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

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.


.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:12:51 | More by jozols1

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

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

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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Straffe Hendrik Quad

Pours a dark brown, off white head forms and fades. Aroma of nutty, toasted malt, sweet dark fruits and doughy bread. In the flavor, raisen, fig, toasted almond and caramel. Smooth on the palate and the alcohol is only barely noticeable. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied, clean enough finish and semi dry at that. Overall, a very solid quad with great traditional flavor. Without a doubt this is one worth revisiting.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 14:24:15 | More by Stinkypuss

beergoot

Colorado

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

A nice brown body covered with a thick, sticky, brown head; Good lacing down the sides of the glass. Smell emits dates, currants, figs, molasses, brown sugar. Malt sugars and dark fruit tastes strongly bind with a deep yet relatively mild alcohol warmth. Some chocolate notes buried deep along with a soft bitterness. Medium bodied, juicy and clean.

A nicely made rich and complex beer. Liquid dark bread...

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:31:28 | More by beergoot

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

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

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz brown glass pry-top bottle. Label notched L:C, D, 13. Purchased at Winooski Beverage Warehouse.

Pours a deep, dark brown with frothy khaki head, looking like a traditional Quad. Nose is very bready and yeasty. Smells like freshly baked baguettes and caramels. Palate is structured and firm, a little booze slips through as heat. Not overly sweet, but flavors of milk chocolate and caramel dominate. Doesn't have the "classic" Quad fruitiness.

I rather like this brew as it's quite unique. If you're expecting the big dark fruit and leather thing that you get from Gouden Carolus or La Trappe's dark brews, you will be surprised. Gets big points for a unique interpretation of the "Quad."

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 04:40:52 | More by SFLpunk

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Ok, after my soup and Zot Dubbel at the Halve Maan on 28SEP11, I opted for a 0.33l bottle of the Quad for "dessert", at €4.00. Good choice!

I filled my glass with a deep, deep dark brown liquid, opaque even to backlighting. A creamy, short beige head layered things up top, lasting well and lacing nicely. Aroma was a tad restrained, yet dark fruit was noticeable here. Though the bier felt a touch airy on the tongue, it still had a solid medium body.

Flavorwise, it started dry right off. Subtle choco malts with light sweetness melded with dark fruit, more as the quad warmed. Had no real bitterness pe se, and could be more complex, but it was still damn tasty. Zum Wohl!!

4.22 rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

1392

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 21:47:14 | More by Bierman9

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

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

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

Brabander

Netherlands

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

I bought this new Quad at Dranken Geers in Gent when i was there two weeks ago. The woman behind the counter advised me to try this one out.

I must say that this is a good quad, not the best there is, Westy 12, Pannepot, Amatus and Rochefort 10 are (much) better but hey, with those beers we talk about worldbest beers.

Poured the beer i my small Wesyvleteren tasting glass. The beer looks absolutely great. A very darkbrown/deepdarkred fluid with a very decent two finger lightbrown head which stays for quit a while. The is lots of carbonation going on in the glass.

The sweet smell of candisugar comes in the nose.

Taste is good but the carbonation is a bit too much in the mouth (and i like carbination!) it feels like a small carbonationexplosion in the mouth.

The alcolhol is well hidden and overall i have to say that this one is a very drinkable quad. I would like to see how this beer is when you age it a few years, it can only get better.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 10:55:39 | More by Brabander

DaveBlack

Virginia

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

A: Rich mahogany color, maybe a 1/2 finger of white head that has almost no retention.

S: There isn't much of a smell on this beer at all, but what there is is good. Smells sweet and malty with dark fruit, chocolate and a slight touch of yeast.

T: Wow. Big flavor considering the faintness of the aroma. Starts very light and floral, with a taste akin to rose, then a hefty hit of the alcoholic phenols give way into deep, rich malty, chocolaty flavors. There's a lot going on in the flavor of this beer and all of it good.

M: Fairly heavy body with a lot of carbonation. A little bit slick at first, but leaves the mouth feeling a little bit sticky.

O: Not the best quad that I've had, but it is quite drinkable. The faintness of the alcohol makes this a potentially dangerous beer. I wish there was more on the aroma, but the flavor more than makes up for it.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 23:09:25 | More by DaveBlack

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

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served out of a bottle.

The appearance is spot on what one would expect with a nice frothy and foamy head that took a while to relax.

I'm having it colder than I should but here we go:

Smell is bready with almost an oat characteristic. Very nice lace is forming that clings to the glass like a dress.

The taste is slightly booze oriented for my liking. Lots of carbonation - border line too much for my liking. Champagne esque carbonation that is aggressive throughout giving a tingly mouthfeel.

As it warms the malty characteristics shine through more. Dark plum flavor and smell is developing. Almost like a plum/fig spread on top of a thick slice of multigrain bread.

Not my favorite Belgian quad but a nice break from the rochefort and saint bernardus I so thoroughly enjoy. The lace is truly spectacular on this guy.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 01:02:53 | More by Patrickbrusil

rootbeerman

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle allowed to warm to around 55°

A: not an amazing head but the body is very dark brown but is clear.
S: very malty and very sweet with dark caramel a dark fruits.
T: very sweet, fruity caramel malt, very long lasting sweetness with a small amount of alcohol warmth.
M: sticky and coating sweetness, low carbonation but wasn't really expecting much.
O: hard to find, I've had this on tap, and now bottle and I believe I'll get it every time I see it.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 04:06:46 | More by rootbeerman

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330 mL bottle, best before date of December 2013.

bubbly, dark brown with beautiful garnet highlights, and monster 3" tall creamy off-white colored head. the head settles down to a 1/2" layer that stays to the bottom of the glass, leaving great lacing. pleasant aroma of raisins and booze.

tastes of brown sugar, a little fruit - figs, raisins. contrary to the smell, no alcohol detected in the taste. body is fairly thin, but smooth, easy to drink.

overall, a great Quad.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 02:22:08 | More by jmdrpi

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a nice belgian quad, pretty standard in all respects, but the standard is mighty high, this is a quality beer. pours ar red color with a touch of orange in the light. small white fizzy head. smells like molasses, sour cherries, and belgian yeast. flavor is plenty of caramel malts and belgian candy sugar, even some raw cane sugar, but this is well proportioned, not rot your teeth style. mouthfeel is nice too, plenty of bright carbonation at first, mellowing as it warms and letting the strength of the beer come though. great finish. you could make a night of drinking these if they werent so expensive. glad to see it on tap at the Cheeky Monk downtown denver

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2012 18:27:48 | More by StonedTrippin

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into a Unibroue tulip.

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. Not my favorite example of the style, mostly held back by the dryness of the flavor. But, really not bad, definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 03:04:49 | More by AmericanGothic

bskrtz

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2 ounce bottle served cold in glass beer challis

A) Stout like in appearance with lofty off-white head that lasts for several minutes. Beer is opague with little light passing through. Dark and dense, even when held to the light, non passes through.

S) Sweet caramel, dark stewed fruit, raisons, ginger, root beer. Complex but not over powering, delicious. Cant wait to taste it.

T) Mild espresso with chocolate and sweet Belgian sugar. Full of cooked fruit -- apricot, figs, plums all nicely toasted.

M) One of this beer's best quality is its dense and effervescent quality. High alcohol is there but you hardly notice it. Sweet, sticky and full bodied

O) Straffe Hendrik 11 is a fine beer and excellent example of the authentic Belgian Quad

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:16:21 | More by bskrtz

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

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I was excited for this beer after visiting the town of Bruges yet not getting to the brewery. 2011 Vintage

A - Looks good with a very deep and dark reddish body. The head came across nicely at 2 fingers. Falls to about 1 mm in a wonderful cappuccino color.

S - The highlight of this beer. Dark fruits - bing cherries, prunes, and red grapes that all have some sweetness. There is also a hint of alcohol.

T - Gets better as I go and continue tasting. It immediately hits the top back of your throat with raisins and those red grapes. I pick up some allspice and cloves.

M - The carbonation starts strong but quickly falls off. For me, quads should be more consistent with low to medium carb to start and remain there. Because this falls off, you want something thicker.

O - It is growing on me. Some good quad aroma and flavors. Nothing that really stands out, but overall this is well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 04:08:40 | More by RuckusDu

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

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

Aroma: Dark fruit esters. Dates, raisins and apricots. Mild peppery phenols, not necessarily spicy. Definitely some alcohol, which is spicy. Some malt character, although I'm getting a faint aroma of brown malt.

Appearance: Pours a moderate light brown head. Some lacing, although the brew is still quite cold. Deep copper in color. Crystal clear.

Taste: Lots of those dark fruity esters, mostly dates and raisins. Followed by mildly bitter hops, and finally the spicy alcohol. Nice flavor, actually a bit lighter, not overly bold.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bod, even though there is a good amount of carbonation. Not drying at all, which is welcome here.

Overall: Wouldn't exactly call this a traditional European Quad. This is comparable to a Stone Strong Ale. Nice and sweet, a little bitter. Oily, not dry. Very good.

Notes: December 2013 freshness date. Lot C. Drank on 1/21/2012.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 01:30:48 | More by soulfly1492