Trader Joe's 2015 Vintage Ale
Trader Joe's Brewing Company

Trader Joe's 2015 Vintage AleTrader Joe's 2015 Vintage Ale
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From:
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
9%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 6.33%
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
99
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 22, 2020
Added:
Nov 02, 2015
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  36
No description / notes.
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Ratings by morebeergood:
Photo of morebeergood
Rated by morebeergood from Massachusetts

3.87/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Feb 06, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.08/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Consumed December 27, 2015, leftpaw brought it out for the winter break.

Pours a dark brown but with a thinner viscosity, tan colored head 1/2". Plenty of those dark fruit bitter notes upside a darker belgian spice rack (i.e. clove, but very little banana).

Taste is like someone put some stupid shit into your low carbonation cola. Hefty amount of dark fruit bitterness. Hint of belgian dark sugar. Not all that smooth to me, but then again a lot of the reviews talk about the smoothness many years later whereas this was drank pretty fresh. Unibroue stuff usually isn't up my alley, and this was no different. Tinge of nuttiness to it. Man I wish the clove aspect wasn't so aggro here. That seems to be my least favorite aspect of this beer. Take that away and I think my appreciation goes way up. You coulda called this beer Clove-A-Cola.
May 22, 2020
Photo of daliandragon
Reviewed by daliandragon from Maryland

4.09/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Cellared for the better part of five years, this should be the ideal companion to another Covid night. Kind of malt glazed with sweet dark fruits in the nose. Healthy wait time on the head. Flavors are complex, and a little understated compared to more raw recent versions. Woody and yeasty possibly due to the aging. Really mellow version overall, with very pleasant resididuals
Apr 26, 2020
Photo of niknot
Reviewed by niknot from Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L: dark, porter like color. Deep brown to the rim.

S: lacking here, but cola and dried fruit is prominent.

T: this is where this beer shines. Super deep after almost 5 years. Surrounded by plums, prunes, dried cherries, and malt. This would make a fantastic float with vanilla ice cream...but probably a waste of the bottle.

F: effervescent and light. Not a beer that hangs on the palate.
Feb 03, 2020
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Cola colored, huge rocky tan head, retention ain't so great, spotty lace
Dried figs and prunes, a little bit of cola-like spiciness in the aroma
It kinda tastes like spicy Dr. Pepper.
On the leaner side of things, good carbonation
Not bad for a $5 750 over a year past its best by date
Dec 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.93 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Dec 16, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Oct 28, 2018
Photo of claminat420
Reviewed by claminat420 from Michigan

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
750ml bottle poured heavily into a imperial stout glass. best before 09/04/18 then J04152020QFL marked on shoulder of bottle.

Appearance- typical stout color with a tan head. frothy head at first then dissipates quickly with minimal lacing.

Aroma- raison, prune, maybe burnt caramel. slight booze.

Taste- malty just like the aroma. abv is more pronounced in the smell and more muted in the flavor.

Mouthfeel- solid medium body. good carbonation. alil slick.

Drinkability- easily going to kill the two 750ml bottles tonight.

Overall- i was worried about the quick head disappearing that this brew would be flat but it's not. it's pretty much dead on description. glad i aged this to near best before date.

P.S. why isn't this listed under unibroue when on the back of the bottle it says brewed by unibroue chambly, quebek, canada?
Aug 19, 2018
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.11/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
750 ml bottle with a Unibroue cork and cage seal served in a pint glass. BB date of 3-10-2018. Revisited in December 2019 - well past the claimed BB date but this cellared bottle seems to have improved over the younger bottle.

Loosening the cork immediately resulted in a vigorous pop but no ale rose out the top of the bottle. A gentle pour produced a moderate size, overly bubbly head that slowly settled to a durable, creamy, beige top. (Smaller, weaker head in 2019). The very dark reddish brown body is clear but essentially opaque in the glass.

Good mouthfeel with a creamy smooth feel in a full body. Lively but soft carbonation. Some alcohol warmth.

The aroma is spicy, yeasty and complex. Moderately strong.

Flavor: dark fruits and spices come to the fore in a complex array of spice, yeast, grain and fruit notes. Nice but too much spicing. Bitter and sweet present in about equal measure. (Older bottle was apparently sweeter).
Jul 01, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sweffin from Wisconsin

Mar 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.88 by gobuccos from Ohio

Dec 17, 2017
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.04/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a very dark reddish brown with fine, two finger light khaki head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of bready lightly caramel malt, plums, figs, Belgian yeast and clove. Flavor is dry caramel malt, fresh and dried plums, fruitcake, figs and dates, Belgian yeast and clove. Nice light to moderately creamy body with sharp carbonation. I've been buying this now for a decade and believe that this improves for two to three years, then levels off and starts to get a little cardboardy. This bottle in the sweet spot, and shows a little mellowing of the flavors, although the clove is still quite dominant. The best improvement is to the body, which has a nice, mouth pleasing light creaminess to it that adds a lot to the already full flavors. Although this ale differs slightly year to year, it seems like pretty much the same recipe. This is a particularly good one and has become quite balanced and integrated with time. This is not only a very nice holiday ale, but is a great bargain at Trader Joe's price. Unibroue does a fine job on these.
Nov 21, 2017
Photo of gandres
Reviewed by gandres from Philippines

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Wednesday, December 21, 2016 10:09 PM
750 mL bottle poured to tulip glass
Sight: Pale, bright yellowish, large off white foam, hazy
Smell: fragrant, fruity, nice aroma
Taste: very good, balance - medium to low bitterness
Mouthfeel: very good, long follow through, bitter after taste
Overall: excellent beer, repeat, look for yes
Oct 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Aug 03, 2017
Photo of Beginner2
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois

4.26/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I bought 3 of this vintage. I couldn't wait to have the first during the 2015 holidays. A quick disappointment. It needed to mellow. I had the second about four months later. The blending of flavors was hardly complete, tho clearly better.
This last one I had 18 months before TJ's Best By date of 3 years and it was more than fine.

Keeps its Looks, even by the second day. Aroma is still all fruit. Taste is surprisingly not sweet, very balanced. Feel is luscious (and I don't say that often.)
OA. Any BSDA that costs this little and mellows this much is my friend... and I hope for many more years. Maybe I should buy a case of 2016 and give it as presents !
Mar 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by atrocity from Virginia

Mar 01, 2017
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

3.84/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Black with a tan head, thin ring of retention.

Aroma is sweet and spicy, alcohol is hidden.

Cola-like caramel sweetness is up front and lingers. Not a bad brew, but that kinda spoils it for me.

Moderate body has a light residual sweetness, with a dry finish.
Jan 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by TheHopsman from Nebraska

Jan 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by token_23223 from Virginia

Jan 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.74 by DamienI from Washington

Dec 30, 2016
Trader Joe's 2015 Vintage Ale from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 99 ratings