Trader Joe's Vintage Ale (2006)

Vintage Ale (2006)

 

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

Brewed at/by: Unibroue
  Belgian Style - Quadrupel / Dark Strong Rotating Out of Production
Score
7.07
ABV: 9.0% IBU: - Ticks: 27
Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale is a dark Belgian style beer of great distinction produced by traditional top fermentation methods resulting in a rich and full-bodied flavor. The Champagne-like effervescence and smooth mouth feel are the result of a natural secondary fermentation in the bottle obtained by the use of a carefully selected yeast culture. This vintage ale commences with a rich head of foam, followed by a smooth dark flavor with a hint of roasted malt delicately balanced by subtle notes of noble European hops. True to its Abbey style, this year’s vintage closes with a long, complex and subtly spiced finish.

Brewed once a year in limited quantity, please enjoy Trader Joe’s 2006 Vintage Ale. This ale will age exceptionally well over time, developing more complex flavor as the years go by. Exclusively bottled for Trader Joe’s. Best Before 08-28-2009.
 

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

Bottle thanks to someone at the Bruery Tasting. Pours a dark brown, nearly black body with an off-white head. Aroma of Cardamon, cinnamon, clove and dark malts. Taste is alcohol, clove, with a nice Unibroue yeast back note. Playful bubbles that come across on the fizzy side of things.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Dec 2008 at 22:02


7.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Courtesy of ibrew2or3. Pours light brown with tan head. Aroma is fruity, with floral hops. Taste, dark fruits: fig,plum. Some nice spices make this a very nice and almost sweet beer while the bitetrness remains hidden.

Tried on 10 Dec 2008 at 13:24


7.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

This 2006 vintage, consumed Dec. 2008, pours hazy dark brown with thin off white head. The aroma has muted dark fruitiness, cinnamon, flower perfume, brown sugar and spices. The taste is much the same with a pulse of carbonation bringing up smooth sweet dark fruitiness swimming in a bath of molasses, some varied spices and a mild note of lemon acidity.

Tried on 04 Dec 2008 at 22:06


5.1
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

Deep brown coloured body with a large brown head. Aroma of malt, raisins and a bit of nuts. Medium-bodied; Fizzy and effervescent feel up front with a larger body taste near the end. Flavours of must, mushrooms, malt and a little bit of hay come into play - with a bit of malt and no hops. Aftertaste shows more must - not much good flavours in this one. Overall, a fairly musty and mild beer with decent tastes - but nothing special. I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Trader Joe’s in 2006, sampled on Thanksgiving on 27-November-2008.

Tried from Bottle on 27 Nov 2008 at 21:59


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Thanks to decaturstevo for sharing this one at the April Get Together. Murky mahogany body that produces a thin, tan head. spicy roast malt aroma that carries with it some licorice and cola. Spritz and highly carbonated. Tasty..

Tried on 07 Jun 2008 at 17:18


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Sample from a brown bottle, 750 ml, best before 8 28 2009, "vertical" tasting of Unibroue (from 10 to 17) at Philippe Wouters’ on April 4 2008; eye: dark brown, quite effervescent; nose: anise, liquorice, coriander, quite spicy, nutmeg, caramelized malt; mouth: anise, coriander, blue cheese, quite spicy, nutmeg, caramelized malt, finale in anise-caramelized malt, rather carbonated, full body, reminds of Trois-Pistoles; overall: quite fine FRANÇAIS Échantillon d’une bouteille brune, 750 ml, meilleure avant 8 28 2009, dégustation « verticale » de Unibroue (de la 10 à la 17) chez Philippe Wouters, 4 avril 2008; oeil : brune foncée, bonne effervescence; nez : anis, réglisse, coriandre, très épicée, muscade, malt caramélisé; bouche : anis, coriandre, fromage bleu, très épicée, muscade, malt caramélisé, finale en anis-malt caramélisé, plutôt carbonatée, corsée, ressemble à la Trois-Pistoles; en résumé : très bien

Tried from Bottle on 17 Apr 2008 at 15:40


7.2
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

A funny story about Trader Joe’s (the store). I and some other employees from a competitor of theirs on a field trip to view some other stores. We stopped by a Trader Joe’s, and the place was so devoid of employees, and we were talking about merchandising and product in an intelligent way, that all the customers thought WE worked there. So, we’re better Trader Joe’s employees than there own! I’m sure there are better locations around than that one, but... come on! Onto the beer, which I got from Ughsmash. Pours very dark with a medium sized head. Pungent aroma of pear, grape, yeast and cotton candy. Taste is bubblegum, banana, caramel, yeast, pepper, bread, lemon. Smooth, effervescent mouthfeel. Much better than the store! ;)

Tried from Can on 03 Apr 2008 at 17:03


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Dark brown body with a large tan head. Heavy spice aroma. Candi sugar, spice, and fruit flavor. Medium full body with low carbonation.

Tried from Can on 14 Mar 2008 at 23:50


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Very dark brown with an inch of head. Spicy, pruney, plummy, peary nose. Anisey, spicy character with a herbal note (sage? juniper?). Lots of malt and a big alcohol kick. Nice.

Tried on 01 Jan 2008 at 21:48


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

Bottle. Ahh, the ever obnoxious Unibroue pour... seven inches of foamy fluff with just the slightest hint of a brownish liquid at the bottom of the glass. After a while things start to die down and a deep, dark brown body establishes itself under the massive head. Aromas are of medium/dark malt, bread, wet cardboard. Flavor is sweeter than I expected and mouthfeel is much more syrupy than all that carbonation seemed to indicate earlier. Really not that intriguing.

Tried from Bottle on 22 Mar 2007 at 20:45