-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- From:
- Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 86
- Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 15.97%
- Reviews:
- 96
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Oct 12, 2016
- Added:
- Dec 12, 2009
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 19
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by FatCaster:
Reviewed by FatCaster from Washington
3.43/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.43/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
I was a big fan of last year's Ale, so this has got some big shoes to fill.
A-Opaque black with a thick, lingering tan colored head. Bubbly but not foamy.
S-Yeast, brown sugar, dried apples.
T-Not really sure how to describe this...dark fruit or berry flavors with a slight bitter coffee taste. Perhaps a bit of citrus. You get a touch of the alcohol that lingers in your mouth. Pretty good, but not as good as last year's.
M-Not as thick as you'd think, burns a bit in the back of the throat.
D-Not super drinkable, but I'll still work my way through this bottle. Flavors are a bit too conflicting to be a volume drinker. Probably more of a sipping beer.
I'd pick it up and try it if you liked last year's, and I might get a bottle or two to age. It's still a hell of a deal. But it's not as good as 2008.
Dec 13, 2009A-Opaque black with a thick, lingering tan colored head. Bubbly but not foamy.
S-Yeast, brown sugar, dried apples.
T-Not really sure how to describe this...dark fruit or berry flavors with a slight bitter coffee taste. Perhaps a bit of citrus. You get a touch of the alcohol that lingers in your mouth. Pretty good, but not as good as last year's.
M-Not as thick as you'd think, burns a bit in the back of the throat.
D-Not super drinkable, but I'll still work my way through this bottle. Flavors are a bit too conflicting to be a volume drinker. Probably more of a sipping beer.
I'd pick it up and try it if you liked last year's, and I might get a bottle or two to age. It's still a hell of a deal. But it's not as good as 2008.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Rukasu from District of Columbia
3.98/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Continuing a tradition of opening these 3 years aged, perhaps waited a little long on this one. Stored in a dark area, refrigerated a day before opening.
A - Dark cola color with a light tan one finger head that diminishes to a thin lace on the surface.
S - Sweet candied fruits (pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango), caramel, pine, yeast.
T - A little musky with aging, but still a pretty good tasting brew. Sweet candied fruit tastes come through in the taste as well. Lots of pineapple and other tropical fruits. A bit of traditional holiday spices, orange, pine, cloves. Roasted malty aftertaste.
M - High alcohol leaves mouth a bit dry, but balances well with the sweetness of the beer.
O - Not bad despite the overaging. Unibroue rarely makes a bad beer and this one certainly stands up to the years, pleasant end of the year drink.
Dec 30, 2012A - Dark cola color with a light tan one finger head that diminishes to a thin lace on the surface.
S - Sweet candied fruits (pineapple, apricot, passion fruit, mango), caramel, pine, yeast.
T - A little musky with aging, but still a pretty good tasting brew. Sweet candied fruit tastes come through in the taste as well. Lots of pineapple and other tropical fruits. A bit of traditional holiday spices, orange, pine, cloves. Roasted malty aftertaste.
M - High alcohol leaves mouth a bit dry, but balances well with the sweetness of the beer.
O - Not bad despite the overaging. Unibroue rarely makes a bad beer and this one certainly stands up to the years, pleasant end of the year drink.
Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
131 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!