Vintage Ale (2012)
Trader Joe's in Monrovia, California, United States 🇺🇸
Brewed at/by: UnibroueBelgian Style - Quadrupel / Dark Strong Rotating Out of Production
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Score
6.99
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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.
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.
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6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle during RBWG. Pours a dark brown with medium beige head that diminishes quickly. The aroma is brown sugar and dark fruit. Medium mouth, strong brown sugar, raisin, figs, and candy sugar finish. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 04 Mar 2015
at 09:11
8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7
Bottle (courtesy of NeoHippie2). Cinnamon, pepper, and malt aroma. Black with large tan head. Sweet spicy cinnamon/nutmeg and toffee malt flavor. Very lightly bitter herbal finish. Quite nice - finally a good Trader Joe’s beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Oct 2014
at 18:42
7.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle from TJ’s. Pours deep ruby black with a medium creamy beige head that dissipates slowly and laces well. Aroma is dark fruits, spices, toffee, some cocoa, figs. Flavor follows, medium sweet, little bitterness, spicy and fruity, with a lingering spicy finish. Getting a bit of clove or anise in there. Medium body, high carbonation. Quite a nice Belgian Ale, actually.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Apr 2014
at 21:42
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle: Poured a dark cloudy brown/burgundy color ale with a very generous foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma consists of candy-like ester with some Belgian-style malt. Taste is also dominated by some candy-like ester with some residual sugar notes with some heavy dark Belgian-style malt. Body is full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very enjoyable beer with good drinkability with nice complexity and beautiful ester. Glad they drop the coriander in this year’s version.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Feb 2014
at 16:14
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
750 ml bottle into signature tulip glass, best before 7/6/2015. Pours clear nearly opaque reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a lot of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of raisin, pear, apple, grape, clove, peppercorn, cardamom, coriander, orange peel, caramel, molasses, herbal, brown bread, toast, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of malt, spice, and yeast ester notes; with solid strength. Taste of raisin, pear, apple, grape, caramel, clove, coriander, orange peel, peppercorn, cardamom, molasses, toast, brown bread, herbal, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of light fruits, caramel, toast, clove, peppercorn, cardamom, coriander, orange peel, herbal, brown bread, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of malt, spice, and yeast ester flavors; with good flavor robustness and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly slick, smooth, and lightly syrupy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice spiced Belgian dark ale. All around good balance and complexity of malt, spice, and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Nov 2013
at 21:20
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
I have had this several times, and I am rating it from a bottle kept refrigerated and consumed on August 29, 2013. Still very well carbonated. Dark brown. The Unibroue house character is very strong in the aroma and flavor to the point it takes away from the other qualities of the beer. Rich and sweet with some spices, maybe clove and cardamom.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Aug 2013
at 15:02
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
750ml bottle pours out a dark brown topped with a small soap head. Aroma of pit fruit, house yeast, spice, sweetness, and a little heat. Taste is more of the sweetness, pit fruit, spice, and some tart.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Jul 2013
at 19:30
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle thanks to Sarah! Pours a dark brown with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of dark fruit and dark grains with a bit of caramel and toffee and underlying. Flavor has a toffee and caramel note with a bit of dark grains and dark fruits.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 May 2013
at 17:25
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 7
Bottle shared by Phil
Appearance: Clear brown with a big tan head and some lacing
Aroma: Belgian malts, spices and dark fruit
Taste: Sweet, Belgium malts, candy, sugar and spices
Ok, but to spicy and sweet for me
Appearance: Clear brown with a big tan head and some lacing
Aroma: Belgian malts, spices and dark fruit
Taste: Sweet, Belgium malts, candy, sugar and spices
Ok, but to spicy and sweet for me
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Feb 2013
at 15:20
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Pours clear dark brown with an ample off-white ehad. Aroma of raisins, molasses, clove, caramel. Sweet spicy and complex flavor. Excellent as always.
Tried
on 03 Feb 2013
at 08:13