Straffe Hendrik Brugse Tripel Bier 9° - Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pour - dark golden in color. Quite pretty in this glass. The head is thick and foamy and leaves quite

Aroma - grainy, malty, clove, bananas, spicy hops and some faint hints of alcohol.

Taste - sweet, a bit spicy, hints of caramel/brown sugar. I taste honey and some floral-ness. This is a bit syrupy, a bit more so than some of the other tripels I've had. You definitely taste and feel that 9% alcohol as well.

Overall - very good Tripel! A bit spicy and a tad on the sweet side. Definitely one that you'd want to share due to its sweetness and its potency. .

Would I buy more of it? - I'd say yes, especially to share with friends as this is a beer with some history and rather strong.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2009 04:03:39 | More by indiapaleale

Beerenauslese

California

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a honey amber, with an ample head that settles quickly, leaving a layer of small bubbles and lacing.

Smells of wet straw, ginger, coriander, with sweet and sour notes.

True to the tripel style, tastes of honey, light roasted malts, oatmeal, banana, pepper, dried tropical fruit, butterscotch. Not overly sweet, but pleasantly sweet enough. A hoppy bitterness in the finish that is balanced by a moderate sweetness. A nicely balanced taste sensation.

Mouthfeel is full, rich, and buttery, with sudsy carbonation.
A very drinkable triple, this beer assumes a place on my list as one of the best tripels. At 9 percent, it is getting to my head, but as I drink it slowly, in a very pleasant way.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2009 02:21:32 | More by Beerenauslese

radshoesbro

California

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I won't lie, I bought this cause it's a damn sexy looking bottle! I had high hopes, which didn't completely fall flat, but didn't totally meet my expectations.

Poured from a 750 ml into my Tripel Karmaliet tulip. The pour looks nice, but sort of like sparkling cider. Nice head with no lace. The head dissipates very quickly forming a ring of bubbles around the edge with some random bubbles scattered around the top.

Smells of rich malt esters and some floral and spicy characteristics. There's a familiar smell that I really can't put my finger on! Not a major amount of hops in the nose, and no caramel.

There's a burst of spice and hops immediately on the tongue. Strong carbonation, but still fairly light bodied. The caramel is not overly present, but adds a distinct sweetness that is pleasing, but nothing he screams AMAZING. This is indeed a good beer, nonetheless.

I like the carbonation, but I wish there was more to the "bottom." The aftertaste doesn't blow my socks off either, but it's not unpleasant. This is a good beer that I can see myself buying again.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2009 05:23:51 | More by radshoesbro

benfons

Belgium

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Nice blonde colour, head dissappeared almost immediately.

S: Citrus fruits but rather sweet.

T: Some pepper, some orange, some spices i can't recognise with abitter, hoppy aftertaste. Rather complex actually.

M/D: Alcohol comes through, carbonation is a bit thin for my taste.

Overall I quite like this beer, it's not the best tripel I've had, but it's certainly not the worst either, it's worth a try.

Biggest problem to me is the fact that the head dissappears almost immediately.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 21:31:45 | More by benfons

nickfl

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - One finger of white foam on top of a clear golden body. the head settles quickly and leaves moderate lace.

S - Lots of spicy yeast, notes of pepper, coriander, mango, and anise. Sweet pilsner malt in the background.

T - Peppery yeast notes up front with significant fruity notes, banana and bubblegum. Very sweet pilsner malt flavor dominates in the middle and highlights the bubblegum yeast notes. Moderate hop bitterness appears in the finish to balance along with a hint of musty european hops.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a somewhat dry finish.

D - Not bad, the sweetness and bubblegum yeast character becomes a bit cloying by the end of the glass. Nice peppery notes and malt character, especially in the finish. Drinkable, but there are better beers in Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 03:46:00 | More by nickfl

adamette

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served at the Brewery in Brugge into a labeled Straffe Hendrik goblet. Such a pleasure to be able to try it there. The bottle was the 330 ml size but they sold a 750 ml size that I would absolutely love to have right now.

A Fluffy white head over an orange brown translucent body. Lacing was evident after repeated sips. Great look.

S A potent version of Brugse Zot. Many of the same grains but now a kick of sweet, alcohol malt.

T Nice strong malt taste with some hops, very much in line with the other De Halve Maan beers in the presence of the barley malt and belgian yeasts.

M Full with big ABV, abundant tastes.

D Not really that high but as a tripel you would not expect this.

Notes: A nice tripel and my favorite beer from De Halve Maan.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 18:17:56 | More by adamette

Absumaster

Netherlands

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer has a long history of being sold, sold back again, sold to Palm, lots of hustling with the brand and being back at the rightful owner. Don't know the details exactly, but this used to be a very good beer.

An amber, orange beer with a big, lacey head with enough carbonation to support the head. Very nice appearance.

Smell is malty with grainy and maybe some husky notes. A biscuity (cara)malt determines the smell.

Taste is malty with the biscuit malt offering complexity to the beer. It adds a grainy taste and maybe an extra maltbitter kick, which combines well with the bitterness of the beer. This bitterness comes through and shows a clean bitterness, which combined with the rather clean yeast profile, steals the show. However the bitterness is starting to become a little sharp, with a lack of real malt sweetness. And where is the alcohol? You could have fouled me by saying this beer is only 6%.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2009 15:58:16 | More by Absumaster

atis

Finland

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this one in Brugge, I liked the label a lot.

Pours hazy golden/orange with some head that soon dissipates, leaving white patches on the surface, rather dense lacing. Aroma is citrusy sweet and slightly spicy malt, some spicy alcohol in the background. Taste is nice complex mix of subtle spiciness, some orange and lemon, slightly sweetish alcohol with very low hop bitterness and dry and bittery finish.

Medium and creamy body, some very limited alcohol warming sensation. Overall the beer is excellent - I was told that in the beer shop and now I believe it. It is a pity I have only one bottle of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2009 13:31:07 | More by atis