruit and yeast.

Bottle shared by shigadeyo. Poured dark brown color with a large light brown head that mostly lasted and produced good lacing. Moderate to heavy malt, ginger and sage spice aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy complex ginger and malt sweet flavor with a medium to heavy dark bittersweet finish with a small alcohol tone of moderate to long duration. Another good brew.

750ml bottle. Pours an opaque, deep amber-brown colored body with a fizzy, finger-width, tan head that dissipates quickly and leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is dark fruits, raisin, phenol spices, caramel, Belgian yeast, some licorice, coriander, and some cookie malts. Band-aid becomes evident more and more as this warms. Flavor is similar. Phenol spiced caramels, dark fruits and raisin, Belgian yeast, band-aid, coriander, orange peel, and some earth. Finishes very dry and somewhat spiced with a light sweetness and a light hop bitterness that leaves a lengthy aftertaste. Medium body and higher level of carbonation. Overall, not very impressed with this one. It had a few nice things going on, but there’s the underlying band-aid taste that really distracts me. Not bad, but I was expecting more.

Last beer of 2010, enjoyed at the in-laws, courtesy of the Knudsons. Pours a deep brown, decent tan head. Aroma dark fruit and yeasty spice notes - the Unibroue house flavor at work as usual. Flavor matches, caramel accented malts, some dark currant notes, and good yeasty spice finish with very subtle notes of nutmeg, sage, coriander, and orange peel. Don’t know if a single one of these is actually used, but this is what it reminded me of. But again, the spice is nicely subtle here. Good brew, nice way to close out the year.

Rather tasty. Very good for the price. Spiced, maybe some coriander and orange peel. Buttery. Slight wine like flavor. Thanks to the missus for picking this up. Serving: Bottle