Vintage Ale (2011)
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
7.31
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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 ale 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 shilled, 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
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 shilled, 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
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7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
750 ml corked and caged bottle purchased at the Trader Joe’s in Kansas City, Missouri. Pour is a murky dark brown, with touches of ruby, and a one inch khaki head. The aroma is sweet malt, clove ginger spiced Belgian yeastiness. Malt starts the nose, though the yeast spice carries - particularly as the beer warmed. Taste is the full sweet malt flavors balanced nicely with the clove and ginger spice of the yeast and a mild roast underneath all of it. The sweetness is lasting, focus on apple and tropical fruit type sweetness. the palate is medium to heavy bodied, paired with a soft natural carbonation, full and long malt and yeast finish. Simple, straight forward flavor, well executed. I liked this, particularly from a value perspective, great bottle to share over the holidays.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Dec 2011
at 09:10
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
750ml corked bottle. $4.99. Deep brown-black with a big beige head. A pretty decent beer, a big Belgian style dark ale with some fruity spiciness. Some nice chocolate aroma comes out as it warms. An almost sugary, alcohol laced pineapple/ginger aftertaste. Cola, dark chocolate, champagne body. Not really so well executed, sort of a mess of flavors that don’t really balance out. Not quite Belgian quality, but better than most Stateside examples in terms of mouthfeel. OK,
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Dec 2011
at 01:09
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Pour is a dark brown with a large tan head. Aroma is a nice spice with Unibroue yeast and dark fruit. Flavor is dark candi sugar, ginger and spice. Finish has some more spice and clove. Probably the most spiced Trader Joes vintage. This was as good as all the rest but this one could probably use some age to tame that spice.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Dec 2011
at 17:01
7.8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
750 c&c from Trader Joes in Davis, CA. Cork came out with a decent pop. Pours very dark brown with a foamy/fizzy light tan head. Aroma is mostly spice with a touch of banana. Deep inhalation is fun, but doesn’t help with the definition. Nice aroma. Med plus body. It’s very spicey, but I think I still get some grassiness. For the rest it’s dark fruit and dark malt. Maybe a touch of kandi, though it seems balanced.. It’s just a bit harsh, but maybe that’s the spice level. Overall it’s just wonderful.
Tried
on 01 Dec 2011
at 15:14
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
750 mL bottle. Pours very dark brown with an off-white head. Aroma has gingery spice, cloves, a little dark fruit, perhaps nutmeg and cocoa. Flavor leads with the nutmeg and ginger, some cloves, apple, a little cocoa, raisin, and molasses. A pretty nice spiced beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Nov 2011
at 19:52
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Dark brown. Large but weak head. The aroma is liquorice, plums, alcohol and a little brown sugar. Nice and festive. Sweet start, but after that it might get a little bit watery in the middle, before picking up in the finish. Deep, dark fruitiness, candied orange peel, spices and Unibroue yeast. Dangerously drinkable.
Tried
from Can
on 16 Nov 2011
at 19:49