Trader Joe's: 2010 Vintage Ale

I really want to review this beer but I cannot seem to get the cork out of the bottle. Come on Unibroue...

I've been a slacker when it comes to winter/holiday/Christmas beers this year. I love Anchor Steam's, Anderson Valley's Winter Solstice, Lost Coast's Winterbraun, etc. I just haven't bought those because I've been sick and not drinking. When I do buy beer, I want new ones. Ninkasi's Sleigh'r was delicious and I still have Full Sail's Wreck the Halls in my refrigerator...

Ok, got it open. I remember last year I really enjoyed the Trader Joe's Vintage Ale. This year, I have high hopes. I've always found it funny that a Canadian brewery brews this for Trader Joe's (a company based in the United States). Either way, as I said I have high hopes. My only qualms with last year's brew was that it gave me a weird indigestion feeling and/or heartburn about fifteen minutes after I finished it...every single time. I hope it doesn't do that this year. Anyways, let's get to the brew. It pours a deep, almost murky-looking, brown with practically no translucence. It possesses a nice dark tan head that remains and laces the glass as well.

It smells absolutely as I expected it would. Lots of spice and sweetness to the aromas. I get orange peel, lots of banana, nutmeg, a dash of cinnamon (only a dash), and sweet malts. It tastes just as it smells actually. Citrus notes, lots of banana, spices, and sweet malts. I understand that this is a rather short review, but I really do not have much more to say about it. Medium-to-slightly-full-bodied ale with a plethora of flavors. Luckily I bought three more of them. Two are aging until next year and I will probably open my last 2009 Vintage Ale and see how that has changed. I remember last year's had a lot of black licorice notes to it which seem to be absent this year. Major plus! Even established companies, such as Unibroue, recognize and make changes to yearly seasonal brews. These changes provide for a new experience every year with a beer you might not expect to change at all. This is also another reason why the world of beer will never cease to interest the beer lovers in us all. Go to Trader Joe's, spend the $4.99 and get yourself one of these boys. Ranking in at 9% ABV, this fella will warm you on that cold winter evening.

*****UPDATE******

Heartburn/Indigestion again in 2010. 

Bootleggers Brewery: Winter Ale (Brewed with Mint)

I am making my triumphant return to beer today after a 7 day detox. I'm sure my tolerance will be quite low and I am actually quite satisfied with that. Anyways, this is what happens when a beer lover goes without beer for a week:

With that being said/shown, I obviously acquired some great brews to bump this tolerance back up to snub. I have been quite excited about the Bootleggers Mint Chocolate Porter since I read about it a couple of weeks ago online. I finally got around to purchasing some and today I'm breaking the beer fast with one.

I have not opened a Bootleggers bottle in quite a while. This is mainly due to the fact that I have been going to the brewery itself to taste the new beers. I think the last bottle I opened of theirs was their Plumb Riot and I now remember why I stopped buying bottles of theirs: carbonation issues. Almost every bottle of Bootleggers beer I've opened has been excessively carbonated and overflows out of the top of the bottle as if I shook up a can of soda. I am always quite careful with my beers and they do not get much excessive movement. After I lost half of the beer to my shirt and jeans, I poured it into a goblet. The carbonation is just absurd so I am letting it rest so some of this CO2 will escape.

The carbonation has subsided and the two inches of dark frothy head have diminished down to about two millimeters above the beer. The brew is pretty dark with no translucence. On the nose I'm getting burnt malts, cocoa, alcohol, and even some black licorice. I get no mint on the nose, and if it is there it is masked by the other strong odors.

I tried to find a Mason Jar to serve the beer in, but I failed so a goblet will have to suffice (if you've been to the brewery you understand this statement). Upon tasting, it starts off tasting like your stereotypical porter. Roasted malt flavors lend to an espresso flavor once it first hits the tongue. As it swirls around in the mouth, I get the chocolate slightly and the black licorice flavors together. This may sound bad, but it is not. It is actually quite a pleasant balance. As it hits the back of the tongue and the sip is finished, the mint comes through but then is quickly taken over by a burnt bitterness. It is not very dry in the finish, but it definitely has a burnt aftertaste. The brew is very light to medium bodied. Is it good? Yeah. Is it what I expected? No. Would I buy more? Meh, probably not with all the other winter ales out right now. I would, however, be interested in trying it on tap at the brewery; I am making that a mission of mine for this coming (or next) weekend.

It is quite strange though, as I sit here and contemplate what else to write about the beer, I have a flavor in my mouth that is very unappetizing. Cigarettes. I taste like I just smoked a cigarette. Yuck.

I now understand why I stopped buying bottles of Bootleggers brews and started going to the brewery on a regular basis. I feel their beers are better on tap and I love the environment provided there. I am interested in asking them if the carbonation problems stem from the fact that they still hand-bottle their beers one by one. I will not stop drinking their beers and exploring their new additions, but since I live so close to them it's worth the trip to the brewery.