Trader José Dark Premium Lager

Brewed by Cervecería Mexicana
Style: American Dark Lager
Tecate, Mexico

This is pretty good, kind of liike a Negra Modello. It needed a little more scent and flavor distisnctiion but it was a solid refreshing drink.

A nice red-brown color. A little roasty, nutty and smoky, this is actually a pretty nice beer. Smooth with a good roasty finish.

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark mahogany-hued body with a frothy, white head. Smell: Sweet-smelling, malty nose with notes of caramel, toast, and dark fruits. Taste: A flavor of sweet caramel, with lighter hints at toast and nuttiness. Light fruitiness. Only a very light bitterness. Drying, reasonably toasty finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Not altogether terrible and priced, if not for glory, then at the very least for an outdoor, sunnytime gathering.

Poured deep amber with a thin tan head. Malty aroma. Taste was sweet with notes of roast malt, caramel and cocoa. Maybe a bit thin, but overall not too bad. A nice surprise.

Picked up to post for a ADL and for drinking with my wifes fajitas. Pours attractive garnet brown with a quickly dissipating off white head. The nose is malt sweetness and brown sugar. The flavor is about the same with the addition of some roasted malt and dried fruit. A bit sharp on the palate. Clean finish. Surprised to see everyone pissing on this beer so much.

Bottle: Deep brozne/copper/brown pour with an off white film of head. Malty sweet aroma- evident German dark malts with some caramelized character and mild raisin. Rounded carbonation- softly sweet German dark malts- dark caramel, raisin, light toasted malt flavors into the lightly bittern finish. Fairly solid, and does feel a bit German. As Joe noted, should be classified as a Dunkel.

Pours into my 33cl tulip glass with a frothy, initially almost three-finger thick, amber-dirtied, tan colored head. The beer shows some clearness but is dark enough that it is hard to see through as it sits on the table with a red-tinged, concentrated amber color; when held up to the light it shows a brilliantly clear, cranberry red / amber color. The aroma smells of caramel and grain husks up front and has a sweet, almost fruitiness. The finish has a slightly grassy, crushed grain aroma to it as well as just a bit of toasty / bready malt character to it.

Sweet tasting, with a light nuttiness to the finish and just a hint of roast to it. Fuller bodied than I was expecting, but this is light and quaffable. The sweetness plays up some light caramel notes and even a touch of berry-like flavors. The hop presence is fairly low, but there is a slight bitterness to this brew and perhaps a touch of herbal hop presence. The carbonation provides a touch of a bit in the middle that couples with the hop notes. This finishes with a toasty, almost bread crust like, biscuit malt character that in its dryness does a fair job of balancing the sweetness that is found up front.

I know it says its from Mexico so it must be crap, but I am quite surprised by this brew. I think it gives Negro Modelo a run for its money and if it isn’t, it sure does a good job of faking the aromas and flavors of an all malt beer (well minus the caramel coloring). While this is certainly not earth shattering, it actually has a better mix of flavors and balance than many of the usual Trader Joe’s label beers. At the price they sell this at it is almost a go to BBQ / grill beer for those hot Summer afternoons & evenings.

Deep amber colour with a strange yellowish colour as well. There is a light tan head. Aroma is lightly nutty with a touch of sweet caramel. There is a bit of toasted malt as well. Aroma is actually pretty solid. Soft sweetness and a clean nutty flavour as well. Sweet toasted malts and a kiss of herbal hops. I’m trying to figure out why this isn’t listed as a dunkel, which is what it is and it’s not a bad one at that.