Brugse Zot - Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan

Blindpigbiz

California

3.14/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 3.25

Style/abv: triple/6%

Smell: green pears, subtle pine sap and herbal notes throughout

Taste: clementines, honeydew, orange cream, dry hops?, and tinges of rose pedals; incredible amounts of yeast dominate throughout

Asides from the above average smell and the beginning of the taste profile, this beers over abundance of unfiltered matter makes it feel like our drinking orang juice with extra pulp; I don't enjoy eating my beer. However, if one can get over the immense yeasty foreground and unfiltered matter, this beer will be The incarnate of God himself

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 09:01:37 | More by Blindpigbiz

DoubleJ

California

3.78/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hitting two Bruges beer legends with one stone; a visit to Brugs Beertje, and a fresh pour of Brugse Zot from its tap. On to the beer:

Toasted caramel color glares from the glass. On top is a head which retains well and leaves a couple rings of lace. The aroma seems to have undergone a little dry hopping, and some cider was added. Hoppy cider? Not exactly, though that would be funny.

The taste starts grassy and brings along a soft fruitness. There's an edge of tastiness which round out the beer. It's lighter medium with a crisp beer, helping make this beer an easy drinker.

Not much of a Belgian classic, but more of a Bruges classic. Some sources say that it's the only beer to actually be brewed in the city, and believe it or not, is actually lagered.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 21:59:48 | More by DoubleJ

UCLABrewN84

California

3.51/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Best before 8/2014.

Pours a murky orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Small dots slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of malt, candied fruit, and some subdued spice aromas. Taste is much the same with malt and grape juice flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a high level of carbonation with a crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some solid fruity aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:32:37 | More by UCLABrewN84

Douberd

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 ml bottle, poured into a tulip glass at home. Beer is refermented in the bottle. ABV 6%. Colour is deep orange golden, with a big head on top. Three fingers of it, white and sopay with good retention. Nice aroma, fruits, mostly peaches, some bubblegum and yeast too. Taste is sweet upfront with lots of fruity flavours, again bubblegum but not as intense as on the aroma and some hops too. Aftertaste is bitter and slighty metallic. Lots of carbonation on this one, while medium thin on the body. Overall very refreshing beer, very drinkable and tasteful. Could be even better with a bit les carbonation, but nevertheless, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 17:53:43 | More by Douberd

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a tulip)
3/14 12:25 stamped on cap
A- This beer pours a clear golden copper body with a light beige head that mushrooms above the glass and sticks to the glass in sheets. There is a swirl of strong tiny bubbles.

S- The dry apricot ester notes finish with a green leafy hops hint that is dry.

T- The dry leafy hop flavor leads to a pils malt flavor and a dry finish. There is a dry candy ester note and some dry caramel notes that come through as the beer warms and a field corn note pops in aswell.

M- this beer has a light mouthfeel with a tight fizz and no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer is a nice crisp dry beer with the esters adding some perceived sweetness that gives this nice depth and it is still very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 14:12:43 | More by rhoadsrage

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Surprise Belgian beer I never heard of before. Pours a slightly hazy light gold amber color, bubbly white head. Aroma is yeasty, malt, banana, cloves, lemon, and pear. Flavors suggest the same - along with malty, bready and nice light yeast notes. Cloudy medium thick and sticky mouthfeel. An enjoyable quaffable pale ale for the Belgian style.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 15:24:12 | More by CuriousMonk

matjack85

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I tried this at Quencher's Saloon in Chicago. $5 for an 11.2oz brown bottle.

The beer poured a crystal clear dark gold color and made 2½ fingers worth of white head that lasted a few minutes and left moderate lacing.

This has a fruity aroma that is both sweet and sour.

The taste is not as good as I had hoped for. It's fruity and sweet with a funky yeast bite, but also a bit spicy. Sounds like it should be alright, but it's just a combination that doesn't work for me.

Very thin body with very spritzy carbonation.

It's not terrible, but it's not something I'd want to try again either.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 00:15:26 | More by matjack85

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

BB (05/2015) Pours a massive heady froth of foam. Colour is a bright straw gold, plentiful carbonation. Shows good retention, and leaved a nice film and excellent lacing.

Smell is quite fresh, malt, grass and hay notes, a light bit of barnyard. Hops are detectable in the background, pleasantly balanced bitterness.

Taste is surprisingly fruity, a vibrant sweet apple and pear character, then a tangy maltiness. Bitterness is fresh and integrated. It gets more dry on the finish, lingering crisp bitterness.

Mouthfeel is very good. The carbonation is playful, giving a crisp but creamy feel. Refreshing, sessionable and medium bodied on the palate.

This is an excellent Pale Ale. Seek it out. A good amount of flavour and complexity, nicely balanced in keeping to the style. Drinks very well.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 20:48:27 | More by mick303

Guden

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at de Halve Maan following the brewery tour.

A- bright gold with a bit of haze (the beer on tap at the brewery is apparently an unfiltered version) with a nice three finger tall head that sticks around throughout and leaves classic Belgian lacing.

S- bright sweet malted barley (of course I can smell the wort throughout Bruges right now) and a distinctive wood and all spice character that seems to come mostly from hops, but I suspect yeast derivatives also factor in. Very low fruity ester levels.

T- again the hops (Czech by origin according o the tour guide and taste) come through with allspice, grass and wood balanced with a sweet fresh barley note. Finish is lightly bitter and refreshing.

M- A fairly thin beer but lively carbonation makes it mouth filling and let's the hops shine through.

O- a nice beer, though not my favorite Belgian. The Czech hops and low esters make it come of more as an imperial pils than a Belgian blonde. It was nice to try but I probably won't search it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2012 22:59:32 | More by Guden

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 9/2010 notes. Poured into a Caracole small snifter. Pours orange amber with a thick white head with attractive uniform bubbles, completely fills the glass and looks nice. Massive lacing. Light sour fruit aroma. Very mild, almost wheat-like start with very light malt and distinct yeast. Semi dry middle with some spice and a dry abrupt finish. Slight hops. Very subdued. Nice for a change and worth a revisit.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 22:40:39 | More by LiquidAmber

oline73

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: This beer pours a cloudy orangish amber color with a layer of off white head that fades to a ring around the pour rather quickly.

Smell: Mild and slightly sweet. I'm getting a mild fruity note. reminds me of grape.

Taste: Again, very mild and not particularly interesting. Some malt sweetness along with a mild Belgian spice. I'm getting some banana in the background. The flavor leaves the tongue pretty quickly in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with really aggressive carbonation, really too much. The finish is slightly dry.

Overall: Nothing remarkable here, move on.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 02:52:59 | More by oline73

Dennoman

Belgium

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours clear and yellow with a medium head. Everything you expect from a BPA. Relatively low in alcohol, but not weak in taste. Bitter and robust, simply yummy. Recommendable to anyone who enjoys a nice pilsner or a Pale Ale. A beautiful marriage of both, it seems.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 20:35:36 | More by Dennoman

DARIVA

Netherlands

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Partly cloudy yellow beer with a small head.

S: Floral, slightly sour and what the scent of chamomile.

T: A little bitter, and some coriander.

M: Good tingling and a nice mouthfeel, beautiful relationship.

O: Easily drinkable with a nice body.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 19:48:58 | More by DARIVA

rangerred

Tennessee

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a fairly clear dark gold with numerous particles floating around. I wasn't too careful pouring the bottle which probably caused this. Huge billowy head that lasts throughout.

Smell is quite yeasty and fruity along with some clove and other spices. It smells very belgian.

Taste starts out fairly sweet and fruity. Some clove and belgian yeast characteristics work their way in underneath but never become prominent. There is some grassyness and mild malt before everything finishes pretty clean and dry. Just a faint hint of bitterness.

Overall, this is a fairly refreshing, easy drinking beer. There really isn't a whole lot going on but it is pleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 00:29:12 | More by rangerred

jhtipton

Spain

3.9/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 33 cl bottle into La Trappe chalice. Love the artwork on bottle. A gift from Sully's road trip to Belgium. Poured a fluffy white light almost white ridged head. Abt 2 inches. Light golden and mostly clear consistency. Slightly sweet taste with hints of wheatiness sugars and some spiciness. Smell is somewhat phenolic and wheaty. Mouthfeel is light and carbonated and dry. Overall a nice Nelgium pale with mild dry and slight grassy tones

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 19:32:02 | More by jhtipton

StJamesGate

New York

3.7/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

White gold with a loose and lumpy white head that fades fast. Grass, white pepper, flowers and a bit of waxy yeast - surprising hops.
Yellow apple and cream cracker, a candle wax hit, lime sherbert and lemongrass ending.
Peppery finish and tingling gingery linger.
Light, crisp, way fizzy, almost champagne-like effervescence.

Far too active to do anything but knock back in the summer. A cafe table beer, which I suspect is the purpose. Good in context, but you can get more out of your Belgian PA.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 21:10:08 | More by StJamesGate

gfreed

Massachusetts

2.88/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

An eh beer from an otherwise trustworthy brewery in my favorite Belgian town. This one has plenty of aroma but very little in terms of taste. In fact, it has virtually no flavor when cold. I heated it up on a radiator for about 30 minutes; when warm it gained some cloves and a little fruit. Overall, the low levels of Belgianness would, if amplified several times, amount to a really nice beer. In its current state, however, it's just dull.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 02:29:58 | More by gfreed

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from bottle into a Bell's stemmed tulip. Poured yellow-orange with a two finger off-white head that subsided to half a finger very slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, fruit, wheat, and a subtle floral note. The flavor was of sweet malt, bread, fruit, floral, and wheat. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. While this a was a good brew it wasn't very memoriable. I would have loved to see this one have some more complexity to carry it to a new level. The flavors present were nice, but they definitely needed some other components going on to make them 'pop'. Worth trying if you are a fan of the style, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so again.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 12:55:31 | More by thagr81us

LambicKing

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this beer in some town in the middle-of-nowhere Belgium (at a friterie) after discovering In De Vrede was closed on Thursdays. WTF.

A: Pours a darker golden color. One finger of head settles to a cap.

S: I'm getting a bit of citrusy notes...some hay...some sweeter malt.

T: Flavors meld pretty well...some honey notes...a slight citrus presence...and love the earthy Belgian yeast.

M: About perfect for a blonde. Just where I like it...moderate carb.

O: This one is much better than the other two I've had at the actual brewery in Bruges. Flavors are a bit more mature/melded.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 22:20:06 | More by LambicKing

InebriatedJoker

Ohio

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into tulip -no best by date visible.

Poured a golden straw color with orange hues, three finger head that held retention for awhile, great carbonation, lots of tiny bubbles.

S: Apples, bannana ,citrus, funk.

T: Bready yeast with apple, bannana, slight tart,some earthy funk.

O: Not a bad Belgian Pale Ale ,very drinkable, a little on the pricey side, Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 12:38:07 | More by InebriatedJoker

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Delaney's into an oversized snifter.

A: Clear orange-amber body under a finger of fine off-white head. Mediocre retention and spotty lace. Ok, but nothing special.

S: Nice fresh aroma of bready malt, floral yeast notes, and light fruity esters. Pleasant and restrained.

T: Citrus and apple are up front, with some lightly sweet malt giving body on the way to a long, sticky, yeasty finish. Delicate and flavorful at the same time. Nice.

M: Fairly light, creamy body with a perfect amount of soft, lively carbonation. Delightful.

O: The mouthfeel alone is worth the price of admission on this one - and is especially impressive for a draught beer. I really would have guessed it was bottle conditioned if I didn't know any better. Beyond that, this is a solid, enjoyable, inoffensive BPA. Well worth trying.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 02:24:43 | More by woosterbill

ThaCreep

Belgium

3.95/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Fragrant nose of both hops and slightly bitter citrus. The mouth is powerful, slightly alcoholic palate with a fruity syrup and sorbet recalls peach. In the aftertaste, there are drought, with a touch of hops, but still in the cold. A beer strong enough, with many flavors, which is a model of its kind.

Serving type: on-tap

08-06-2011 08:17:39 | More by ThaCreep

rvdoorn

Netherlands

3.85/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look: The beer pours a hazy yellow-golden color with a small head.
Smell: Malts, lemon, yeast, perfume, medicinal and floral.
Taste: Not too sweet in general. Grass and hay, fruits (lemon, peach, orange) sweet malts, sweet fruits, with a nice spicy bitter hop finish
Mouthfeel: Medium-high-carbonation, thin-body.
Overall: Nice drink

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 21:22:07 | More by rvdoorn

4000qtrap

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Source/Serving: 11.2 oz. bottle notched Dec 2012

S: Bright, lively, but a bit dank lemon-lime rind. Earthy mint and assorted other herbs. Golden raisin honey. Black pepper. Sage. Spices are a bit dark and musty. Apple bread. Light, soft caramel and hay.

T: Tastes very much like the nose up front. Bright lemon/lime/citrus fruits and spices with a honey, light caramel maltiness definitely in the mix. Funky, dank, earthy spicy, herbal edge to the whole ensemble, soft hay, as well as some apple rind. Additional coriander is more notable on the palette than the nose. Carbonation is quite prickly and the body is medium-high, higher than expected. Hops are at moderate levels in the middle and finish with clean, well-balanced bitterness and some notable oiliness. Middle has an odd herbal, somewhat spicy character. Finish is fairly dry, with lingering lemon-apple honey, a touch metallic character to the black pepper spiciness.

Notes: Definitely has a unique, hard to describe character that makes Belgian's wonderful. Definitely not to a 'style'. Its oddness and the metallic dryness hurt drinkability a touch for me but its flavor combinations, while not dynamic, are very interesting. You particularly get the feeling with this beer that the brewer's really don't care what I write about this beer…. And I like that.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 01:55:32 | More by 4000qtrap

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.53/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

330ml bottle

A- Golden to amber in colour with a big, dense and perfectly white fluffy head that shows decent retention and leaves some lacing on the glass. A lot of carbonation is visible

S- Fresh and fruity, with probably some yeast in the mix. Fruit notes are of apple, peach, lemon. A lively spiciness may also be detected (esters)

T- Mild caramel malts, with a nice amount of fruity notes (apple, lemon). Not complex at all but quite strong. Very sweet

M- Thin body, with a nice amount carbonation to bring life. Oily on the palate

O- A nice refreshing and quaffable beer. It's overall sweetness is probably too dominant and gets quite boring after a while

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 13:05:40 | More by Cozzatoad