Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale

By now, if you've read all two beer reviews on this site so far, you may get the sense that I don't drink very much.  Fact is, I don't get drunk very much.  I do, however, drink atleast once a week.  Sampling a beer or two, having one at dinner or while watching UFC on a Saturday night all alone in my home while on the couch in a bathrobe contemplating how out of shape I am compared to the fighters I'm watching...ok, that's enough of that, on to my long overdue post.

The Beer:
Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I picked up this bottle of Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale while shopping.  Almost two months later, I decided to give it a go.  Maybe the time it sat in my fridge was a determent to the taste of this brew, because right off the bat, I did not like it.  It was a thick beer, but not as smooth as a porter or stout.  There were notes of spice and malt, but it didn't have that satisfying taste of cocoa that I've gotten in other dark beers.  The heft that it held in my stomach was far from refreshing and although the second glass did go down smoother than the first, I still found myself struggling to finish the last few sips.  But then again, this is Trader Joe's.  The place known for their "two-buck-chuck" wine selection.  What was I really to expect.  So I did a little digging and came upon the brewer of this "Vintage Ale".  It turns out that this exclusive beer is brewed by noted craft brewery Unibroue.  And judging from their beer selections and alcohol content, the Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale is in fact just a repackaging of their Trois Pistoles.  That said, it's still pretty cool to score a 750mL bottle of that particular beer at TJ prices.

The Buzz:
As far as alcoholic content goes, this dark drink packed in 9%abv.  Not too bad for the price.  I certainly felt it by the end of the bottle.  But like most heavy ales, I felt this one with each sip.  It wasn't the type of beer that lent itself to chugging it down (or even vigorously sipping for that matter), so with each trip my lips took to the glass, I was aware of my progressive intoxication.  Being that this brew occupied my time watching Stikeforce MMA on Showtime, I'd say that I was ready for shut eye before the main event even approached.     The thing with this beer though was that because of its taste and feel, there was no way I could possibly drink any more for the night and increase my buzz.  But at the same time, once I was done with the bottle and I allowed myself one glass of water, I immediately started to sober up.  Like...immediately!  I managed to stay awake through the entire under-card and was completely fine for the entire (albeit very quick) main event.  So kudos to you Trader Joe's 2009 Vintage Ale for creating the perfect recipe for moderate intoxication with rapid recovery time.  And kudos to you Nick Diaz of Strikeforce MMA for winning the belt that night!

The Hangover:
When the next morning came around, I woke up with the same typical stomach/lightheaded/jittery feelings I always seem to get.  I was sure though that with the strong alcoholic content and thick malty taste, this one was gonna last well past my coffee and cookie in the morning.  But, much like the Bons Vœux last time around, the hangover disappeared very quickly.  I took my dog to the park and let him run around quite a bit while I just relaxed in the sun.  After 40minutes or so, he was tired and ready to leave, and I felt as though any remnants of alcohol in my system had been burned off in the warm 70 degree February sun.


The Verdict:
Not allergic.  Three beers so far, three negatives on the allergy.  Could be time to switch it up from all this fancy-pants, high-end craft beers and get back to Joe Six-Pack-Plumber-Everyman-Beer.  Or perhaps just simply switching it up between ales and lagers.  Or...maybe even both!  Stay tuned astute reader!