Trader Joe's Vintage Ale (2008)

Vintage Ale (2008)

 

Trader Joe's in Monrovia, California, United States 🇺🇸

Brewed at/by: Unibroue
  Belgian Style - Dubbel Rotating Out of Production
Score
7.21
ABV: 9.0% IBU: - Ticks: 20
The Trader Joe’s 2008 Vintage Ale is a brown Belgian-style ale of great distinction produced by traditional top fermentation methods resulting in a rich and full-bodied flavor. The Champagne-like effervescence and smooth moth feel are the result of a natural secondary fermentation in the bottle obtained by the use of carefully selected yeast. This deep brown color vintage ale, with a tint of red hue displays effervescent generous beige foam. It has notes of coffee and spices, mild aroma of tropical fruits. Trader Joe’s 2008 Vintage Ale has a smooth round mouth feel and notes of roasted malt, carrying toffee-like flavor, finishing with well balanced noble hops. True to it’s Abby Dubbel style, this year’s vintage ale offers a highly distinctive flavor enhanced by the fruity and floral notes of the yeast. The result is a complex and warming ale that offers both strength and subtlety. Brewed once a year in limited quantity, please enjoy Trader Joe’s 2008 Vintage Ale. This ale will age exceptionally over time, developing more complex flavor as the years go by. Exclusively bottled for Trader Joe’s. Best before 09-09-2011.
 

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6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle, shared @ jbrus’s place. Yeasty, slightly vinous aroma with toffee, butter and citrus. Caramelly, almost vinous flavor, slightly alcoholic and yeasty. Malty beer with marzipan.Absolutely not bad.

Tried from Bottle on 26 Aug 2019 at 16:24


7.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle shared by the always generous Hannont. Pours a murky brown color with a large white head. A big toffee and spicy nose. Sweet, oxidation, dark caramel and toffee, berries, bready paper. Solid. Still very good.

Tried from Bottle on 15 Oct 2017 at 22:59


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

From the February 2014 3R6P tasting +++ Sampled from a 750 ml corked brown bottle this beer poured a hazy caramel-brown color with a large fluffy tan head that faded quickly and left no lacing. The aroma was cola, wood, dark fruits, yeast and the typical Unibroue house character. The flavor was cola, fig, cherry, yeast and Unibroue house notes. Medium length cola, cherry and wood finish. Moderately full bodied. Solid.

Tried from Bottle on 05 Feb 2014 at 07:58


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle - Caramel, dark fruit, grains and yeast. Clear amber with a medium head. Brown sugar, dark fruit and a light sourness. Like a Belgian strong in taste. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Tried from Bottle on 20 Jul 2013 at 18:08


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

750mL bottle, pours a hazy dark amber with a medium off-white head. Aroma is quite subtle, with some light spices, mild dark fruits, and some Belgian candied sugar. Flavour is very, very similar to the 2007, with dark fruits upfront, some brown sugar, caramel, and more dark fruits. If I tasted this is a blind tasting, I'd likely not be able to tell the difference from the 2007. Fairly restrained carbonation, as the 2007 vintage, with the fruitier tones upfront and quite complex. Stronger flavour than the 2006, and like the 2006 and 2007, this has not suffered at all from age. Excellent stuff.

Tried from Bottle on 26 Dec 2012 at 00:34


7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle on 01/15/2011 at the 13th Richmond Gathering. Clear dark brown body with a small tan head. Sweet spice flavor with some fruity notes. Sweet malt flavor with belgian spice. Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Tried from Bottle on 12 Jul 2011 at 05:50


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

750 mL bottle shared at Richmond Gathering 13 by maniac. Thanks! Pours a hazy copper color with fine floating particles. Thin head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of yeast, toffee, faint chocolate, faint berries. The taste is toffee, caramel, peppery yeast notes, faint smoke, berries. Medium bodied.

Tried from Bottle on 15 Jan 2011 at 15:47


7
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Courtesy of kiefdog. Pours clear copper with tall off white head. The aroma has spicy yeast, apples, coriander like spices and sweet sugariness. The taste is really sweet with honey drenched ripe red apples then moving quickly into coriander and spicy yeastiness. It’s smooth with growing brightness into the finish leaning toward spiciness and apples.

Tried on 01 Jun 2010 at 16:33


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle: Poured a hazy deep brown color ale with a large off-white foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of typical Unibroue Belgian ester with deep rich malt with hints of candi sugar. Taste is also a nice mix between some rich Belgian malt with notes of candi sugar and that typical Unibroue ester. Body is quite full with great carbonation and no signs of alcohol. Very well done though quite similar to prior year vintage.

Tried from Bottle on 01 Dec 2009 at 18:55


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Brown bottle, 750 ml, best before 09-09-2011, via Philippe Boutin, savoured on May 3 2009; eye: brown with caramel and reddish reflections, hazy, nice effervescence, voluminous tan head made up of rather small bubbles, no lacing, average; nose: spices (including clove), yeast, malt, slight orange, caramel, slight lime; mouth: a bit thin, spices (including clove), malt, slight yeast, slight fruity, mix of tropical fruits, finale in spices with presence of malt, medium body, rather carbonated, slightly bitter and sweet, creamy texture, rich; overall: fine FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 750 ml, meilleure avant 09-09-2011, via Philippe Boutin, savourée le 3 mai 2009; œil : brune avec des reflets caramel et rougeâtre, voilée, belle effervescence, mousse fauve abondante formée de petites bulles, pas de dentelle; nez : épices (dont clou de girofle), levure, malt, levure, très léger orange, caramel, très léger lime; bouche : un peu mince, épices (dont clou de girofle; on dirait presque une bière de Noël), malt, très légère levure, très léger fruité, mélange de fruits tropical, finale en épices avec présence de malt, corps moyen, plutôt carbonatée, très légèrement amère et sucrée, texture crémeuse, riche; en résumé : bien

Tried from Bottle on 03 May 2009 at 16:00