Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2011

Brewed By: Unibroue (Sapporo) in Chambly, Canada 
Purchased: 1 pint 9.4oz bomber bought at Trader Joe's in IL; 2011
Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 9.0%

What is Trader Joe's? Trader Joe's started out as a small chain of convenience stores back in 1958. Back in 1958 the chain was known as "Pronto Market." The first store named after founder Joe Coulombe opened in 1967. Trader Joe's is known for its organic and gourmet foods, and they sell lots of food straight from the manufacturer at lower prices than other retailers. That's the textbook definition...Trader Joe's is a grassroots style store that sells a lot of fresh, organic, and hippy products. It's a cute little store, and it has gained a lot of popularity over the past couple of years. 

Trader Joe's has a recent reputation for selling beer and wine. They are probably most famous for their 2-buck chuck. Their 2 dollar bottles of wine have stirred the shit pot in the wine community...but that is neither here nor there. Trader Joe's also sells craft beer, and they also sell Trader Joe's branded beer. As far as I can tell, Trader Joe's does not actually make any beer. Instead they contract their beer out to other companies such as Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Unibroue (Sapporo), and the Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. 

So why would anyone buy Trader Joe's beer? The answer is price. Trader Joe's beer is reasonably priced, just like their 2-buck chuck. You can often pick up a six pack for 6 or 7 dollars. Add in the fact that Trader Joe's beer is brewed by some very good craft breweries, and you see the selling point. Tonight's beer only cost 5 dollars for a 750ml bomber; that is a hell of a deal. Especially considering that tonight's beer is brewed by the fine folks at Unibroue. Tonight's beer is a remarkable bargain, and even more so when you consider Unibroue's track record of brewing kick ass beer. 

Before I review the 2011 Vintage Ale, let me introduce Unibroue. According to Unibroue's History Page, Unibroue was founded in 1990 by André Dion and Serge Racine. In 1993, Unibroue moved to their brewery location in Chambly, Quebec. In 2004 Unibroue was purchased by Sleeman Brewery, and in 2006 Sleeman was purchased by the Japanese company, Sapporo. Unibroue is now owned by Sapporo, and their beer is available globally. Unibroue are one of Canada's most famous breweries, and they are known for their awesome Belgian beers. They are also known for making Trader Joe's Vintage Ales, which date back to 2005.

The pour yields about 3-fingers worth of tan head. The head looks like bread, and has the same color as wheat bread. This is an effervescent beer, and the head is made up of very small and finely packed bubbles. In low light this beer looks dark brown or black, but this is clearly a purple/dark red beer in light. The beer is too dark to see through, but I am going to guess it is hazy and carbonated. There was some nice smoke when I opened the bottle, and the clinging head leaves some lacing.

Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2011

The aroma on this is very Belgian, and it is obvious that Belgian yeast was used in this beer. The bottle states that this beer was brewed with noble hops, roasted malts, and spices. I'm smelling banana, white sugar, vanilla, and clove from the yeasts. Really, this nose is huge on the banana and white sugar. I'm pulling out a touch of pepper, maybe cinnamon or nutmeg, and a hint of bread. I'm looking for the dark fruits, and at best I pick up hints of raisin, cherries, or caramel. But overall, the nose is dominated by perfume-like clove, banana, vanilla, and white sugar.  

The taste is an interesting mesh of spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and pepper, dancing with the Belgian yeasts. The Belgian yeasts yield that banana and white sugar I was smelling in the nose. I'm picking up some cherries, and lots of herbal flavors from a slight and pleasant astringency. This is finishing boozy and warm, and dry and slightly tart. There is good carbonation, but for the 9% ABV the mouthfeel is kind of thin. 

Rating: Average
Score: 60%

The mouthfeel on this is carbonated and full, but lacks any depth or roundness. Palate depth is non-existent. This has moderate complexity. Drinkability is high, but this is surprisingly boozy and warming without the complexity or depth you expect from a big ass 9% ABV Belgian warmer. The front of the palate is tingly carbonation, spices and bananas; this rolls into hints of malt and more spices; this rolls into lingering sugar and yeasts, and finishes dry and slightly tart. You definitely feel some booze in the finish. 

I'm kind of disappointed with this, but I'm kind of not. Five bucks for 750ml is a steal. This isn't a bad beer by any stretch either. My first issue with this beer is that it is still a bit vicious and unrefined. I have two more bottles of this that I am going to throw in the cellar for a year, so I will revisit this down the stretch to see how it changes. Right now the spices and yeasts dominate, with a big boozy finish. Maybe aging will bring out the malts and calm the alcohol down. My second issue is the lack of dark fruits. I picked up hints of cherries and raisins, but I mostly extracted huge bananas and sugars from the yeasts. On the other hand, I did get some nice cinnamon and nutmeg.

Overall, this is not a bad beer. Especially at five bucks a bottle. This would pair well with a nice winter meal, and this should lay down nicely. I look forward to revisiting the 2011 in the future. For five bucks, what do you have to lose?