Psst, come here.

A little closer.

That’s right, bring your ear right up here. I’m going to tell you a secret.

But first, a question: Do you love drinking good beer but hate paying high prices for it?

Wow, you, too?

Well, you’re in luck.

Every year around this time Trader Joe’s brings out fancy corked 750 mL bottles of what they call “Vintage Ale.” The bottles sell for $4.99 each, and they are an excellent value considering what’s inside.

And what is that, exactly? Each year the beer is a bit different. The vintage ales are meant to be cellared to enjoy months or even years ahead, though of course they can be consumed immediately. They usually roughly correspond to the style of Belgian dubbel, and they’re contract brewed by Quebec’s Unibroue, a brewery renowned by many beer nerds for its stable of Belgian-style ales.

This year’s version is described on the bottle as follows:

The 2009 Vintage Ale is an opaque black color and features an impressive coffee-colored foam. In a glass, it boasts cocoa and malt aromas, with a subtle hint of lemon and ginger. A sip from that glass really brings out the best in this ale – malty and mildly sweet, with hints of cocoa, citrus, and spice.

Bottles of this make great, inexpensive gifts for the beer lovers on your list. Or, you know, for you. Oh, and it’s 9% ABV, so it’s sure to fill you with Christmas cheer.

Another delicious seasonal brew available at Trader Joe’s is the Winterfest Dark Double Bock Lager (brewed, I assume, by Gordon Biersch, as the other Trader Joe's branded beers are). It pours a deep brown, almost mahogany color, and smells of mildly roasted malt and caramel. The taste is somewhat sweet and malty, almost syrupy, with notes of fruit and brown sugar. It may not be the best bock you ever have, but I’ll wager it’s the best bock you’ll ever have for $6 a six-pack. At 7.5% ABV, this one’ll jingle your bells, too.

Now that I've given you the knowledge, check it out – but leave some for me, eh?

David Bardallis is a freelance writer and editor, blogger, bon vivant, and man about town. Visit his Web site, DavidBardallis.com, to engage his services or read his latest. Email your beer-related thoughts to annarborbeer@gmail.com.