Trader Joe's 2021 Vintage Spiced Ale
Trader Joe's Brewing Company

Pours deep dark coffee with huge beige colored fluffy billowing foamy cap from tall 750 ml corked bottle. Brewed once a year and cold aged almost 2-years in back fridge upright. Notes of sweet dark Belgium spice that continue to mature as it warms make for a nice 9% ABV strong dark Belgium style ale from TJ’s - brewed and bottled by Canada’s top notch Unibroue brewing.

A - Pours an opaque, near black body, just a hint of brown-red in the highlights, a very light tan head, a substantial pillow of dense, tight bubbles that hangs around. Lacing is small bubble, tracing lines across the glass.

S - A soft nose of baking spices, spun sugar, and dark fruits. Prunes and raisins, primarily.

T - Follows the nose, with the yeasts coming forward, bringing a baked bread element along with the sugar and dried fruit elements. A bit of bitterness, like grape skins, comes in with the finish, but the sweetness lingers.

M - This is shockingly easy to drink, with mild carbonation, fairly light body for the style and heft, and a clean quick finish that does not leave the palate burdened.

O - One of the better vintages, for this one, the TJ Spice Ale is one of my favorite Dark Strongs, and is so economical, it has become one of my go to brews that I stock up on. 2021 delivers on all the best qualities I've come to expect, coming across both rich and robust, while being so easy to drink, I always need to be careful with pacing. Solid.

I love these Trader Joe's imitation Belgians, but I wish they were more available. Finding them these days is the biggest rush of dopamine I still partake in

 

Look: Pour is a dark almost black look into the glass with thick foam. Had to let this one sit for a bit before I got to pour more once cracked the seal.
Smell: The nose resembles spices, malts,
Taste: Resembles a Christmas-y type of drink with a lot of spices, kind of dark bready towards the end. Dry finish very smooth. Can't taste the alcohol at all so be careful!
Feel: Medium to heavy bodied - A lot of carbonation.
Overall: Not bad! I wasn't expecting the beer to be this good but it is! Be careful as it's pretty easy to drink and might getcha off guard.

Look: Extremely dark brown, verging on black, and opaque. A massive 3-finger head of thick khaki foam.

Smell: Dried fruit and Christmas spices.

Taste: Dry, slightly bitter. Notes of plum and dark bread. Clean, somewhat coppery finish.

Mouthfeel: Full and extremely highly carbonated.

Overall: Smells better than it tastes, but still pretty good.

My first taste of 2021's Vintage Spiced Ale from Trader Joe's. BB 08-20-24. 750mL bottle served in the classic Chimay chalice. Aroma suggests toasted coconut to me, not a flavor I usually get from this as I recall. Definitely sweet and brown fruit. Rich fruity flavors too, with plums and candied pear. The spice is not as pronounced this year, with just a hint of cinnamon and allspice, and no detectable heat at all. I'm really impressed with this in its unaged form. The carbonation comes on a bit strong, which, disappointingly, detracts in this style, but maybe it will mellow out with age.

I've always enjoyed Trader Joe's winter collaboration with Unibroue, but this is the third year they've put it out as a "spiced" vintage ale. It's really been consistently excellent, and perhaps even better than it was at the height of the "Vintage Ale" times. I eagerly look forward both to aging this (though it's not needed) and comparing it side by side with an earlier vintage.

Poured dark brown into a glass, with a big, milkshake-reminiscent head. Tried at 37, drank slowly over an hour. Taste delivered on the look, but didn't amaze. Bottle suggested aging and serving warmer, that would probably be fun.

This One is pretty good. Though imagine Carl Winslow minus 100 pounds; I’m sure he’s still chill af, but he’s not the same without that body. And I wish this one here had a lil more depth.

Boom, baby.