Trader Joe’s has a few house brands, Ol’ Burro (Golden Road) and Joseph Brau (Gordon Biersch) and Mission Street which was done by Firestone Walker but now is brewed by 4+ Brewing in Salt Lake City.
So it is time to see how the Utah version of the session pale and IPA taste….
The slightly mercenary naming of the pale ale as a “session pale” is the only turn-off for the blue labeled Mission Street. The beer has a juicy citrus and tea taste with a nice layer of bitterness and malt underneath. It tastes lighter than the 4.7% ABV.
(On a side note, the label is stamped with the bottling date which is very helpful.)
On to the IPA, which is quite fine. Woodsy would be the main flavor attribute. A little toffee sweetness to it which is a bit of a detriment. Tastes heavier than it’s ABV which is a fitting counterpoint to the pale ale. Again, it is rather a juicy beer with some pepper notes in it.
I would take the Session Pale over the IPA but both are screaming great deals at $6.99 a six-pack with tax that comes out to about $1.25 a bottle.
I definitely liked the Mission St. IPA better when Firestone brewed it. I used to buy it every time I went to Trader Joe’s, but have switched to Lagunitas.
I can’t argue with that switch. I have just migrated to Easy or Union Jack.