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

Nerudamann

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass.

Look - dark brown with about two and a half fingers of frothy light khaki-colored foam that dissipates quickly.

Smell - almost a wheat-like smell, but in theory shouldn't contain wheat or rye.

Taste and Mouthfeel - quite a bitter taste right from the off, but sweetened a little bit in the middle, but that level remains throughout the rest of the taste. A bit of an acrid, albeit not unpleasant, type of taste. The abv is definitely perceivable. And because of the abv, the mouthfeel is a bit stinging/warming. The texture is pretty smooth though.

Overall - a pretty interesting brew. If I have it again, I'm going to have to remember to serve it a little warmer than I did.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 03:05:48 | More by Nerudamann

vfgccp

New York

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A – Dark brown ice tea – almost cola. Great retention and lace on a khaki head.

S – Warm booze, brazil nuts, caramel, and mocha.

T – Booze up front with burnt caramel. Hazelnut, cherry pits and leather through the center. Dry, boozy finish.

M – Medium/light body for the style. Nice carbonation. The alcohol leaves a warm, lingering finish.

O – An ok Quad. The booze feels disassociated from the rest of the profile.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 18:53:47 | More by vfgccp

ikantspel

California

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml served into a duvel tulip

pours a dark hazelnut brown color with a shade of reddish amber. finishes with a sticky tan head that takes awhile to relent

classic textbook belgian quad smell that produces an aroma rich in spiced herbal notes, a butternut toffee, and is completed by a lingering black licorice/anise

the taste starts with the dark fruits, with just a tinge of the alcohol thats present, then in comes the spice vanilla flavor leads into a sweet brown sugar that dissipates and becomes slightly dry. maybe a little bitterness at the end

a pretty solid outing for a quad. pretty textbook but with a strong taste. id rank it in the top 10 of quads ive tried but not top 5

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 05:00:03 | More by ikantspel

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours an amber color with a thick two finger pillowy head which gives way to skim and leaves nice strand of lace on the glass. The aroma is of dark fruits and caramel malts. The aroma is slightly faint. The taste has a caramel malt backbone, over top there are flavors of dark fruits. There is also a slight milk chocolate taste along with brandy like flavors. At the end there is a very slight hop bite. The mouthfeel is moderatley carbonated. Overall this is a good beer, the aroma was a little faint, but the taste was good and complex.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 23:38:48 | More by goblue3509

illidurit

California

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at the May Santa Cruz tasting. Pours a dark cola color with a poofy tan head. Aromas of yeasty brown bread, candi sugar, vanilla, alcohol. Flavors of dark and red fruits with coriander, fruitcake, raisin, vanilla, licorice, and booze. A bit too hot and perfumey on the palate at 11 percent.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 22:21:28 | More by illidurit

metter98

New York

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear dark reddish amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high dense beige head that quickly died down, leaving only a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface that never completely faded away.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of dark fruits and yeast in the nose.
T: Like the smell, flavors of dark fruits stand out in the taste (cherries, plums and prunes come to mind) and there is some malty sweetness. Hints of spices are noticeable in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and relatively smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is relatively easy to drink considering its strength because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Note: 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 02:30:18 | More by metter98

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

BeerNemesis

New York

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Straffe Hendrik Quadrupel | 750 ml. | 11.0% ABV | 2010 vintage

Brewer: Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik / De Halve Maan
Style: Quadrupel (Quad)
Glass: Ommegang chalice

Apparently Brouwerij Straffe Hendrik was founded in 1564 and has been run by the same family since 1856. It is the oldest continuously operating brewery in Bruges.

Appearance:
Rich, coffee-brown body with a nice ring of sandy foam.

Aroma:
Chocolate, coffee, dark fruits. The usual.

Taste:
Toasted dark malts, dabs of coffee, and sprinklings of cocoa powder. It's heavy and somber, but very tasty. I get plums and raisins as it warms.

Mouthfeel:
Too much carbonation, but otherwise a silky-smooth, thick brew.

Harmony:
I like how Staffe Hendrik Quadrupel is less focused on the plums, cherries, raisins, and other dark fruit and more about bringing out roasted, toasted malts. While I like sweet and fruity quads, this was a welcome diversion from the norm.

Would I get it again?:
Yes. The fantastic bottle art on the the 750 ml. bottle (matte black label, moon with a face) is a plus.

Bottled: 2010
Served: July 7, 2011

Price = $10.99 at Whole Foods NYC

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 23:15:19 | More by BeerNemesis

6string

Germany

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours well, gives plenty to soak in from the sharp aroma of chocolate and toffee. It's a strong attack of caramel taste, which is good. I've fallen in love with Belgian brews, and this one caught my eye with 11% by volume. It warms the chest with it's potency, but it's not a killer by any means. Toffee, chocolate, and most of all, caramel. It's deep in taste, but doesn't give much to rave about.

Like most Quads for me, it's a warming beer that seems to fit as a dessert after a meaty meal...something to sip slowly and really enjoy. Glad I picked this one up, hoping it'll make an appearance at the next Belgian Beer Fest I hit up in late February.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 20:39:40 | More by 6string

daledeee

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A rather hard to find one at John's in Iowa City.

Pours an uncontrollable light tan head that leaves nice lacing. A pretty dark brown body but it can be seen through.

Nose has cherries at first, but afterwards has a dark fruit and alcohol smell.

Taste is dark cherries and earth.

Mouth feel has nice carbonation with not really heavy mouth feel for a strong one.

Overall this is a tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 00:27:32 | More by daledeee

beerpirates

Belgium

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl bottle at DELICE & CAPRICES , Brussels

A: Pours a dark, translucent copper brown with two fingers of billowy, pale tan head. Strong retention and lace.

S: Good yeasty malt aromas, a little chocolate and some dark fruits.

T: Pepper and cinnamon up front, transitioning to some dark fruits in the middle and ending with a little spice. Some chocolate notes and also some vinous flavors enter as the beer warms. The flavor is pretty dry overall, almost a stout quality. Towards the end of the glass, some subtle bubblegum joins in.

M: Medium-heavy mouthfeel with considerable creaminess that keeps it buoyant and a lot of smoothness as well.

O: A pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 18:19:40 | More by beerpirates

zeff80

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a dark burgundy color with a two-finger, tan head of bubbly foam. It left sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of dried fruits - plum, raisin and currants.

T - Rich bready malts make a nice backbone. Great dried fruit flavors of plum, raisin and currants. Some yeasty spice.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a warm alcohol presence.

O - Great quadrupel. Another great find at Sycamore.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 21:01:43 | More by zeff80

IKR

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear dark brown color with a generous foamy beige head that fades fairly quickly.

Smell: Bready, fruity notes.

Taste: The fruity and bread-y notes in the nose are present in the taste with the fruity notes most prominent. It finishes with a combination of fruity sweetness, slight phenols, and some hop bitterness.

Mouth-feel: Body is on the lighter Medium side with a fair level of carbonation.

Overall: Good beer but a step below the top echelon. Priced fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 22:50:30 | More by IKR

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice and solid quad offering.

Presentation: 750 ml corked and caged brow bottle. Dark somber label with the image of a humanized half-moon in dark golden brown over black background. Back label notes main intent and characteristics alongside brewery background. Narrative offers cellaring and serving notes, as well as succinct wording on the characteristics of the brew. Shows bottling date 2010 on the cork, and 11% Alc. by Vol. Served in a snifter.

A - Dark brown pour with crimson edges, with a generous frothy head, medium retention, fair surface memory and some lacing.

S - Long malty nose, sweet notes of dark fruits, sugar, and a characteristic yeasty sense.

T - Taste follows with a nice sweet sense of malt, long fruity notes, plums raisins, hint of spices, unfermented sugar...

M - Medium body with ample but adequate carbonation, and a fairly smooth sense.

O - Pleasing quad, well rounded and matching a nice benchmark for the style.

Notes: Nice quad, reminds me quite a bit to the middle bracket and dexterity of Malheur´s 12, nice, and while not tremendous it is well worth the experience.
--

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 18:20:08 | More by Daniellobo

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: The initial pour is jet black with a dense, compact beige head. The appearance is misleading, however, as the beer proves itself to be garnet in hue when held up to the light. As can be expected of most quadruples, the lacing is great. Really, this is just a great looking beer.

S: The smell is a bit of a disappointment, proving to be simplistic for the style. My nose was greeted by a fiery alcohol scent, and after several attempts, I was just barely able to detect faint aromas of raisins, figs, and prunes.

T: The taste is complex and surprisingly lacking in any sort of alcohol burn, so don't expect there to be a tremendous amount of continuity between the sensations present on the nose and those present on the palate. Notes of raisins, figs, prunes, milk chocolate, woody spice, heavy cream, brandy, and maple syrup are easily detected. The finish is long, rich, and warming with a notable brandy and fruitcake character.

M: Full bodied, slick, and velvety with a prickle of carbonation. An alcohol burn is somewhat noticeable in the mouth, though as I noted in the section above, heavy alcohol flavors are thankfully absent. This ale becomes a bit sticky and syrupy on the finish. In my opinion, it needs a little more balance to be truly successful.

O: I had some difficulty rating this beer because it's so hit-or-miss for me. On the one hand, it looks great and tastes great, while on the other, its smell is not all that appealing and the mouthfeel is a little too boozy for my liking. In the end, this is a fairly solid quadruple, but it has the potential to be so much more.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 16:37:23 | More by mrfrancis

TechTriumph

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From notes on 03/24/12:
Best by: December 2013; Poured in a pint glass.

A - A normal pour produced so much head that I had to let some of it subside before emptying the rest of the bottle; There was several inches of carbonated, soda-like head with an off-white color; Head retention was excellent, but no lacing was left behind; Dark mahogany in color with a garnet hue

S - Smell is pretty weak overall, making it hard to pick out different aromas; Notes of dark fruits, cherries, acidic grapes, and just a subtle hint of alcohol

T - Decent taste of alcohol here, but it works pretty well with the other flavors present, including black pepper, buttered toast, vanilla, dark fruits, rum, tart/acidic grapes, and caramel; The finish, though long and dry, is not unpleasant with subtle tastes of alcohol, grapes, and dark fruit

M - Moderate carbonation that packs a bit of a sting; Just over medium bodied; Finish is warm, peppery, and dry

O - This quad was a very good interpretation of the style, and one that feels a bit light, but is certainly warming and satisfying. Although this beer doesn't quite reach the top tier of Trappist quads, it's still well above average for the style and one I hope to find and enjoy again soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 14:15:47 | More by TechTriumph

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my new Hair of the Dog snifter... Thanks a ton Sammy... this is a super cool glass.

Deeeep red.... dark cherry juice with a shot lasting dark tan head ... but a nice cap remains for the entire glass.

Nose is rich and malty with significant dried cherry, plum and nice caramel and toast.

Flavor mirrors the nose with some subtle spiciness.

Medium bodied with a smooth everpresent carbonation.

Pretty nice for sure and not too bad at ~$10 for the 750.

3.5/4/4/4/4

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 04:19:59 | More by JohnGalt1

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Straffe Hendrik quad has a deep mahogany colored body, brown with lots of ruby highlights. The tan head forms a solid cap and leaves minimal lacing, but it has great retention, sticking around for the entire drink.

The aroma has an array of dark fruits, some spice and a lot of malt.

Malt, spice, and dark fruit are balanced very well in this one. Cherries, dates, raisins and other generic dark fruits come from the yeast, and slowly give way to the malt. The malts are sweet but not cloying, and they make up the strongest flavor by a hair. The beer is balanced and dried out in A finish by a phenolic, peppery taste. No alcohol at all, but there is just a touch of warmth. This one is balanced so well that the transition between the flavors is seamless, and nothing sticks out as being overbearing.

The body is a little bit light and carbonation a little bit high, but the lack of alcohol presence makes this acceptable for me.

This is a big-ass Belgian that hides its ABV very well. Balance and integrated flavors are its strengths. Probably worth a try even for those who don't love Belgian styles.

Serving type: on-tap

08-25-2011 14:17:24 | More by Hojaminbag

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by jayhawk73. Thanks Jeff!

The beer appears a dark maple brown color with a thick, dense, light beige head. Excellent retention and ample lacing. Quads are just great looking beers.

The aroma brings dark fruits, particularly plums, figs, raisins. Yeast presence is there as well. The aroma is a bit weak for the style.

Sweet raisins with a hint of yeast. Lingering bitterness in the finish. Caramel malt and toffee.

Alcohol presence is very well disguised. A bit of warmth going down. Nice feel.

A good sipper. Not as complex as the Trappist examples of the style. Still, an enjoyable beer and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 21:18:51 | More by Huhzubendah

RuudJH

Netherlands

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

Quad, relatively new product from this brewery.
Colour brown, with beige head. Big head, a lot of carbonation in the clear(!) drink.
Smell of caramel, dark fruits, some floral components, some alcohol too.
Taste is full malty, sweet. Dark fruit, caramel, koriander.
Medium to full body. lingering taste. In many ways it reminds of Rochefort 10. It's just not as chewy and complex.
It's a good drinkable beer. the 11% is not a big problem. It's covered well enough.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 14:40:22 | More by RuudJH

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a deep amber to brown-ish in color with a tan head. In the aroma, sweet alcohol, nutty, and some dark fruit. In the taste, sweet nuttiness, alcohol, and a mixture of raisin and figs. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with and dry dark fruitiness, especially raisin in the aftertaste. Dry and nutty, with a nice presence of dark fruit.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 18:57:23 | More by OWSLEY069

CuriousMonk

Virginia

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

On draft at Brasserie Beck in DC. Poured into a tulip glass, rich and intense dark Belgian ale. It is brewed with a subtle blend of specialty malts, which give the ale an extremely dark color and a chewy, malty complex character. The quadruple combines a clean dryness with a warm full bodied mouth feel and essences of fruit. Overall a very nice Quad! Be warned this is some strong stuff.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 23:25:36 | More by CuriousMonk

Gehrig

Illinois

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

Enjoyed on tap at The Independent in Tampa, FL.

A thick finger of light tan froth tops a deep mahogany-ruby body. Nice lacing on the St. Bernardus glass. A touch of yeasty funk blends well with the fruity aromas, with cherry and raspberry most noticeable. The flavor is a fine mixture of sweet and tart, with a distinct maraschino cherry flavor tempered from cloying by chocolate and caramel malt flavors. I would like a bit bolder flavor from SH Quad, but I don't say that in a disappointed way. Rather, it is tasty and enjoyable, but I suppose I was hoping for a bit more, something more complicated.

Yet for what SH Quad does, it does well. It is smooth but effervescent enough. The flavor is fine with a nice sweet finish, and the high ABV (11%) is not obstreperous.

A good solid Quad, pricey at $9 but worthy.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2011 15:32:57 | More by Gehrig

martincm

North Carolina

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

Pours up nice and pretty with that beautiful, soaring quadrupel head. Lacing stays true throughout the glass, almost like a foam wall.
This is definitely a sipper. Take a big swig and it looses drinkability points. When sipped slowly, the foam gets to build in your mouth (my favorite part of a quad) and all those malty flavors release.
I would really like to see one of these in a cellar for nearly a year.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 00:40:39 | More by martincm

deebo

Minnesota

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

Bottle with a best before end date notched Dec 13.

A-Pours a ton of loose tan foamy head that lingers. Lots of small CO2 bubbles present. Murky brown with dark red tints.

S-Remniscient of other quads except this one has a perfumy floral aroma-almost rose like. Otherwise sweet alcohol aroma. Brown sugar.

T-Rum raisin, sweet bread, overripe fruity yeast. End note of alcohol.

M-Vapory alcohol is noticeable, but the burn down the throat is subdued. Moderate/heavy carbonation zing. Dry finish.

D-Better than it should be with an 11% brew.

O-I love quads-this one is a large step below St. Bernardus and Westy versions, but still very enjoyable-makes a great nightcap. Will have to see how this one tastes after a few more years in the cellar. Have yet to taste 1 made in the US that stacks up well next to the Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 03:03:23 | More by deebo