Trader Joe's 2011 Vintage Ale
Trader Joe's Brewing Company

Trader Joe's 2011 Vintage AleTrader Joe's 2011 Vintage Ale
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From:
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
9%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 13.95%
Reviews:
123
Ratings:
320
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 04, 2017
Added:
Nov 13, 2011
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  79
No description / notes.
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Ratings by wrycon:
Photo of wrycon
Reviewed by wrycon from Minnesota

3.82/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Heavily carbonated on the pour. Quite dark, almost black, but there's light on the edges. Looked more brown when poured. Nice finger of head that stays. Very tight lacing. Smells much lighter than its appearance. Some raisin, some mahogany, a little banana, some currant. Smells light some funk lingers underneath. Many flavors clash in the front - cinnamon, earthy malt, maybe plum, and then the clouds part and a robust sweetness holds court in the middle. Finishes with a spicy, nutmeggy (not a word) slide. There's considerable carbonation throughout, making it a very flavorful, but lighter brew. This is my first Trader Joe's Vintage Ale and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Like It? Yes.
Dec 27, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

2.95/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25
**
02/18/12
AROMA: Alcohol, sour fruIt
LOOK: Dark black, but clear. Large head; but short lived
TASTE: Sour cherry, smoke, Alcohol.
FEEL: much carbonation, a little sticky.
A sipping beer; Very "in-your-face", but good. A little too much raw liquour.

**
Jan 04, 2017
Photo of KEH
Reviewed by KEH from Michigan

4.39/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I aged this one for 5 years, and it aged fairly well! Still kept its carbonation, and I'd say the flavor mellowed out quite a bit. I find that when fresh, the flavor is a bit too sharp, with bright acidity. The spices were also a bit overpowering. All that seemed to have gone away. For the price, I really recommend folks to stock up on a few bottles and let them rest for at least a year.
Dec 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.96 by npachl from Wisconsin

Aug 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.73 by tommy5 from Michigan

Jun 05, 2016
Photo of SaltofOH
Reviewed by SaltofOH from Ohio

4.02/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottle BB 7/6/16. DFH Tulip.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, little visible carb., with 1 finger tan head.

Smell: Potent and complex layers of Belgian clove and fruity, grape-like phenols. Musty earthy background note.

Taste: Soft, surprisingly not sweet (compared to prior years) malty, clove, grape, vegetal savory notes are also present but quite subdued; mild sherry-like influence, somewhat clean very mild hop finish. Savory herbal/vegetal character lingers. Alcohol is not detectable.

Moutfeel: Very smooth, but modest carbonation was initially present. The yeast has really eaten up whatever sugar remained, and left a good bit of carb, but it dissipated fairly quickly, leaving just mild carb through most of the glass. Quite clean finishing, which is a real break from the past. No lingering bitterness.

Overall: This is probably the best of the TJ's Vintage Ales I've had. The others I found cloyingly sweet or high alcohol. This one aged very well, but did not cross the line (even five+ months after expiration) into soy sauce/bacon territory. Nice job Unibroue!
Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.78 by jrborchert74 from Michigan

Dec 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.34 by strohme2 from Michigan

Dec 20, 2015
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Aged for four years.

The beer pours a nice off-white head that dissipates quickly but leaves a nice covering of bubbles on the surface. The beer itself is an opaque dark brown, which is odd for the style but looks very nice, nonetheless.

The smell and taste have the same notes and are fairly good. However, the smell is better when compared to the taste. Both have have a nice dark fruit note that resembles figs or dates with a bit of raisin in it. The Belgian sugar note is more present in the smell than it is in the taste while the hop note is stronger in the taste and essentially non-existent in the smell. The taste is kind of a letdown compared to the taste because the malt notes aren't as strong.

The feel is a bit thin but the carbonation gives it a bit more texture than expected.

Overall, not a bad beer and most certainly better than some previous vintages.
Oct 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by Icemann383 from New York

May 04, 2015
 
Rated: 3.77 by jera1350 from Minnesota

Apr 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.68 by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

Mar 05, 2015
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml cork & wire bottle. "Best before" July 2016 date on bottle.
"Unibroue" stamped on the cork and cap ... a sufficient reason for me to buy this annually. A crescent wrench worked nicely to unseal and help remove the firmly seated cork.

Pours opaque, dark ruby-dark brown with a moderate size, foamy cappuccino-colored head that has excellent retention and leaves decent lacing.

I note that I can repeat a portion of my review of the 2010 version: "The aroma and the flavor both clearly indicate that this is a spiced ale. The exact combination of spices is unclear, but nutmeg and allspice seem most obvious, with hints of clove, ginger and cinnamon. ... the beer is a bit over-spiced [nutmeg or similar] for my taste. ... some raisin, prune and other dark fruit notes are evident."

The complex aroma correctly suggests that the the beer is lightly sweet. High ABV is decently hidden in both taste and smell.

M: smooth; very good, medium carbonation; high ABV mostly hidden excepting some warming and a light tongue bite.

O: A fine winter brew, with plenty of spicy complexity to enjoy in both the flavor and lingering aftertaste, and at a good price for a 750ml Unibroue.
Jan 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by Aaryah

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by cb8282 from Michigan

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by nathanmiller from New York

Dec 15, 2014
Photo of mabermud
Rated by mabermud from Washington

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
Descent, but not my style.
Nov 30, 2014
 
 
Rated: 4 by Wiz99 from Minnesota

Nov 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by spycow from Illinois

Oct 26, 2014
Trader Joe's 2011 Vintage Ale from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 320 ratings