Whenever we visit my in laws near Columbus, OH, we always make a stop at Trader Joe's. In turn when we visit Trader Joe's, I always find myself walking down the beer aisle to see what kind of stuff they have that I can't get in Michigan. Although this store does have locations in Michigan, none of them are very close to where I live.

I try to make an effort to try the different type's of "house" beer that they have on hand. For example, they have a really nice beer called Trader Jose's that is like a Corona. They also have a couple of that name which are similar to Dos Equis. They have a Josephbrau Heffeweizen that @mrsbozz enjoys as well as a large number of other beers.

I am pretty sure I can get Rhinegeist in Michigan, but given my past history with it, I usually try to avoid it. They have a pretty heavy IPA line though I have been finding more and more that I enjoy drinking. As I was walking through the store, I saw "Van Hunks" and noticed it was supposed to be a Belgian style golden ale. Thinking @daan would be totally disappointed in me if I didn't at least try it, I went ahead and bought a six pack.

This is probably in my top three along with the Panther (Robust Porter) and Cheetah (Lager). My brother in law loves Truth which is an IPA and I really want to try the Squirrel (Nut Brown Ale) next time.

With an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 8% Van Hunks is a pretty hefty beer, it doesn't taste really heavy like you would think though. @mrsbozz gave it a try and proclaimed that it was too bitter, but I think it is just about right. It uses Magnum and Saphir hops and I personally felt like I tasted a little banana in it. That would normally be pretty off-putting to me because I can't handle banana flavored stuff at all.

At an IBU (International bitters unit) of 22 the hops are very mellow and don't detract from the overall taste of the beer. It is a seasonal beer but if you happen to find a six pack, I encourage you to pick it up and try it. Looking at their site, they have so many different beers that it could take a long time to try and find them all. If you happen to be in the Cincinnati area where this is brewed you should also see if they do tours.

On a side note, I just noticed on their site that they do not distribute to Michigan, so if you are looking for it there, you might need to go a little farther South!

I usually have to think ahead for these #beersaturday posts so I can stage the photograph. Usually I am more of a drink it out of the can/bottle guy, but that doesn't give you a good idea of what it looks like.

They also have a Belgian style red ale called Asterix that I might have to look into next time I am down in Ohio.

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