About
Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain that has various beers contract brewed for them as exclusive house brands.
Part of the group
6.9/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 7
Pour is a hazy gold with a large white head. Aroma is toasted sweet grain and you can tell this was brewed in Germany. It has that mineral and sulfur thing I get from Euro lagers. Flavor is some honey malt and lager fermentation notes. Decent lager and this probably cost like $1 for a single can.
Tried
from Can
on 07 Sep 2026
at 20:00
7.9/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 oz. can from Trader Joe's. Pours a crystal clear orange-gold color with a khaki head and decent retention. Almost no lacing. Caramel malt aroma. The taste follows the nose: Sweet caramel malt flavor throughout with a slightly metallic finish. Medium body. Too low carbonation. Not bitter. Not a great Oktoberfest beer, but a decent beer at a good price.
Tried
from Can
on 01 Sep 2026
at 01:35
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
8584 18
Clear, Deep Amber Color, Big Tiny Bubble White Head, OK Retention, Thin Creamy Drip Ring of Lacing. Pumpkin Spice, Ginger Aroma. Lightly Sweet, Pumpkin Spice, Moderate Ginger, Light Bitter. Same In Aftertaste: Slightly Sweet, Pumpkin Spice, Moderate Ginger, Light Hop Bitter. No Sign Of ABV. Easy Going. Good. Enjoyed It. Recommended...
Clear, Deep Amber Color, Big Tiny Bubble White Head, OK Retention, Thin Creamy Drip Ring of Lacing. Pumpkin Spice, Ginger Aroma. Lightly Sweet, Pumpkin Spice, Moderate Ginger, Light Bitter. Same In Aftertaste: Slightly Sweet, Pumpkin Spice, Moderate Ginger, Light Hop Bitter. No Sign Of ABV. Easy Going. Good. Enjoyed It. Recommended...
Tried
from Can
on 27 Aug 2026
at 13:45
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
My last big bottle out of the stash, a sign of the times. I found a 750 ml bottle at the Fort Worth Trader Joe’s last year in November at a remarkably decent price. Off comes the cage and the cork and I now pour into my Delirium snifter. Extremely dark brown in color with amber at the edges and a steadily renewed cover of parchment tan foam. I smell lots of ripe dark fruit, syrup and other yeast esters. A drink now. It is fine at any level but especially at the price point, quite nice. Raisins, malt, grain, figs, ripe black plums, caramel and a hint of cherries. It has a creamy sensation similar to La Trappe’s quadrupel but they look different. I should have bought more.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Jun 2026
at 22:22
7/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
OK, so the first Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale not made by Unibroue – not happy about this, but let’s see. 750mL bottle, pours a deep dark brown with a large beige head. Aroma has a nice Belgian yeast expression, some root beer-like anise and licorice. Flavour has some nice coriander-like spiciness, anise, black liquorice, some cola… quite a different yeast expression to Unibroue. Carbonation is a bit soft for the style but pleasant enough. It’s good but no Unibroue.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Apr 2026
at 02:46
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7.5
Dark brown, with a thick head. There's some light spice on the nose, but with a slightly plummy, raisiny dark malt aroma. Off-dry, with some sweet stuff, a touch of plum. A touch of alcohol in the finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Apr 2026
at 02:39
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Poured from 750mL bottle (thanks Nathan). Clear copper brown with beige head. Belgian yeast, feint hint of phenols, dark fruits with hint of cola spices. Completely different from when Unibroue was brewing the vintage ales. Okay.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Apr 2026
at 02:33
7.1/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
750mL bottle. Pours dark brown with a beige head. Dark brown sugars, brown bread, and and a touch of clove-like spices on the nose. Flavour has dark brown sugar, dry bready malts, cola, cloves. Yeast is coming across differently that I expected. Carbonation is a bit low. Not bad.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Apr 2026
at 22:42