3 French Hens
The Bruery

3 French Hens3 French Hens
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
10%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.83 | pDev: 12.01%
Reviews:
234
Ratings:
417
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 15, 2023
Added:
Oct 08, 2010
Wants:
  98
Gots:
  361
Three French Hens is the third in the 12 Days/Years of Christmas Series. We again drew some inspiration from the name and decided that at least a portion of this beer had to be aged in French oak barrels. What we came out with is a bold and spicy Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 25% aged in oak. This beer is designed to take the journey through time until 12 Drummers Drumming, but is a delightful holiday treat right off the shelf.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured into a snifter to a deep brown beer which is topped by a dense and slightly rocky finger of light tan head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of caramel, raisins, dark fruits, and hints of spicy yeast
T: Taste is caramel and dark fruits with some raisin notes, and some hints of spicy yeast. A little bready malt as well. On the finish there's more dark fruits, caramel, and lingering spice.
M: This beer has a body which is on the heavier side of medium with a slightly creamy feel. Carbonation is soft but it is adequate for the style while the beer has a fairly neutral finish.
O: Overall this is a perfectly acceptable Belgian Strong Dark. Nice flavors and decent complexity though maybe a touch on the simple side. Balance is good and the flavors are well integrated.
Aug 15, 2023
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

4.02/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750ml bottle. Poured out a dark, dark brown color with a small, fizzy, khaki-colored head of foam. It left minimal lacing. It smelled of dried dark fruits, like plum and fig. Spices and bready notes, too. Sweet maltiness with plum, fig and earthy spcies.
Aug 14, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by InfernoBoss from California

Jan 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by RMW66 from Australia

Sep 24, 2021
 
Rated: 3.81 by jbdpsu82 from Pennsylvania

Jan 05, 2021
Photo of HattedClassic
Reviewed by HattedClassic from Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The beer pours a nice creamy khaki head that dissipates fairly quickly while the beer itself is a cloudy dark chestnut brown.

The smell is decent. It has a strong dark fruit note that largely resembles a light caramel with grapes with a moderate amount of candi sugar to it.

The taste is good. It has a nice and light caramel note mixed in with dark fruits with a vanilla finish. A very light cinnamon comes out in the finish as well.

The feel is good. It has a medium heavy note with a bunch of tingling carbonation to it.

Overall a decent beer since it was aged for a year in less than ideal conditions.
Jan 02, 2021
 
Rated: 4.04 by michiganmatt from California

Dec 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by Stengelfoot from California

Dec 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.56 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

Sep 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.13 by bubseymour from Maryland

Aug 16, 2020
 
Rated: 3.94 by Beer21 from Florida

Mar 17, 2020
Photo of IvoryFoxhole
Reviewed by IvoryFoxhole from Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
375 ml bottle of the 2019 rebrew poured into a Trillium Six States glass and allowed to warm.

L: 1F light brown head with poor retention, just a tiny ring and part cap. Beer is sort of a chestnut brown, not a particularly attractive color for some reason.

S: Candi sugar and a lot of winter spices like cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom. Some caramel and a hint of oak.

T: Pretty much follows nose - spicy Belgian quad type. Candi sugar, caramel, and the spices noted above. A tad of oakiness - it wasn't aged very long.

F: Medium to full bodied, not much carbonation. Construction and balance are good. ABV is controlled well and sweetness level is held in check.

O: Not bad at all. Solid quad with some twists.
Feb 20, 2020
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.89/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Lighter brown pour with two fingers of beige foam. French oak in noticed in the smell, compliments the candi sugar, dark fruit, slight vanilla, and toffee well. Taste is overwhelmed by the oak in comparison, has vanilla and candi sugar, but the dark fruit and toffee are covered up mostly. Bright for style, oaky, has a kiss of oak sour. Not my favorite in the series, but not my least favorite either
Dec 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.74 by Cpmitchno1 from Virginia

Dec 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Aug 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by heysuz from Indiana

Aug 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by NickThePyro from Washington

Aug 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.8 by mltobin from Connecticut

Nov 03, 2016
Photo of brother_rebus
Rated by brother_rebus from Maine

2.82/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Yuck.
Aug 29, 2016
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.67/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
All that brown and red like a flanders, but this had a 3/5" tan head that had loads of retention. Aroma was holiday cookies and less dark fruit than expected.

Instead of dark fruit bitterness and alcohol heat, this one brings more of the sweet. Some holiday spice rack, thankfully no coriander, but it has some spice and woody vibe to it. Actually did well with 10% in the mouthfeel. A lot of caramel and toffee notes.

I like this more than most in said style.
Apr 07, 2016
3 French Hens from The Bruery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 417 ratings