Alternate Dimension
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- From:
- Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Altbier
- ABV:
- 5.6%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.65 | pDev: 10.14%
- Reviews:
- 27
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Feb 23, 2020
- Added:
- Jan 05, 2018
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 13
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio
3.92/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter via a friend from work---Cheers Jim!
This mighty nice little alt pours a medium dark brown with a nice head of
off white foam that settles to a thick ring, thin light dusty layer, and sports
some nice sudsy lacing. Nose of roasted nutty malts, subtle coffee, subtle
char, light notes of dark breaded malts, and subtle herbal notes. Flavors
surpass the nose with a mild touch of chocolate, balanced dark breaded malt
flavors, touches of coffee, light char, and dark tea notes with balanced herbal
hops. Nice mouth feel; medium light body, medium carbonation, and a
moderately dry finish.
Overall, a SOLID alt I would definitely try next time you are at
a Trader Joe's.
Cheers
Jan 28, 2020This mighty nice little alt pours a medium dark brown with a nice head of
off white foam that settles to a thick ring, thin light dusty layer, and sports
some nice sudsy lacing. Nose of roasted nutty malts, subtle coffee, subtle
char, light notes of dark breaded malts, and subtle herbal notes. Flavors
surpass the nose with a mild touch of chocolate, balanced dark breaded malt
flavors, touches of coffee, light char, and dark tea notes with balanced herbal
hops. Nice mouth feel; medium light body, medium carbonation, and a
moderately dry finish.
Overall, a SOLID alt I would definitely try next time you are at
a Trader Joe's.
Cheers
Rated by AleManDan from California
4.07/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.07/5 rDev +11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I loved this! Flavorful and medium bodied with plenty of hops and then a fun, dry finish. What the?! I need to try more altbiers!
Nov 24, 2019
Rated by BlackBeerDown from Arkansas
4.55/5 rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.55/5 rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Good Altbier. Now that we got a Trader Joe's, I will be drinking this early and often.
Nov 21, 2019
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas
3.58/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.58/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Dark amber body, opaque to light, and verging on black, sports a dense light tan head of an inch or so, with excellent retention. Belgian-style lacing adorns the glass walls.
Aroma: Burnt caramel and dark bread dominate the aroma. There is a slight roasted nut character, as well.
Taste: The taste begins with slightly burnt caramel and dark bread notes. As the taste progresses, there is a hint of roasted nuts,, as well as the crust of toasted dark bread. Later in the taste, the hops, mild and herbal, begin to assert. Finishes with an earthy and lightly charred note.
Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and very full, with faint, delicate carbonation.
Drinkability/notes: Very nice, and quite a bargain at $6.49 for a six-pack.
Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce brown glass longneck bottle, with a pop off crown. Served in a South American-style Pilsener glass.
Jul 07, 2019Aroma: Burnt caramel and dark bread dominate the aroma. There is a slight roasted nut character, as well.
Taste: The taste begins with slightly burnt caramel and dark bread notes. As the taste progresses, there is a hint of roasted nuts,, as well as the crust of toasted dark bread. Later in the taste, the hops, mild and herbal, begin to assert. Finishes with an earthy and lightly charred note.
Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and very full, with faint, delicate carbonation.
Drinkability/notes: Very nice, and quite a bargain at $6.49 for a six-pack.
Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce brown glass longneck bottle, with a pop off crown. Served in a South American-style Pilsener glass.
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin
3.8/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours a dark, black cherry, coca cola color, but even darker with a mild tan head. SRM of 22. (4.00)
Aroma: Heavy aroma of deep charcoal, baked caramel, cinnamon bread, molasses, grass, a touch of dark red fruit, finishing with a smooth molasses finish. Definite smokey qualities. (4.00)
Taste: Woodsy upfront. Then caramel, licorice, and rich red apple. Tons of Munich malts and woodsy notes. Licorice? Molasses? You bet. Roasty toffee & heavy caramel, and some burnt toast too leaving a pleasant bitterness. A nice smokey tobacco in the middle and end. Finishes mostly sweet, but dark fruit, hop bitterness is definitely present. A touch of cocoa. A lot of molasses and tobacco flavor. Sort of reminds me of a cocoa and smokey flavored Anchor Steam (3.75)
Feel: Lighter bodied, low carbonation, but has a decent body. (3.50)
Compared with Anchor Steam 3/19/20: Pours a much darker color. More roasty cocoa, cinnamon, french toast rather than red fruit and pine. Flavor is more roasty and smokey cocoa, cinnamon, French toast rather than red fruit and caramel. Similar caramel notes though which makes it difficult to distinguish. A more bitter and cleaner finish rather than malty. Similar and might be worth another comparison sometime.
Compared to Trader Joe's Dark Lager 4/11/20: Pours a darker color. Stronger aromas. More smokey tobacco and molasses. Less caramel notes. Although finishes heavier, fuller, and sweeter. Can't say there's a winner.
Overall: A very nice, and heavy-hitting Altbier. It has the strong, delicious Munich malt flavors. If there's not baked caramel is it really a Munich malt? To me it tastes like molasses, smoking tobacco, & a caramel body. Decent hop bitterness, but more subdued than an American amber. Yes, drinks like a more hop focused and and darker and sweeter than a California common. Has a definite smokey quality. Tobacco, molasses on top of a German malt and caramel foundation. (Final Rating: 3.80)
May 08, 2019Aroma: Heavy aroma of deep charcoal, baked caramel, cinnamon bread, molasses, grass, a touch of dark red fruit, finishing with a smooth molasses finish. Definite smokey qualities. (4.00)
Taste: Woodsy upfront. Then caramel, licorice, and rich red apple. Tons of Munich malts and woodsy notes. Licorice? Molasses? You bet. Roasty toffee & heavy caramel, and some burnt toast too leaving a pleasant bitterness. A nice smokey tobacco in the middle and end. Finishes mostly sweet, but dark fruit, hop bitterness is definitely present. A touch of cocoa. A lot of molasses and tobacco flavor. Sort of reminds me of a cocoa and smokey flavored Anchor Steam (3.75)
Feel: Lighter bodied, low carbonation, but has a decent body. (3.50)
Compared with Anchor Steam 3/19/20: Pours a much darker color. More roasty cocoa, cinnamon, french toast rather than red fruit and pine. Flavor is more roasty and smokey cocoa, cinnamon, French toast rather than red fruit and caramel. Similar caramel notes though which makes it difficult to distinguish. A more bitter and cleaner finish rather than malty. Similar and might be worth another comparison sometime.
Compared to Trader Joe's Dark Lager 4/11/20: Pours a darker color. Stronger aromas. More smokey tobacco and molasses. Less caramel notes. Although finishes heavier, fuller, and sweeter. Can't say there's a winner.
Overall: A very nice, and heavy-hitting Altbier. It has the strong, delicious Munich malt flavors. If there's not baked caramel is it really a Munich malt? To me it tastes like molasses, smoking tobacco, & a caramel body. Decent hop bitterness, but more subdued than an American amber. Yes, drinks like a more hop focused and and darker and sweeter than a California common. Has a definite smokey quality. Tobacco, molasses on top of a German malt and caramel foundation. (Final Rating: 3.80)
Reviewed by secondtooth from Indiana
3.53/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Very dark brown with thick khaki head and lovely, detailed lace.
Aroma: Toasty malts, not bad.
Taste: Malty but not sweet. Hints of dark fruit lurking underneath. Solid and enjoyable.
May 02, 2019Aroma: Toasty malts, not bad.
Taste: Malty but not sweet. Hints of dark fruit lurking underneath. Solid and enjoyable.
Rated by sokol_1993 from California
3.33/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.33/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Too viscous and smokey.
Apr 15, 2019
Reviewed by paging12 from Virginia
4.16/5 rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle from Trader Joe's poured into a Stange glass/
L: Dark, almost brown, amber. Nice color.
S/T: Roasted toffee, coffee, sweet maltiness.
F: A little heavier, some good sparkle.
O: I liked this. A good surprise. A good dark beer. Like a porter.
Mar 23, 2019L: Dark, almost brown, amber. Nice color.
S/T: Roasted toffee, coffee, sweet maltiness.
F: A little heavier, some good sparkle.
O: I liked this. A good surprise. A good dark beer. Like a porter.
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