Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel - Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan

superspak

Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours fairly crystal clear very dark reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense and fluffy khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with plenty of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, prune, apple, caramel, toast, toffee, molasses, pepper, light clove, cocoa, light roast, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of malt and fruity/spicy ester notes. Taste of raisin, prune, apple, molasses, caramel, toast, toffee, cocoa, pepper, light clove, light roast, and yeast earthiness. Lingering notes of dark fruit, molasses, caramel, toast, toffee, cocoa, light roast, pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible flavor balance and complexity of dark malt and fruity/spicy yeast esters; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium-high carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and lightly prickly mouthfeel that is fantastic. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an absolutely incredible Quadrupel! Incredible balance and complexity of flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A totally world class offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:41:19 | More by superspak

kristenspaintings

California

5/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Overall my favorite beer of all time. This is a fragrant, herbal/spiced, thick, syrupy black-as-night beer. You can't see any light through this beer at all, a huge plus in my opinion.

Pour this into a tulip glass if you can't get glassware from the brewery. (I am working on a way to get some- any suggestions?)

This beer has a thick head with small, light brown bubbles and good flavor there too.

One word of caution: the Straffe Quad has 11%abv so you might want to drink conservatively if you haven't had a beer this strong before. It'll sneak up on you before you realize it.

I'm sure not everyone is in love with this style of beer but I am although I didn't know that until I had one after a look around the Halve Maan brewery in Brugge, Belgium. A fantastic tour and especially memorable because of the strong smell of cooking hops and spices in the air- a reflection of the quality of both the tour and the beer itself.

As I try more quads I suppose I may find one I like better, but I tend to measure all beers in this style against the Straffe Hendrik as I probably will be for quite some time. I can't imagine how this beer could be improved upon.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 16:31:30 | More by kristenspaintings

CZs

Maryland

3.81/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Poured into a typical tall Belgian chalice. Dark brown with ruby-red hues when held to the light.

Smell: Sweet candy, hint of dark fruit.

Taste: 40F - Usual dark fruits, dark candi sugar. 50F+ - Sweet chocolate in addition to flavors already mentioned. Very malt forward in my opinion - sweeter side of Quad and/or BDSs.

Mouthfeel: Medium-high carbonation, thicker, heavier body than I was expecting but it works. I don't get toasty or caramel flavors some are noting.

Overall: If you are going to discuss what might be perceived differences between a Quad and a BDS - this might be the one to point to. If someone is new to darker brews, you might offer them this as a small aperitif or digestif and when discussing the spectrum of Quads and/or BDS and any potential differences. A solid offering I would come back to. I enjoy drier, slightly warming booze characteristics mixed in with a hint of Caramunich - the only reason it didn't get a 4/5 or higher from me - but, that is my personal preference.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 15:02:27 | More by CZs

arizcards

Arizona

4.26/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a single at AJ's Glendale in late February for $3.99.

Beer poured brown with a nice tan head that has stayed quite well.

Nose is sweet, with dark fruits, and spices.

Taste is figs, candied sugar, kind of boozy, with a peppery almost coriander like finish.

Mouthfeel is near perfection, classic belgian yeast strain smoothness.

Overall this is close if not a world class quad. Lots of complexities in the flavor as well as a classic look and feel.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 01:14:27 | More by arizcards

templar316

Pennsylvania

4.99/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a gorgeous burnt sienna into my ommengang snifter. soft white head that lingers up and down the glass. The aroma of delicious candy sugar fades into sugar plums and mandrin oranges. The flavor of bready caramel malts lingers as candied fruit wash over the tongue with a warming brandy quality. It dances over the tongue and makes me wish for more!

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 01:16:30 | More by templar316

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11.2oz poured into a snifter

A: Pours a very dark amber/brown, almost to the point of being black, with three fingers of head on a very careful pour.

S: A surprising amount of caramel and toffee for a Quad, I get some plums behind it, but not as much dark fruits as I'm used to for the style. I get a bit of grapefruit and nutmeg to balance the sweetness.

T: Toffee and caramel are quite strong in the flavor as well. I get even less dark fruits than I got in the aroma. A bit peppery, but not much for esters.

M: Medium thickness with strong carbonation.

O: Nice tasting, though a bit boring for the style. Not much in the ester category.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:33:14 | More by coreyfmcdonald

endovelico

Portugal

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Bull's blood color with a thin pellicle of foam, some retention around the rim, some lacing and unperceived effervescence.

Aroma: Medium to medium high in intensity. Dark candy sugar, prune and milky at the front with some nice cocoa notes and alcohol warmth on the back.

Taste: Medium high in intensity. Dark fruit, candy sugar, orange peel, spices and caramel.

Palate: Medium to medium full bodied. ABV well veiled. Low carbonation. Finishes sweetish with a lingering caramel / candy sugar aftertaste. PERFECT!

Overall: A great showcase of what a Quad can be. Could use some adjustments in the taste department but it's still an elite status Quad.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 20:42:35 | More by endovelico

KFBR392

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: I got really excited for this brew based on the appearance. Has 100% of the look a Quad should have, thick creamy head, dark menacing color, with a low amount of carbonation. The head stuck around the entire time while enjoying. Drank out of a Westmalle Chalice glass.

Smell: Even though the aroma shouldn't be over pronounced, you really had to dig deep to enjoy this aroma. Very light malt, with some dark fruit and bready accents. The malt seemed to take over what aroma was actually there and did not have the type of complexity I was looking for.

Taste: Two very different part to the taste of this brew which brings it to a very average taste overall. The front of this beer is wonderful, tastes of sweet malt, dark fruits, earthy bread, and a slight dry roasted nuttiness. The strong sweetness of the malt is tragically slain by a heavy boozy presence which ends the party for this brew. The heavy booze is what is left of the palette after drinking which is a true same after the front of this beer.

Mouthfeel: Creamy everything you would expect from a quad on the front but the tacky boozy feeling really sours the mouthfeel for me as well.

Overall: So close to a truly elite beer. Maybe it is unfair to this beer that I have Rochefort 10 and 8 very readily available in my area which makes my standards insanely high for beers of this essence. You can tell the craftsmanship is simply not there with this beer. It is worth the extra few dollars for truly world class products.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:55:47 | More by KFBR392

XxNitExX

Nebraska

4.56/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Deep brown with red highlights and a nice off white head that doesn't linger forever, but sticks for awhile.

S- Nice Alcohol smell and strong estery highlights.

T- Delicious "dark" sugar taste, not sweet like a lot of quads. Little coffee taste, fairly dry.

M- Smooth and dry. Not overly carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 03:18:09 | More by XxNitExX

Pencible

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: This poured a cloudy mahogany with fluffy light tan head.
S: It smelled like salty Worcestershire sauce and sweet molasses and honey wheat bread, with some bitter copper hops and figs and Belgian yeast.
T: It tasted like sharp copper hops at first, followed by sweet molasses and dark fruit and salty Belgian yeast, with some pumpernickel and dry dark chocolate. It had a clean and bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was fairly thick with moderate smooth natural carbonation. Nice delicate body.
D: This was a solid quad with a refined scent and taste and great body. The finish was surprisingly smooth, so it was easy to drink. Could probably improve with a few years in the cellar, but very nice fresh. Not the top of this style, but still fully enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 21:41:31 | More by Pencible

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle notched Best Before December of 2013. Poured carefully into a Rochefort chalice.

Looks a luxurious color of plum-brown with meager translucency. Rich velvety head looks dense and soupy with lots of tight bubbles. Foamy and ecru in color. A wonderful appearance.

Plum, candi sugar, yeast nuttiness, red grape, pumpernickel toast, phenols, rosewater alcohol, dried fig, and Belgian chocolate. A prestigious nose, even for a quad.

Prune, nuttiness, candi sugar, spicy booze, brown bread, raisin, Belgian chocolate, grape, and bittersweet maltiness. The alcohol is a lot more pertinent in the mouth, but Straffe Hendrik still has massive complexity. The front-to-middle has a lot of creamy chocolate, malt, and fruit notes before the tune of 11% ABV speaks up. Herbaceousness shows up, too. Finish is drier, spicy, boozy, a bit earthy, and super-long and dragged-out.

About as creamy as you get, body-wise. Crackle of soft carbonation works well. Alcohol is quite warming. Spicy, too, in the mouth.

This is still very well done. A beer I will buy again, and I'm not sure why I waited this long to finally try it.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:32:12 | More by thecheapies

thierrynantes

France

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

Beer bottle (33 cl.) purchased from La Cervoiserie, and tasted in 2013.

Appearance : dark red amber color, with tan foamy head ( nice lacing)
Smell : malt and caramel aromas.
Taste & mouthfeel : dark fruit and spicy flavours, alcohol prresence, with dry fruity finish.
Drinkability : a nice beer in the style Quadrupel.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 18:06:27 | More by thierrynantes

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A - poured into an oversized wine glass. Motor Oil black. A frothy, cream colored 2 finger head. Head eventually dwindles down to a half centimetre where it remains.

S - Malt, mild dark fruit? Some toasted pie crust. and yeast. I would rate smell higher if it was stronger.

T - almost like a sweet marinade. Strong Spice. tastes of "dark bread" if you can imagine. The head brings a refreshing creaminess to the taste. Short alcohol bite right before the end. more malt on the finish. Overall a dark taste.

M - Great carbonation that continues to sizzle in the mouth that keeps the heavy taste from being overwhelmingly think. Slick and sugary. Leaves sugary coating in the back of the throat like when you eat skittles.

Overall - One of the best I've had. Complex, just the one almost got me drunk. 11%. there's a good reason this 11.2 oz cost $6.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 01:54:59 | More by TastyAdventure

Dave1999

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured pure black with no head at all.

The smell was dark fruits, plums, figs and raisins.

The taste was similar to the smell, the dark fruits were in full force. There was also a bit of an alcohol bite.

The mouth feel was thick and chewy with medium carbonation.

Overall a solid quad, very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2013 18:25:41 | More by Dave1999

Greywulfken

New York

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: side-poured into a stout flute glass - deep slightly translucent dark brown beer with a bubbly tan head 3 fingers-thick; draped modest lace down the glass, filmy lid persisted

S: deep dark fruity malts and subtle spices reminiscent of winter holidays

T: bitter treacle/molasses and dark, dark fruit like black plums or figs - very compelling flavor profile - almost like, dank and dark fruits and spices with burnt bittersweet sugar

M: very nice on the tongue - medium weight, slightest bit of tack, slightlest bit of tingle, and even the slightest bit of chalk

O: saw the middling reviews before I had this, and I imagine there is some issue with this beer not quite tasting like too many of the big name quads, but it is a very pleasing and distinct-tasting beer - I would easily recommend this for quad and BSDA fans. It might not blow you away for the style, but taken as a singular beer, a worthy drink indeed.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:52:05 | More by Greywulfken

brentk56

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours with the massive head one would expect from a Belgian; underneath is a very dark, coffee-colored liquid; great retention and plenty of lacing

Smell: Dried dark fruit (prune, raisin and cherry) with spice cake and mineral aromatics and a hint of chocolate

Taste: Dried dark fruit and spice cake flavors, up front, with a peppery zest building in the middle; a touch of molasses adds additional sweetness, after the swallow, along with a hint of chocolate that appears in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with the airy carbonation I find in the best of the Belgians; surprisingly little heat for an 11% ABV beer

Overall: Very impressed by this well-balanced quad that is filled with both complexity and restraint

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:38:44 | More by brentk56

Douberd

Netherlands

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brown bottle of 330 ml. ABV is 11%. Refermented in the bottle. Poured in a tulip glass.

Colour i very dark brown. Huge head of somrthing more than 3 fingers, with creamy texture, beige in colour and excellent retention.Quite a lace left behind.
Light caramel on the aroma, some roasted malts, fruits and alcohol.
Great taste, roasted malts and coffee, with a long slighty bitter finish. Alcohol so very well hidden.
A full body and average carbonation.
Overall a great quad.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:09:06 | More by Douberd

IPA35

Netherlands

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark brown with an off white head. Good retention.

Smells malty. Slightly metallic chocolate, yes dark chocolate. Molasses. Dark fruits, booze.

Dark fruits ofcourse and a rather interesting choclatey maltiness that I do not get in other quads like Rochefort 10 or Westvleteren 12. Almost RIS like to me.

All in all less fruity and more dark malty that other quads.

Mouthfeel is rather full, nice and creamy. Good carbonation.

Overall a nice beer really, less fruity than most comparable beers and with a bigger chocolate/coffee/metallic maltiness to it.

Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 20:07:57 | More by IPA35

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving type: 330 ml bottle. There are notches on the side of the label for a “Best before end” date, which looks to be February 2015.

Appearance: Served in a tulip. The color is dark brown with ruby tones. Three fingers of dense, lightly tanned head dissipated very slowly and unevenly, leaving trails of foam along the glass.

Smell: Dark fruits and berries. Raisin, cherry, fig, plum, and maybe a little blackberry and raspberry. On the sweeter side, there is a hint of apple. It also has malty notes of caramel, molasses, and dark chocolate. There is a little, tiny hint of booze, which may just be a figment of my imagination.

Taste: The mouthfeel is very thick and creamy. The booze is much more noticeable — it is reminiscent of brandy — and it features a slightly singed or burnt edge. That fades on subsequent sips and the dark fruits and malts shine through. Raisin, plum, fig, cherry, dark berries, and a little apple; caramel, molasses, toasted malts, and a little cocoa.

Drinkability: This is well crafted stuff. The ABV is much too high for quaffing, but it is very good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:58:53 | More by TheQuietMan22

Ciocanelu

Romania

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass.

Dark brown color when held towards the light. Large head with very good retention and lacing.
Sweet malt and brown sugar in the aroma. Also quite boozy.
After tasting I was surprised. It wasn't as sweet as I expected, and I liked that. Also it didn't feel like 11% ABV.
Medium body with light carbonation. Easy to drink in spite of the high ABV.

Overall a very nice quad, I enjoyed it more then some of the bigger names.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:54:10 | More by Ciocanelu

drabmuh

Maryland

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

750 ml bottle shared by Lunch, thanks! Never had it and I'm always interested in trying a new beer whenever possible.

Beer is brown and hazy with a nice head of tan bubbles, moderate retention, moderate carbonation, looks good.

Aroma is yeasty / bready with some great overtones of grain and sugar / caramel.

Beer is sweet and medium in body, nice finish, mildly bitter, a little roast in this one, I enjoyed this beer a lot and would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 17:54:43 | More by drabmuh

Infamous7100

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: ruby/orange/brown, with an off white head tan that doesn't go away. Beautiful.
S: all kinds of malts! Some grapes, apples, figs and other dark fruit...lovin it.T
T: Matches the nose closely. All kinds of malty sweetness bt somehow not overly so.
M: smooth, creamy, a nice and sweet boozy hang that is sligjty warming.
O: Pick this up if you are a quad lover. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 00:43:08 | More by Infamous7100

ChrisH1024

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber to a pint glass. Nice head, doesn't dissipate, with a nice copper color. Smells of dark fruit and heavy malt. It tastes sweet with a nice dry yet tasty finish. You really taste the malt with a touch of raisins and dark fruit. The feel is smooth and perfectly carbonated. Overall a great brew with lots of flavor and balance. I will for sure pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 00:40:38 | More by ChrisH1024

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

17th Oct 2012 Brugge: after draught De Garre and Gulden Draak my wife dragged me out of De Garre and into the Red Rose, here I choose a 33cl bottle of this.

Coming in the bottle. the correct glass was offered to me to pour my beer into; I did.

This is a dark, brooding brew: with a creamy head in both colour and texture.

The nose is all about malty molasses: so strong and sweet nothing else got a look in. Luckily the taste wasn't as sweet as the aromas suggested. The malts were certainly the dominant flavour but there is a hop bitterness stopping the beer becoming a malt smoothy and the alcohol doesn't hide away: it is very prominent once the beer has touched your lips.

Looked great and in such a fine bar it is difficult not to score it highly: but I'm being objective and truthful in my numbers, it deserves the scores it's getting from me.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 12:11:04 | More by BlackHaddock

eduardolinhalis

Switzerland

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

330ml bottle served in a Trappist chalice.

A: Pours a nice deep brown color forming a huge creamy fluffy tan head. Very good retention and many lacings left. A nice creamy layer remains forever

S: Very malty and yeasty with notes of alcohol. Dark fruits like plums and raisins. Caramel and candy sugar. Classic Belgian yeasts

T: Follows the nose. A classic Belgian Quad, very creamy and molasses. Very bready too. Strong notes of caramel, caramel malts, dark fruits and Belgian yeasts. End is quite bitter with notes of flowery hope. Balanced bittersweet combination

M: Heavy creamy molasses body with good carbonation. Bittersweet Belgian style aftertaste

O: Great Quad. Excellent beer. Recommend

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 16:45:50 | More by eduardolinhalis