Trader José Light Lager
Trader Joe's Brewing Company

Trader José Light LagerTrader José Light Lager
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From:
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Light Lager
Ranked #105
ABV:
3.9%
Score:
66
Ranked #28,243
Avg:
2.71 | pDev: 21.4%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
77
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 23, 2023
Added:
Oct 18, 2009
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
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Ratings by RonaldTheriot:
Photo of RonaldTheriot
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana

3.5/5  rDev +29.2%
Trader José Light has a thick, white head, a mostly clear, golden appearance, with bubble streams, decent lacing, and noticeable tiny white specs roiling about. Aroma is of fairly rich, barley malt, sweetness, and even an odd (but, not bad) syrupiness. Taste is of faint malt, sweetness, cracker, and a touch of balancing hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is light and a bit slick, and Trader José Light finishes crisp and easy drinking. I find this to be a better-than-average light lager.

RJT
Aug 26, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

3.06/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
This one pours a very light and dull looking golden color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This smells pretty much exactly like what it’s supposed to taste like – a light and kinda refreshing Mexican lager. It’s corn-like, lightly sweet, mostly crisp, and just unbelievably watery. It’s a passable version of a flawed style, so take whatever you want from that.

This is very light bodied and extremely thin, with a pretty good easy drinkability.

It’s hard to rate this one, because it’s decent for the style, but the style is kinda terrible.
Oct 23, 2023
 
Rated: 2.11 by Keith27614 from North Carolina

Mar 12, 2023
 
Rated: 2.42 by Lucnifter from California

Dec 20, 2022
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

2.87/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours yellow orange with a fluffy white head. Smells of adjunct grain, not much else. Tastes of light adjunct grain, not very full. Beer is light bodied but watery, good carbonation. Overall, a below average beer.
Oct 31, 2022
 
Rated: 3 by cryptichead from Illinois

Oct 01, 2022
 
Rated: 2.99 by Rollmeaway2loadout from Illinois

Mar 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3 by AndrewFord666 from Illinois

Oct 24, 2021
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.07/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
this one requires a lime, and it mandates being ice cold, but with those two qualifiers, its pretty solid, cured a dry and thirsty mouth pretty well, and is very light on the cheap and off flavors this style at this price can often present. its clear and bubbly and even sports a little head, its thirst quenching because its dry, and as these go, its relatively clean. its definitely lacking a little something compared to the original version, seems just a bit too stripped down, devoid of character, but it remains simple in a good way, and with the lime, its got enough flavor. i like this more for what it isnt than for what it is, no real metallic or plastic or chemical elements, and there is no linger on the swallow. the clear bottles are fun and summery, and this works with everything from seafood dumplings to marijuana, just a palate cleanser, a refresher, and a ripper, but it needs to be frosty cold, it warms up less flattering, so keep them on ice and drink them quick. great value here at like seven bucks a six pack, hard to be too picky at that price point...
Aug 10, 2021
 
Rated: 1.81 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Mar 17, 2021
 
Rated: 2.5 by nosnatef from Oregon

Feb 09, 2021
Photo of chum_husk
Reviewed by chum_husk from Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
11.2oz bottle from the place to be

Bought this not expecting much, as it is a knock-off of Corona Light - which is not a great beer. But this was surprisingly tasty and unskunked. It was a very fresh bottle (best before date is 9+ months from now), so I'm sure that's why it wasn't skunky. The body is very light, but it actually has /some/ body and character, unlike corona. Taste is grain and slight corn, with a weird finish that is more malt than hops, and actually tastes a little rotten

Other than the off-flavors in the finish - it was great, and those weird flavors can (hopefully) be chalked up to batch variation. I would buy this again for the light beer drinking times. Painfully underrated on here and twice the beer that Corona claims to be.
Jan 21, 2021
Photo of 1009
Reviewed by 1009 from Massachusetts

1.7/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2.25 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.75
Ok well, we kinda knew what we were getting into but had to try it. While perusing the aisles of Trader Joe’s, picking up some odds and ends this beer called my name. We just had to get it. It was about as good as you’d expect a national grocery store chain Mexican Lager to be. Drank without a lime (we would advocate for a citrus fruit friend here) it was rather hard to get down and certainly did not leave us running back to the store to grab more. It was worth a shot at half the price of Corona. You get what you pay for. Trader No Way Jose.
Aug 30, 2020
 
Rated: 2.5 by AndrewBuffalo from Illinois

Feb 20, 2020
Photo of elNopalero
Reviewed by elNopalero from Michigan

1.56/5  rDev -42.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.5
One more adjunct lager for the reviews. This has been an ...interesting experience.

I get a lot of corn water on this. Thin, little character, skunky finish. Pass.
Nov 29, 2019
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

3.94/5  rDev +45.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a light, crisp, yet full-bodied golden color with a nice and strong white head that fades appropriately quickly. SRM of 7. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of pale cereal malt, rice, white bread, malt liquor, and slight earthy floral/grass and stone. (3.75)

Flavor: Flavor has a strong white cracker and cereal taste. It's tons of Corn Flakes, Special K and a touch of Wheaties. Yet it's actually a pretty good flavor. Some WONDER bread too. Sometimes, slightly skunked due to the clear bottles which is annoying. Nice cereal flavor, yet a nice dry finish. Smooth w& pale. (4.00)

Feel: Crisp and clean. Clean and smooth body. (4.00)

Compared to Labbatt Blue Light 6/13/20: Pours a slightly darker color. Milder aromas. More crackery and dry. Less sweet and lighter overall.

Compared to New Belgium's The Purist Lager 6/27/20: Pours a darker color with stronger aroma, flavor, and feel overall.

Compared to Coors Light in a can 8/20/20: Pours a slightly darker color. More oxidized earthy/skunked notes. Less white cracker and sweat. Finishes more smooth and milky, slightly heavier.

Compared to Miller Light 10/28/20: Pours a similar appearance. Lighter aromas/flavors. More pale malt and cracker. Less suds/corn/yeast.

Compared to Coors Light 11/4/20: Pours a similar color. More malty aromas.

to Corona lager 6/14/21: A larger head. Milder aromas. Slightly lighter and less bread malt.

Overall: I am impressed by his beer. A great pale white cereal flavor in my opinion. The cereal flavor is pretty bland with hints of earth, but it actually quite simple and nice for a change. It's not going to wow any craft beer drinkers, but pleasantly light and nice. (Rating relative to within the style, Final Rating: 3.94)
*Compare to a rice lager*
Aug 31, 2019
 
Rated: 3 by EdmundBlackadder from Ohio

Jul 11, 2018
Photo of Tone
Reviewed by Tone from Missouri

2.29/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25
Pours a hazy gold color. 1/2 inch head of an off-white color. Good retention and great lacing. Smells of strong Euro yeast, sulfur, hint of pale malt, and corn. Fits the style of a Light Lager, though is appears to more closely resemble a Euro Pale Lager. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. There is also an elevated dryness. Tastes of Euro yeast, sulfur, hint of pale malt, and corn. Overall, worse than average Light Lager.
Mar 15, 2018
Photo of Nvrmind16
Rated by Nvrmind16 from California

2.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Add a lime, for goodness sake
Jan 19, 2018
Photo of Spikester
Reviewed by Spikester from Oregon

4.02/5  rDev +48.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Clear pale gold with three fingers of white head that lasts about five minutes. Rings of lace as the head drops.
Smell is malty with a touch of herbal hops.
Taste is similar to the smell with the herbal hop bitterness growing a bit.
Mouthfeel is light with good carbonation. The finish is lightly dry and balanced.
Overall a tasty light Mexican lager. Bet before 08/21/18. Very fresh. I will buy this again when wanting a light beer.
Jan 15, 2018
Trader José Light Lager from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 66 out of 100 with 77 ratings