Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2007

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Like other vintages, this is an ale I turn to around the holidays when I am looking for something less hoppy than my usual selections. It has a nice roasted malt tast and finishes well. Poured with a nice head, poured into a polycarb pilsner glass. Definitely pick a couple of these up when you are grabbing some cheese at Trader Joe's. They pair well together.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours with a deep red-brown body topped by a medium thick to thick head with a good amount of lacing. It’s sweet and malty with a spicy yeast note and slight fruity esters. Medium to full bodied, highly carbonated and a touch dry.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

definitely has a champagne like mouthfeel too it. all the spicyness and malty aroma you'd expect, with tight carboation, and a drier than expected finish. recommended.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Pours with a frothy, initially five-finger thick, light tan colored head that is a full finger above the rim of my glass. The beer is a deeply blackened, concentrated amber color that shows a brilliantly clear, ruby red hue when held up to the light. The aroma is an even mix of spices and candied malt / sugars. The spices are a bit earthy, softly savory, yet quite piquant; soft notes of cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, noticeable clove and a touch of young pickled ginger. The malt and sugar notes provide and accent ample notes of prunes, raisins, dried figs and a touch of tart plum, as well as soft notes of molasses, caramelized brown sugar, treacle, browned bread crust and toasty grain. This has quite an interesting aroma, it smells like desert with its concentrated fruit character and soft malt contribution.

Only lightly sweet when compared to the suggestions of the aroma, though this does have a fruity-sweet middle to it. Somewhat light bodied, which is also accented by an ample carbonation, especially when you take the strength into account. This pretty much captures the lightness of the better, higher alcohol, Belgian inspired brews. Spicy flavors of ginger, clove, fenugreek, nutmeg, pepper and light cardamom accentuated fruity notes of prunes, figs and light cherry notes. The alcohol provides a touch of warming to the finish, which couples with some spice driven turpene notes that are surprisingly smooth.

Much more balanced than the 2006 version. This has a really nice mix of fruit and spice; the spices are of the type one would add to deserts so it works quite well, if not a touch simplistic in it desert-like focus; though I should mention that this beer is not overly sweet, which is certainly a good thing.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Courtesy of Beerhunter: This beer pours a dark amber colour with a large tan head. mildly sweet, soft hop character, nutty aroma. Taste is of strong roaste malts, creamy with a silky finish.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This was nice. It poured a nice dark amber color with a firm beige head. Had a slightly sweet aroma with nice fruity esters in the flavor and a smooth finish.