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

wagner617

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

02-25-2012 18:47:11 | More by wagner617

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

06-17-2013 00:11:57 | More by ygtbsm94

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

06-15-2013 22:57:44 | More by IchLiebeBier

dwren89

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: black, tan foamy head, opaque

Aroma: date, fig, raisin, prune, molasses, malt sweetness

Taste: strong note of prune and molasses at onset, finish with a mild nutty character with a ton of malt depth. Slight bitter tingle in aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: medium carbonation, smooth, thick, not easily quaffable and borderline cloying,

Overall Impression: a very strong and noticeably alcoholic quad with strong flavors of dark fruits and molasses. A thick and sweet beverage, this beer demands to be enjoyed over a long period of time.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 21:26:33 | More by dwren89

donzilake

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

06-12-2013 13:09:49 | More by donzilake

ObiWanKushnobi

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2%

06-10-2013 03:43:20 | More by ObiWanKushnobi

NandoPereira

Brazil

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

06-07-2013 02:43:16 | More by NandoPereira

spoony

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

From a 330 ml bottle into a chalice. Reviewed from notes dated May 23, 2013.

A-The brew pours dark brown, but not quite opaque...a bit of light gets through. A normal pour results in a mostly flat beer with no head, just a ring of dark tan/grey foam. Pretty typical for the style and ABV.

S-I smell a surprisingly assertive bit of coffee and dark, bitter chocolate. After those notes fade, I detect the more typical notes of raisin, prune, and brown sugar. Points for unique flavor here, but I'm not sure if I totally dig the coffee quad notes.

T-The taste tracks the smell with a bit of coffee and dark chocolate up front and, to my surprise, it works pretty well. There is a bit more cherry fruit on the taste to go along with warming, aggressive booze and significant sweet, dark fruits. Although the beer is a bit hot a first, the alcohol fits well with the remaining strong flavors.

M-The feel is medium to full body and pretty much lacking in carbonation.

O-This beer is not for the timid. More than any other Belgian-style beer, this one reminds me an American-style barrel-aged stout. The chocolate, the booze, and the heavy feel all suggest something not entirely Belgian. Still, it works pretty well and I found this beer to be an enjoyable way to end an evening.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 03:35:22 | More by spoony

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a teku)
Best before aN15
A- This beer pours an opaque walnut black body with a thin beige film that pushes into a thick ring and is supported by a gentle carbonation.

S- The rick prune and dark fruit esters blend with a dark sweetness and some circus peanut esters that grow larger in the finish.

T- The blend of pot caramel, later growing into a dark dry toffee flavor, and some dried fruit esters finish with a circus peanut ester and a mellow malt sweetness that lingers. As it opens there is a slight cherry brightness and a dark cola hint that come through.

M- the light mouthfeel has a gentle fizz note and a nice alcohol prick that balances the sweetness.

O- This is a great quad. There is the nice blend of yeasty esters with a good sweetness quality and alcohol warmth to balance, all blended with some malt character. Nothing is out of balance but everything has its place. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 11:06:13 | More by rhoadsrage

allenson21

New York

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

06-01-2013 19:50:17 | More by allenson21

maketheheartglad

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

06-01-2013 03:04:16 | More by maketheheartglad

McBraniel

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

05-31-2013 21:10:41 | More by McBraniel

craftbeerasian

Florida

4/5  rDev -2%

05-30-2013 22:27:39 | More by craftbeerasian

Blindpigbiz

California

4.49/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Smell: sweet orange zest with sugary notes and molasses inside of oak barrels

Taste: intense brown sugar/ molasses, sweet cream, orange zest and a somewhat sweet scotch-like taste throughout the entirety of this drink

This beer is highly recommended for those who are trying to explore the quadruple world of beer and, more specifically, people who want to venture into Belgium.

Pairings: extra sharp cheddar, hamburgers, tri-tip, and smoked fish are very good with this beer; don't forget the black grapes

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 22:12:47 | More by Blindpigbiz

Mantooth

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -2%

05-28-2013 00:50:29 | More by Mantooth

Waveoff

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%

05-26-2013 05:11:33 | More by Waveoff

jozols1

New York

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Roasted chestnut brown with a dark cherry hue. Nice head. Not much lacing.
Smell: Umm.. Divine. Like standing outside a Belgian abbey after a rainstorm. (Not that I've actually done that, outside of my dreams.)
Mouthfeel: Some effervescence. It's light on your tongue, but the taste lingers.
Taste: I tasted molasses, raisins, even some cherry (but not maraschino cherry). Definitely malty, of course. But it's well-balanced, not overpowering. Has a musty earthiness to it.
Overall:
This is a serious beer that can hold its own against almost anything you'd think to pair it with -- from pizza to prime rib. But, honestly, it's so good, I stopped eating the second I sipped it.
It's the kind of beer that makes you want to stop all other activities and think about it. So why distract yourself with food?
I've had a lot of Belgian beers and this is definitely one of the most interesting. For a quadrupel, it's surprisingly easy to drink. But you'll want to take your time, if for no other reason than the fact that it's 11% ABV.


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Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:12:51 | More by jozols1

desint

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

05-24-2013 11:26:32 | More by desint

geedub11

United Kingdom (England)

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

05-18-2013 17:01:52 | More by geedub11

greggy1972

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +16.4%

05-12-2013 15:17:07 | More by greggy1972

ckk527

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +16.4%

05-09-2013 01:59:49 | More by ckk527

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

khargro2

Georgia

4/5  rDev -2%

05-04-2013 04:08:29 | More by khargro2

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

kell50

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

04-28-2013 13:30:53 | More by kell50