Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2013
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.
3.6
158 reviews
Monrovia, United States
Community reviews
Pours a dark caramel brown color with a tan head. Yeast, clove, malt, spice and dark fruit aroma. Yeast, banana, clove, spice, dark fruit and malt flavors. Medium full body and lively carbonation. Yeast and fruit finish.
750 ml thanks to Keir. Pours a very dark mahogany color, really looks black with a large light beige head, a bit of a slow gush. A spicy malty nose. Rich, toffee, berries, strawberry especially, yeasty of course, light wood. Comes in a bit hot maybe, slightly tart. Very good overall.
[6904-20141106] 750mL bottle. Fragrant floral rose grains aroma. Dark cola brown body with a medium-lasting foamy light tan head. Toasted grains and floral boozy barley water flavour. Full body. Interesting. (7/3/7/3/14) 3.4
(c/o blankboy, w/ him, GregClow, HogTownHarry, jercraigs)
Overheard: "The last time I saw MTV music video awards, Kurt Cobain was still alive."
Bottle - huge foamy tan head, very dark Amber/brown color, sweet dark fruity aroma and flavor, mild alcohol notes, good Belg yeast spice, very good overall
Bottle. The pour is a golden brown with a full head. The aroma is dark fruits and belgian funk. The taste is big on holiday spice and mixes very nicely with the style.
Bottle shared by my friend Steve. Pours dark brown with a nice tan head and a malty fruity aroma. There is a dark molasses and raisin flavor with lots of spice and a hefty yeast presence.
[My bottle (750ml) shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow, jercraigs & mabel] Pours a very dark amber-brown with an average size diminishing frothy white head. Aroma is quite fruity along with Belgian yeast, light spices and a hint of chocolate. Malty and fruity flavour along with light spices. Slightly over-carbonated. Medium bodied. Good beer.
2014-11-06. Very dark brown body with a nice foamy tan head. 3+ Aroma is pleasant, sort of anise like notes, muted spice. Flavour is similar. Lightly herbal character over dark malt, mild Belgian yeast character below. Average plus bodied palate, soft effervescent carbonation. 3++ Better than my notes for it unfortunately, it is pretty solid but not does not particularly differentiate itself from other Unibroue offerings. It is very reminiscent of Terrible or Trois Pistoles. Bottle shared by Blankboy
From a 75 cl bottle shared at home. Pours black with a tan head. Toasty nose. Flavors of cinnamon and cloves with some caramel notes. Lots of carbonation. Crisp finish.
Poured from big bottle. Aroma of molasses, raisin and other dried fruit. Porter color with light tan head. Big flavors of molasses, citrus, oak, raisin, cinnamon, touch of nutmeg and clove, honey. Alcohol blends nicely with the flavors. Pepper notes. Excellent beer.
another good year. spice and malt forward beer with a big beefy yeast presence. Always a little overcarbonated, but always a nice treat come December/January...
Tasted on 2/8/14 from a bottle at the hotel after the RBWG Grand Tasting. Pours clear dark amber with a thick tan head that slowly recedes to bubbly lace. The nose is raisin, spicy belgian yeast, dark caramel bread malt, and plenty of baking spice. The flavor is more spice from both the yeast and of the baking variety with somewhat sweet raisin and dark caramel malt underlying. The body is hard to ascertain because of the massive amount of carbonation with a long spicy yeast and baking spice finish.
750ml bottle: This one pours a somewhat dark ruby color. There was quite a bit of a tan head on it. It lingers and left some lacing. This one has a nice nose. Spicy, yeasty, fair amount of sweet malts. Some fruity notes also, as well as some clove. The taste is very good. Bready, sweet Belgian malts, some spices, fruit notes. Another solid Belgian style beer form Unibroue.
Pretty solid unibroue beer. Nice florals, light lees taste, prune and raisin. Pours dark brown with good head and lacing. Light sweet finish. Some clove. Nice balance. Bottle from trader joes.
Flaske: Sortbrun uklar øl med et kæmpe skumhoved. Nellike og sødlig malt i duften med et let metallisk præg. Smagen er hvinende sød, alt for meget. Igen en smule nellike og metallen er der også. Ikke så god.
Aroma: Sweet Bread, Raisins, Cinnamon
Appearance: Dark Brown Hue, Passes Mild Light, Decent Lacing
Taste: Sweet Bread, Raisins, Mildly Boozy
Mouthfeel: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Boozy
750 ML bottle
Thanks to my sister in Seattle for this. Good Christmas present
Dark mahogany color with a light tan head. Persistent head. Decent carbonation.
Lots of cloves, banana, chocolate, caramel, and coffee. Good nose but the yeast is very evident.
Taste reflects nose well. Does get a bit thin in the end though. Or maybe it just got very samey. For the price can not beat though.
Wanted to like this more than I actually did. Bottle. Pours amber/brown with slight tan head. Aroma is pumpkin-spice, dried leaves, prune. Taste incorporates those elements...I keep going back to some of the pumpkin beers I’ve had in 2013. Lots of carbonation, crisp and clean. Strange sweet/rotten aftertaste to me. Didn’t finish well.
brown with red tone pour with light off white head and lace. Aroma is dried fruit with little to no hop aroma. Flavor is sweet dark fruit flavors with just a touch of burnt sugar. Medium body with aggressive carbonation. Just not much. this beer was not well taken care of after it hit the bottle
750ml, caged and corked bottle. Poured a brown color with an averaged sized off white head. Fruity, caramel, some spice, and bread.
Trader Joes 750ml, dark brown, tan head, sweet smell, taste is sweet with spices, overall a really good trader joe’s beer!
Aroma, yeast and smoke. Dark fruits, licorice. Brown-black color. Small white head. Head lasted. Taste, sour cherry, Belgian Wang is prevalent. Lively beer, better than 2011 I think.
Bottle: Poured a deep dark brown color ale with a medium brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of sweet Belgian malt notes with some candi sugar notes with light spices and typical Unibroue yeast notes. Taste is a well balanced mix between some candi sugar notes with some light spices, some fruity notes and some Unibroue yeast. Body is relatively full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very enjoyable but I think I preferred the two previous years vintage which were less fruity and a bit more pronounced on the spicy notes.
An interesting item - a good abbey quad brewed by Unibroue and offered at a bargain rate by Trader Joe’s. It is hampered by an unpleasant, harsh, yeasty aroma. The flavor is very good though - a complex blend of brett, cola, and molasses, plus a dash of sea salt. It was definitely worth the purchase price.
Bomber. Murky dark brown pour with a small ring head. Aroma is cinnamon, plum, and yeast. Full flavored. Yummy.
The aroma has some well caramelized malt, plus a note of anise. I taste some alcohol as I sip the beer. The taste is well balanced. The palate is very smooth. Overall, a very good beer!
$5 750. How can you go wrong. Dark pour with a very creamy head. Very dark very Belgian. Bananas and chocolate. Still not a huge fan of the Belgian but this was alright
750 ml bottle. Pours a mostly clear ruby red with a moderate-large tan head that lasted until nearly mid-glass and left light lace. Very pleasant aroma of Belgian yeast with spice and plum also noted. The flavor is malt, Belgian yeast, spice, plums and raisins. Mild bitterness at the finish. Enjoyable.
one of the best deals going is the Trader Joe anniversary series. Wow, what a beer for the price. Very dark , clear, orange highlights, with a thick head, and foamy retention. Nose is very spicy in a unique way. Also some anise. Taste is similar, anise dominated. Dry, quaffable, with small bubble tingly carbonation. Not as complex as I’d hoped but still very good and very drinkable.
Bottle. Dark, dark ruby with tan bubbly head. No lacing to speak of. Nose is Belgian. Taste is sweet with clove and ginger. Lots of carbonation.