Trader Joes Vintage Ale 2012

Brewed by Unibroue (Sapporo)
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Chambly, Canada

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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Subtle aromas of yeast, wheat, barley and grains. Blackish brown in color with a large tan foam and nice lacing against the glass. Strong yeast, oat, herb and caramel overtones. Pleasant herb, spice, cinnamon and boozey finish. Overall, this is a nice mouthful of complexity. Full bodied with strong and assertive malty flavors. Alcohol is well masked. I’d give this an A+ rating.

Bottle. Deep brown colored body that is nearly black with a large light brown colored head. The nose has light pears and cinnamon. There is also some caramel behind the spicing and fruit. Hints of funky leather. The taste is like dirty leather with some strong notes of cinnamon. There is also a little bit of nutmeg. This is fairly dry overall with some dry sherry type prune notes in the finish. I don’t require it in other beers, but would like a little more sweetness in this one. Overall, it is ok.

750mL at a party. Pours a hazy collar red. Large beige foam. Nose is heavy house yeast, fruit cake, cinnamon, gingerbread. Some sage and mint. Taste begins with light chocolate, mineral water, dark cherries, spicy mint and sage. Palate is minerally, aerated. Finishes too dry and papery. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Pours clean cola ebony with a very effervescent head. Smells like Santa: rum raisins, caramelized sugar, anise cinnamon, ginger and a slight tinge of something herbal. Nicely light and carbonated body that tingles your taste buds with flavors of brown sugar, bittersweet chocolate, rum raisin, and prune. Clean finish that is pleasantly sweet with a nice alcoholic warmth like Santa’s breath.

Ha, I swear I rate this the same every year, though I think I like this slightly better than I remember. Less spicy and sweet. Dark sweet malts, figs, raisins, some orange notes, a bit of clove and anise. And of course the Unibroue yeast that tastes like... Unibroue yeast. Solid but not great. Exactly what one comes to expect from this every year.

Disappointing! Look forward to this release and this year was by far the worst I've had. Metallic taste, sweet malt. Strong figs, dates. Dark cherry? Watery mouthfeel on the back end of my palate. ---Rated via Beer Buddy App

750ml bottle pours a mostly opaque black with garnet edges and a thin, creamy, off white head. Nose of dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisins, ginger, clove, some banana, a little pineapple. Flavor was similar, raisins, prune juice, cane sugar, rum, cloves, plum, pear. Full bodied, lightly spicy finish. You know, for $4.99 for a 750ml, this is a decent deal. Not sure I’d age this year’s batch though.

The aroma is of dark fruit and spices. The beer pours an opaque dark brown, with a giant, out of control light tan head. Very nice flavor, with dark fruit, spice, and a hint of roast. The alcohol is very well hidden, and there’s a nice lingering finish of spices. It was my first experience with TJ beer and I gat one I wish I would have bought more.

Bottle from, you guessed it, Trader Joes. Dark dark brown with lasting flat head and a little lace. Dark fruit and spice aroma with a little burn, probably should age, but I rate these fresh and then age the other four bottle I have. Very dark fruity brown sugar sweet, more fruity than sugary with herbal spicyness and mildly assertive herbal bitter fairly dry finish. Medium body, not quite cloying. Very good. I’d say, the second best bargain ($4.99/750ml) in the business after Victory Helios.

Ah, it’s that time of year again - $4.99 750ml bottles of Unibroue beer! Poured a dark brown with a light tan, fluffy head. Aroma was sweet dark fruits, some brown sugar notes. Flavor was sweet dark, dried fruits, brown sugar, with some light spice notes. Alcohol is pretty well subdued - drank the entire bottle over the course of an evening.