Trader Joes Vintage Ale

[jsmurphy]

Anyone tried it?

I picked up a couple of bottles today. 750ml corked bottles for 4.99, brewed by Unibroue. Label says Dark Ale on Lees. Belgian style ale.

I'll probably have one soon and if it's decent, get some more and cellar them. I'll let y'all know...

[studentofbeer]

same here, just picked up 2 tonight. curious what it'll be like. i bet it'll be pretty decent tho. not bad price for a unibroue beer. also, the trader joes brand winter doppelbock is a decent doppelbock. i find it more palatable than their regular house-branded beers, tho i think it's still done by gordon biersch.

[jsmurphy]

I wish TJs would get their "beer act" together. Their selection sucks, and if they were smart, they'd upgrade and offer a huge BevMo type selection.
With all the great west coast beers, you'd think they could contract to carry some of them. They don't even offer a single Christmas beer.

Rant over, going to BevMo tomorrow anyway.

[studentofbeer]

Originally posted by jsmurphy
I wish TJs would get their "beer act" together. Their selection sucks, and if they were smart, they'd upgrade and offer a huge BevMo type selection.
With all the great west coast beers, you'd think they could contract to carry some of them. They don't even offer a single Christmas beer.

Rant over, going to BevMo tomorrow anyway.

heh, agreed, it definitely has gone down hill. plenty of crappy euro lagers there and not a lot else it seems like sometimes.

they do have full sail wassail, at least up here, so that's one xmas beer.

[xtalman]

Originally posted by jsmurphy
I wish TJs would get their "beer act" together. Their selection sucks, and if they were smart, they'd upgrade and offer a huge BevMo type selection.
With all the great west coast beers, you'd think they could contract to carry some of them. They don't even offer a single Christmas beer.


TJ's has always been hit or miss depending on the store. I remember when I first moved out here about 5 years ago and started shopping there the selection was a heck of a lot better.

Still better then my local supermarkets.

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by studentofbeer
heh, agreed, it definitely has gone down hill. plenty of crappy euro lagers there and not a lot else it seems like sometimes.

they do have full sail wassail, at least up here, so that's one xmas beer.

hey if you see a crappy euro lager that is called Melchers Beer... PLEASE PM ME!!! i want to arrange a trade... for other beer or $$. thanks!

i could give a hoot about the beer... i just want the cans or bottles, or whatever it is.

[L.H.H.H.Brown]

The Vintage is one of Unibroue's seasonals I believe. I had it and it reminded me of one of their's ( how's that for pinning it down ! ). It is rather good. Just like TJ's dopple bock that's Gordon Biersches Winter Bock. I think they have a good selection and yes it varies from store to store. I just think they focus on their wines, which is cool by me. As to their euro lagers, I use those in the summer... put'em in the freezer and pound'em. Works for me.

[xtalman]

Well I had this last night and found it to be quite good. I don't really know enough about the Belgium ales to really say what over all syte it is. I found it pretty well balanced. I have one more bottle and will probably pickup a few more. As to weather this will age well I don't know but they do have a drink by date of 2008 on the bottle. At 4.99 a bottle it is a very good deal.

[bruin_ale]

I picked up some Chimay Red there a few months back for $5 a bottle.. can't complain about that. They usually have a decent selection, it's better than what I can get at safeway or albertsons where I have to pick through 12ers of pisswater to find anything decent. If I'm looking for something special, I almost always have to go to BevMo anyways.

[shirteesdotnet]

I just picked up some of their Winterbock which tasted like dirt compared to Gordon Biersch. I dont think I'll be buying anymore TJ beer again soon.

[jsmurphy]

The Vintage Ale is pretty damn tasty. I went back and picked up a case to cellar.

[hopjack13]

for new years? what time does the party start ;)
actually, unibrou gives me a headache ....big time!
i think it's the yeast as was sugggested when i brought it up here a while back. the ephimere (sp?) is the only one that doesn't make my head feel like someone put an ax in it. hmmm

[jsmurphy]

Or, maybe it's because you drink 9 of them in a session. :D

[L.H.H.H.Brown]

Be nice..............!!!!!

[hopjack13]

well,.......he may be on to something :confused:

[brewjamr]

I also just picked up a bottle of TJ's Vintage Ale. After I saw the Unibroue label, I was definitely interested, since I'm a fan of their Canadian ales. Like others have said, TJ's house brands from Gordon Biersch are hit or miss. I've liked the Vienna Lager and the Hofbrau Bock. The local TJ's here in Monterey has a few other brews that are decent (Full Sail, Macs, and some Samuel Smith's) but they also carry quite a few other odd contract brews from ficticous breweries hiding their ID. They seem like left-overs from some west coast micros that had some extra capacity and sold it off for opportunity marketing by someone else.

[gtring]

Someone had previously written that Gordon Biersch's Winterbock is much better than Trader Joe's.

Well, it all depends on which Winterbock. One from the taps of its restaurants (which I love)? Or the Winterbock in the bottle (which was damn good the one time I had it last year)?

In any case, GB makes most of the TJ-brand beers. Check out the font and design of both beers. Then check out the brewery address for the TJ beers.


Cheers,
--Jake Tringali

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by gtring
In any case, GB makes most of the TJ-brand beers. Check out the font and design of both beers. Then check out the brewery address for the TJ beers.


not to mention the logo is nearly the same... just TJ instead of GB with the wheat stalk in the middle.

I received a bottle of the 2005 vintage for my birthday and have yet to drink it.

[steveh]

Originally posted by gtring
In any case, GB makes most of the TJ-brand beers.

Well, most of the beers with a German flair to them. There are some other "house" brands that are brewed by Goose Island, among others.

S.

[xtalman]

Originally posted by HarkJohnny


I received a bottle of the 2005 vintage for my birthday and have yet to drink it.
This is brewed by Uniborne. I have a couple of bottles left and my break one out soon.

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by xtalman
This is brewed by Uniborne. I have a couple of bottles left and my break one out soon.

actually it's Unibroue... and it's also why it was such a surprise to receive it from my parents as a Bday gift!

[Mill Rat]

Found the 2007 edition of TJ's Vintage Ale (a.k.a. Unibroue's Chambly Noire) at the Batavia IL TJ's at Randall and Fabyan. So it should be out there now for fans of TJs & beer. Still $4.99 for the 750 ml.

[xtalman]

I have been looking for it. Most of the TJ's around here as still selling the 2006.

[Mill Rat]

I just comparison priced the Chambly Noire at Sam's W&S and found it was $7.49.