Another Trader Joe’s find is Jumping Cow Amber Ale. It’s brewed by Steinhaus Brewing (no website, but they’re a Trader Joe’s brewer) in Paso Robles, California, and sits at a comfortable 5.5% alcohol. It’s a decent beer, worth the TJs price.

Appearance: Clear red-amber with brownish tones. Carbonated and bubbly. Head is off-white (reminds me of old bone).

Smell: Malty, with a sourish note; almost a burnt aroma? No hops.

Taste: Bitterish and malty; bitter comes from an astringent malt profile. Not overly much, though. A little bit of sourness. No real hop character. Fairly clean.

Mouthfeel: Nicely medium-bodied. Carbonation adds a prickly feel.

On BeerAdvocate, it scores 80 out of 100 with 87% approval. On RateBeer, it scores 3.1 out of 5 and lands squarely in the 50th percentile.