-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Trader Joe's 2010 Vintage Ale
Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- From:
- Trader Joe's Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 9.2%
- Score:
- 85
- Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 13.19%
- Reviews:
- 150
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 31, 2020
- Added:
- Nov 19, 2010
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 75
Contract brewed for Trader Joe's. Often brewed by Unibroue.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jamex:
Reviewed by jamex from California
3.14/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3
3.14/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3
Wow, what a steal at $4.99. Bottle states 9.0% ABV. Brewed by Unibroue.
I had a heck of a time trying to pull the cork out. Had to resort to pliers. (EDIT: second bottle was also impossible to pull off by hand - grabbed pliers again).
Pours a nice, dark coffee. I poured a bit aggressively which gave me quite a head. Pour this guy gently. Let the head settle for 2-3 minutes which allowed the beer to slightly warm (I'm in San Diego and poured this outdoors).
Smells of a typical Belgium beer with some added dark fruits and dark wine. Some booziness as well.
Tastes like the smell; like a tripel with dark hints of fruit and perhaps banana.
The bottle states that this beer improves with age, and at $5 a bomber I might pick a few up and see. Definitely worth a five spot. (EDIT: Not sure I'd buy this again after the second bottle).
EDIT: I had to edit this because upon trying a second bottle, it was a bit of a mess. WAY over carbonated (almost like champagne) and the taste was a bit off. Maybe they are having consistency issues - who knows.
EDIT x2: Third bottle (a gift) and WTF - way over carbonated again. Meh.
Nov 21, 2010I had a heck of a time trying to pull the cork out. Had to resort to pliers. (EDIT: second bottle was also impossible to pull off by hand - grabbed pliers again).
Pours a nice, dark coffee. I poured a bit aggressively which gave me quite a head. Pour this guy gently. Let the head settle for 2-3 minutes which allowed the beer to slightly warm (I'm in San Diego and poured this outdoors).
Smells of a typical Belgium beer with some added dark fruits and dark wine. Some booziness as well.
Tastes like the smell; like a tripel with dark hints of fruit and perhaps banana.
The bottle states that this beer improves with age, and at $5 a bomber I might pick a few up and see. Definitely worth a five spot. (EDIT: Not sure I'd buy this again after the second bottle).
EDIT: I had to edit this because upon trying a second bottle, it was a bit of a mess. WAY over carbonated (almost like champagne) and the taste was a bit off. Maybe they are having consistency issues - who knows.
EDIT x2: Third bottle (a gift) and WTF - way over carbonated again. Meh.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Bonis from Ohio
4.05/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
So I stumbled upon this beer with a bb date of 9/10/2013 so I figured I better get to it. It has a deep brown color with a touch of red. Lots of fizzy bubbles. This smells a lot like a cola, no joke. Deep notes of sugary prunes and raisins, with hint of vanilla and nutmeg. That signature unibroue yeast aroma is there. The taste mimics the aroma fairly well, but there is a fruit tartness mixed in as well (possibly a sign this has beer has seen better days). I enjoyed this a lot more than I suspected. I've still got a couple 2011s so maybe I'll let one of those go for a few more years and see what happens.
Jun 18, 2014
Trader Joe's 2010 Vintage Ale from Trader Joe's Brewing Company
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
231 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!