Subsidiaries
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Bottle. I would swear they've changed the recipe to this one over the last few years. The beer is fairly non-descript. A few hops add to the overall flavor, but it's a little thin and doesn't stand out. We've included this in 2 blind beer tastings. years ago it finished fairly well (tied with Sierra Nevada), but the last time it finished near the bottom.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2003
at 18:32
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Nice dark brown colour with a thin tan head which didn't last for too long. Very pleasant hop aroma from the smell...that is definately the main focus! A bit of malt and a tad of alcohol is noticeable in the aroma as well. The taste is very nice...strong hops pleasantly mixed with a great deal of roasted malt. Musty aftertaste mixed with a bit of malt bitterness and a slight twang from the hops. All-around a great beer in a style that I usually don't like. This was a very good beer in my mind, and one of the best i've had in the style. Worth trying to find! I bought my twelve ounce bottle at Total Wine in McLean, Virginia.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Aug 2003
at 00:19
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Dark dark brown in colour with a brown head of about two centimetres thick. Smells of roasted malt, oatmeal (not suprisingly) and chocolate. Medium-bodied; Tastes of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, bread, yeast and a bit of metal. Malty and a bit bittering from the chocolate and coffee tastes in the aftertaste, but very pleasing. The beer is pretty average for a sweet stout...I think it should be reclassified, but regardless it is an above average beer for the style. A bit of metal is really the only downside to this beer, but there are many positives...including the price! I bought this single twelve ounce beer for under a single dollar at Trader Joe's in Tyson's Corner, Virginia and reccomend you check your local Trader Joe's for this one and a few others!
Tried
on 20 Aug 2003
at 19:15
6.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Another 77 cent Trader Joe''s beer. This one actually was not too bad. Pours a very dark brown with an ultra-thin light beige head. Very little lacing. Aroma is lightly nutty and malty. Flavor is malty smooth with some hops and a nutty finish. All of these attributes are in small quantities though, and it was on the bland side overall.
Tried
on 11 Jan 2003
at 09:05
5.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Another 77 cent beer from Trader Joe''s. This one started out well enough but my enjoyment diminished dramatically by the end of the bottle. Pours amber with a thin off-white head. Musty hops aroma. Flavor is nicely bitter and slightly nutty but starts to grind on you by the end. Finish is a little hoppy but sour. This one just doesn''t have legs.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Jan 2003
at 08:58
4.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 3.5
Another 77 cent beer courtesy of Trader Joe''s. This isn''t nearly as bad as Frugal Joe''s Ordinary Beer, but it isn''t winning any awards either. Pours nice enough, a dark orange with a medium thin albeit quickly dissipating head. Quick lacing. Aroma has a hint of hops. Flavor is fairly bland with a somewhat sour finish, which is too bad because it kept the beer from being solidly average. Don''t bother.
Tried
on 02 Jan 2003
at 20:23
2.2/10
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Appearance 2
Aroma 3
Flavor 2
Texture 2
Overall 2
What do you expect for 77 cents/single? Trader Joe''s s a good place to go for eclectic and organic food, but they need to go back to the drawing board in the beer department. Actually it looks like they have a few different beers I have not seen elsewhere, all brewed by some brewer in MN. Anyway, this beer is not even good enough to be considered "ordinary". Pours an insipid pale gold color with a thin white head. Aroma did not provide any insight as to what the beer had to offer. Actually neither did the flavor so I just poured the sumbitch out.
Tried
on 02 Jan 2003
at 08:15