Trader Joe's beer?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Oktoberfist, Sep 29, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Oktoberfist

    Oktoberfist Initiate (0) Nov 26, 2014 Pennsylvania
    Deactivated

    If this isn't the right spot, please move it. What Trader Joe's beers are worth getting? Will be traveling to NC this weekend and it appears they have beer in their stores down there.
     
  2. Billolick

    Billolick Grand Pooh-Bah (5,405) Dec 20, 2003 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Trader Jose"s dark and light ...not bad for the price ($6.99 for a sixer)
     
    Tripel_Threat likes this.
  3. thebeers

    thebeers Grand Pooh-Bah (5,393) Sep 10, 2014 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I can't speak to their year round brews, but I believe their Christmas one is brewed by Unibroue and is well worth getting if it's out this early (Vintage Ale). They often carry a good smattering of local and international beers, too.
     
  4. StoutSnob40

    StoutSnob40 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,467) Jan 4, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I had their Belgian Golden Ale once, and it was pretty tasty, actually.
     
    spicoli00 and Brutaltruth like this.
  5. GoodJuJu

    GoodJuJu Initiate (0) Sep 29, 2015 California

    From my experience no, granted I only had Boatswain IIPA. Price was right, but taste was not. Was so far off from a DIPA it tasted like liquid banana bread.
     
    gregcordle likes this.
  6. OldhouseRecs

    OldhouseRecs Pundit (980) Aug 3, 2012 North Carolina

    Most of the Josephs Brau label beers are solid and worth it for the price. You can buy any beer in store as a single bottle for no mark up ($9.00 six pack = $1.50 a bottle), which makes trying a variety of different beers feasible. The corked 750ml Trader Joe's belgian beers are brewed by Unibroue and worth trying ($5.99).

    I'd stay away from the Boatswain labels or any of the cheap beer labels that don't say Trader Joe's or some clever variation of that on the label. Those are bad in my experience. In the past they were contract brewed by Minhas in WI, though I'm not sure if that's still true. Mission St. brown ale is the best "generic" label beer they offer that doesn't say Trader Joe's on it.

    Other than that, they'll have a nice selection of local year-round and seasonal beers to try. Again, you can grab any beer out of a six pack and there won't be a single bottle markup. That's probably my favorite thing about Trader Joe's… besides the huge selection of good, affordable wines.
     
    5thOhio and Tripel_Threat like this.
  7. JouerAvecLeFeu

    JouerAvecLeFeu Pooh-Bah (1,946) Apr 17, 2015 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Society

    The Stockyard Oatmeal Stout and their annual Vintage Ale are worth picking up.
     
  8. SFNC

    SFNC Savant (1,085) Apr 7, 2013 North Carolina

    The Oatmeal Stout is good.
     
  9. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    $7 a six isn't that great a deal, I can get a good deal of craft stuff for a buck more. I've had some of their wine however which I've actually found to be pretty good for what it is at a great price.
     
    Gemini6 likes this.
  10. zappoman

    zappoman Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2014 Illinois

    Their Unibroue beers are great. I had the belgian golden ale the other night and it was great. The vintage ale is excellent and keeps well.
     
  11. bigorange

    bigorange Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Massachusetts

    I bought two bottles of their Boatswain DIPA and drank less than a pint of it.
     
  12. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    You're lucky, most of the craft beer in my area is upward from $10 a six these days. SN and Goose Island keep costs down, but everything else makes TJ's a huge bargain.

    To the OP -- as was mentioned: the Josephsbrau beers are re-labeled Gordon-Biersch German-style beers and are very good -- especially for the price.
     
  13. dmgallag

    dmgallag Zealot (593) Jun 3, 2014 Illinois

    Ditto with what has been stated. Stockyard stout is very solid. The best way to go after TJs is to make your own sixer and see what you like. Not a big investment and a nice way to relax after putting away the rest of your groceries.
     
    creepinjeeper and 5thOhio like this.
  14. anonymoose

    anonymoose Initiate (0) Sep 29, 2015 North Carolina

    Trader Joe's beer is very bad. Where in NC are you going?
     
    CJNAPS likes this.
  15. gmoneyproductions

    gmoneyproductions Initiate (0) Aug 12, 2015 Colorado

    saw a bottle of this in my dad's fridge last week in AZ
    glad i took a pass
    went to world market and found lagunitas little sumpin extra instead
     
    bigorange and Geuzedad like this.
  16. IckyT2012

    IckyT2012 Pooh-Bah (1,888) Oct 13, 2014 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    As far as I know, all Joe's beers are brewed by major breweries and given the Joe's label. I think Firestone Walker does a couple for them.

    Edit:
    I referenced my book - The Complete Beer Course
    "Head to Trader Joe's and buy the grocery store's house brand, Mission St. Pale Ale and IPA, which are Firestone Walker beers by another name. When SLO Brewing was bought, Firestone inherited the Mission St. and Nectar Ales beers, which were contract brewed at the facility. (Firestone has since sold Nectar Ales.) 'Firestone Walker wanted nothing to do with the contract brewing side,' Brynildson recalls. But Trader Joe's convinced the brewery to continue making the affordable Mission St. lineup, which also includes a hefeweizen, a blonde ale, and a brown ale."
     
    #16 IckyT2012, Sep 30, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 30, 2015
  17. dcotom

    dcotom Grand Pooh-Bah (5,503) Aug 4, 2014 Iowa
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I agree with the recommendations on the Vintage Ales. These are brewed by Unibroue, and are a great value at $5-6 for a 750. How can you go wrong?
     
  18. Tripel_Threat

    Tripel_Threat Grand Pooh-Bah (4,268) Jun 29, 2014 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    All of the above: Vintage and Golden are well worth it.

    For the love of God. Do. Not. Drink. The. Boatswain.
     
  19. scottakelly

    scottakelly Initiate (0) May 9, 2007 Ohio

    As mentioned, the Joseph's Brau beers are madebby Gordon Biersch and are very good at their price point.
     
    pro100, monkeybeerbelly and 5thOhio like this.
  20. LancetherealLeader

    LancetherealLeader Initiate (0) Jul 12, 2013 South Carolina

    I did that once. Worst beer ever!!
     
    Tripel_Threat likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.