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Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2011

Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2011

Rated 3.214 by BeerPals
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Brewed by Unibroue

Chambly, Quebec, Canada

Style:  Belgian Strong Ale

9% Alcohol by Volume

Availability of this beer is unknown


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Dark ale brewed with spices and natural flavor added on lees Unique and limited edition, this Belgian style ale is crafted once a year as a special treat for those of you who appreciate flavorful, bottle-conditioned ales with character. This year's vintage: a rich, dark, and full-bodied ale with a fine and generous coffee-colored, beige foam. It's ready to enjoy right away and you may also wish to cellar a few bottles. It will evolve interestingly well, developing more complex flavors as the years go by. Keep the bottle upright in storage. Brewed with a delicate balance of noble hops, roasted malts and spices, this is a remarkably smooth ale with a wonderfully complex finish. It is best served slightly chilled, around 53 degrees Fahrenheit and pairs exceptionally well with grilled salmon steaks, curried lamb, beef or tuna au poivre. Crafted and bottled exclusively for Trader Joe's. Best before 7-6-2016.

ID: 46645 Last updated 1 month ago Added to database 13 years ago

Key Stats

65
percentile

0

Drunk

4

Reviews

0

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Statistics

Overall Rank19860
Overall Percentile64.6
Style Rank680 of 1241
Style Percentile45.2
Lowest Score2.5
Highest Score3.7
Average Score3.375
Weighted Score3.214
Standard Deviation0.000

Rating Distribution

Beer vs Style

4 Member Reviews

Recent | Card View | Table View
  • RAINMAN 892 reviews
    rated 3.7 12 years ago

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

    Pours dark, low beige ringlet head. Aroma is bready & sweet. Mouthfeel is carbonated and sweet. Flavors of spice mainly, along with a decent bite. Toally fun beer, especially for the price.

  • BEAV 1788 reviews
    rated 2.5 12 years ago

    Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

    750ml bottle, best before 07-06-2016. Pours brown with a pillowy light tan head that goes to a thin film that leaves a little lacing.

    The aroma is sweet bready chocolate malts with some banana notes from the yeast and some perfumey floral notes. Some spices come out some as it warms (corriander, ginger?).

    The flavor is similar - sweet sugary bready chocolate / caramel malts with earthy yeast and some banana. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with sharp spritzy carbonation.

    Overall, an OK Belgian. Just didn't mesh well with me.

  • SLOWRUNNER77 5682 reviews
    rated 3.7 13 years ago

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

    i agree with you J, but even so, this is just a nice deal at $5! nicely spiced, with a dry finishing belgian champagne like yeast strain. cocoa, dark fruit, aroma a little "dusty, but still very nice. abv hidden very well though the carbonation as always is a little much.

  • JLOZIER 671 reviews
    rated 3.6 13 years ago

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

    My friend brought this back from his trip to the big city where all the Trader Joe's live. Is it just me or do these seasonals all start to taste the same? It's like i knew what to expect out of this bottle before I even opened it. Dark ruby-brown body, copious head. Chocolate and toffee flavors, bready/yeasty aroma. Not as heavy on the spices as I remember past vintages being, but still some coriander, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The spices are really prevalent on the exhale. A bit of brandy-like alcohol flavor. I like these releases because the are good, dependable, and cheap. Well, this one was free. Never tried aging them, can't see them holding up well.

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