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Josephs Brau Winter Ride
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- From:
- Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Doppelbock
Ranked #121 - ABV:
- 7.5%
- Score:
- 82
Ranked #25,177 - Avg:
- 3.6 | pDev: 12.5%
- Reviews:
- 229
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 04, 2024
- Added:
- Feb 14, 2008
- Wants:
- 9
- Gots:
- 25
Also known as Josephs Brau Winterfest and Josephs Brau Winter Brew.
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a Winter Ride Double Bock brew! Made for us by a West Coast craft brewery with an affinity for traditional Bavarian fermentation techniques, this merrily malty lager is an excellent way to celebrate the season and get a little refreshment at the same time. Whether you’ve been busy hitting the slopes, walking through a winter wonderland, or even just dealing with the holiday rush, Winter Ride Double Bock Lager will help bring about the perfect ending to a perfect day.
With its sweet notes of dark, caramel-y malts, lightly bitter hops, and smooth, crisp finish, we find that this delicious Double Bock pairs especially well with big, intense flavors. Try sipping Winter Ride alongside a plate of Truffle Pecorino and a spread of spicy deli meats. Just make sure you giddy-yap before this Winter Ride comes to an end.
Come on, it’s lovely weather for a Winter Ride Double Bock brew! Made for us by a West Coast craft brewery with an affinity for traditional Bavarian fermentation techniques, this merrily malty lager is an excellent way to celebrate the season and get a little refreshment at the same time. Whether you’ve been busy hitting the slopes, walking through a winter wonderland, or even just dealing with the holiday rush, Winter Ride Double Bock Lager will help bring about the perfect ending to a perfect day.
With its sweet notes of dark, caramel-y malts, lightly bitter hops, and smooth, crisp finish, we find that this delicious Double Bock pairs especially well with big, intense flavors. Try sipping Winter Ride alongside a plate of Truffle Pecorino and a spread of spicy deli meats. Just make sure you giddy-yap before this Winter Ride comes to an end.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by GClarkage:
Reviewed by GClarkage from California
3.85/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.85/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
03/06/07- Purchased at Trader Joe's in San Mateo, CA
Presentation- 12oz bottle. Batch number and package date on the back label...nice. Poured into my Englander pint glass.
Appearance- Kind of a cherry-chestnut colored pour. Fairly clear. Not as dark as a doppel should be. Looks kinda watery. Head retention is very nice though and leaves a nice 1/5 inch creamy off white head throughout. Dots of lace are left behind.
Smell- Thick chocolate malty smell with hints of dark fruit. Slight mix of a doppel and english barleywine scent? Whatever it is, it's pretty nice.
Taste- Tons of chocolaty caramel goodness. Medium to heavier roasted malt backing. Almost to the burnt point, but not quite. Creamy, pretty thick and very flavorful.
Mouthfeel- As stated above. Thick and viscous. Goes down like a low grade molasses...quite a sugary coating left behind.
Drinkability- The best TJ's beer I've had to date. Very impressed. Definite bargain for $4.99 a six pack after the holidays on closeout. Wouldn't take it over a Celebrator, but it should be a staple in a every day doppelbock household if near a TJ's.
Mar 07, 2007Presentation- 12oz bottle. Batch number and package date on the back label...nice. Poured into my Englander pint glass.
Appearance- Kind of a cherry-chestnut colored pour. Fairly clear. Not as dark as a doppel should be. Looks kinda watery. Head retention is very nice though and leaves a nice 1/5 inch creamy off white head throughout. Dots of lace are left behind.
Smell- Thick chocolate malty smell with hints of dark fruit. Slight mix of a doppel and english barleywine scent? Whatever it is, it's pretty nice.
Taste- Tons of chocolaty caramel goodness. Medium to heavier roasted malt backing. Almost to the burnt point, but not quite. Creamy, pretty thick and very flavorful.
Mouthfeel- As stated above. Thick and viscous. Goes down like a low grade molasses...quite a sugary coating left behind.
Drinkability- The best TJ's beer I've had to date. Very impressed. Definite bargain for $4.99 a six pack after the holidays on closeout. Wouldn't take it over a Celebrator, but it should be a staple in a every day doppelbock household if near a TJ's.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.24/5 rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.24/5 rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
12oz can from Trader Joe's. Dark, clear brown pour, thin creamy beige head sticks around. Light malty aroma, brown bread, faint winter spice. Taste is sweet toasty malts with a touch of savory spice.
Dec 26, 2023Reviewed by harrypowers from Massachusetts
3.77/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark brown with a 1F head and light lacing.
Smells and tastes of toasted sweet malt and caramel with a slightly bitter boozy warm finish.
Medium body with light carbonation. Slightly syrupy mouthfeel.
This is a decent , sweet unnuanced brew.
Nov 27, 2023Smells and tastes of toasted sweet malt and caramel with a slightly bitter boozy warm finish.
Medium body with light carbonation. Slightly syrupy mouthfeel.
This is a decent , sweet unnuanced brew.
Reviewed by BAKOJAX from California
4.6/5 rDev +27.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5
4.6/5 rDev +27.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 5
It poured nicely in my opinion, nice amount of head and color. Liked the taste so much that I went back and bought all four of the sixpacks left after originally buying two.
Jan 08, 2023Reviewed by KP7 from Massachusetts
3.51/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.51/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
This was surprisingly decent. Or maybe it was just all of the holiday cheer I had before it. It could definitely use more depth, but I would pick this over a lot of what passes for beer these days.
Dec 25, 2022Reviewed by KenjiN from Massachusetts
3.12/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1
3.12/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1
Mahogany-colored brew with yellow head. Meaty, brothy, savory aroma. Taste is reminiscent of beef broth. This double bock is filling and warming. It doesn't have the complexity of the best doppelbocks, but it is great for the price.
Dec 14, 2022Reviewed by BillAfromSoCal from California
3.44/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.44/5 rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Medium brown with 2 finger tan head of relatively short longevity and no lacing in a mug. Some caramel+malt on smell and taste but a bit of unexpected bitterness on the back end. medium body. Inexpensive but I got what I paid for…low price for a lower tier beer.
Dec 13, 2022Reviewed by maltmaggot from California
3.23/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.23/5 rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Winter ride, huh..? Well the first few drinks I had of this and my sleigh went off into the trees and hit a stump.
L: Beautiful mahogany brown with garnet highlights, kaki head with minimal lacing
S: Crème de caramel, banana, grains and light spices, vaguest hint of chocolate
T: For the style, watery. You know that thick bready malt backbone that doppels are known for? No where in the vicinity. In place of this is a watered down booziness that is not at all smooth. Sticky, yes. Not full and rich, but flat and insipid, all washed out with a vague fusel sting.
F: The feel of this I think is not bad, but could stand a bit more viscosity.
O: I know if it wasn't labeled 'doppelbock', I wouldn't have been paying as much attention. However, though it has the trappings of this style, it fails to deliver where it counts. You know, the taste.
Dec 10, 2022L: Beautiful mahogany brown with garnet highlights, kaki head with minimal lacing
S: Crème de caramel, banana, grains and light spices, vaguest hint of chocolate
T: For the style, watery. You know that thick bready malt backbone that doppels are known for? No where in the vicinity. In place of this is a watered down booziness that is not at all smooth. Sticky, yes. Not full and rich, but flat and insipid, all washed out with a vague fusel sting.
F: The feel of this I think is not bad, but could stand a bit more viscosity.
O: I know if it wasn't labeled 'doppelbock', I wouldn't have been paying as much attention. However, though it has the trappings of this style, it fails to deliver where it counts. You know, the taste.
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio
4.18/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Good grief---this one was unexpected!
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter via Trader Joe's. This solid doppel pours a
nice dark mahogany with a very nice head of khaki foam that settles to a thick
ring, thin swirling layer, and shows some light lacing. Nose of toffee, caramel,
dark breaded malts, and touches of cherry and fig. Flavors are outstanding with
dark brown sugars, caramel, toffee, dark breaded malts, cherry, fig, date, and light
herbal hop notes. Very nice mouth feel; medium verging on medium light body, smooth,
rich, lightly warming, and finishing sweet with balanced herbal hop touches.
Overall----WOW. An unexpected stunner!
Cheers
Feb 17, 2022From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter via Trader Joe's. This solid doppel pours a
nice dark mahogany with a very nice head of khaki foam that settles to a thick
ring, thin swirling layer, and shows some light lacing. Nose of toffee, caramel,
dark breaded malts, and touches of cherry and fig. Flavors are outstanding with
dark brown sugars, caramel, toffee, dark breaded malts, cherry, fig, date, and light
herbal hop notes. Very nice mouth feel; medium verging on medium light body, smooth,
rich, lightly warming, and finishing sweet with balanced herbal hop touches.
Overall----WOW. An unexpected stunner!
Cheers
Reviewed by Christianriveraaa
3.63/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.63/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A very dark brown pour with very little to no carbonation rising to the surface. The foam is about a fingers length - no very high. The nose is sweet - reminds me of a caramel toffee feel. Kind of like if you were to make this into bread. The taste has a strong Toffee taste to it with slight caramel flavor - the flavor is very strong as the high 7.5% of the beer sticks out very much. The feel is a bit different as I am accustomed to a stout. This is easier to drink I must say but like I said with 7.5% be careful as it will sneak up on you! Probably will buy again in the near future as it was a pretty good beer for the price.
Feb 17, 2022Reviewed by scootny from New York
3.64/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.64/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
"It's the malt, maltiest time of the year." A brownish red brew with a light tan head. Perfectly clear and decent lacing.
Low carbonation activity.
Nose is sweet with caramel and toffee. Caramel malt and brown bread with a light, earthy hop bite. Some dark fruit notes
Taste follows nose with a broad toasted,malty front. Lots of caramel, toffee, a hint of molasses. Some raisiny, plummish, fruitiness in mild proportion . Earthy hops give a clean finish with a nice crispness.
Feel is lighter than I find typical for a doppelbock with an easy drinking quality that lends itself to at least two or three at a go. Nice carbonation combines with the hop balance to make it surprisingly thirst quenching for a beer of this weight. With the abv of 7.5 watch out!
This is a solid holiday brew at a superior price point. Get a case when it shows up.
Jan 19, 2021Low carbonation activity.
Nose is sweet with caramel and toffee. Caramel malt and brown bread with a light, earthy hop bite. Some dark fruit notes
Taste follows nose with a broad toasted,malty front. Lots of caramel, toffee, a hint of molasses. Some raisiny, plummish, fruitiness in mild proportion . Earthy hops give a clean finish with a nice crispness.
Feel is lighter than I find typical for a doppelbock with an easy drinking quality that lends itself to at least two or three at a go. Nice carbonation combines with the hop balance to make it surprisingly thirst quenching for a beer of this weight. With the abv of 7.5 watch out!
This is a solid holiday brew at a superior price point. Get a case when it shows up.
Josephs Brau Winter Ride from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
372 ratings
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