There comes a time when one must defend the indefensible.

This is my review of Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2016 Bruges Quadrupel:

Perhaps late to the game on this one, but still worth the time to write it out.  In the midst of declining sales of Bud Light, and AB-InBev products in general, Bud Light recently closed on a deal with UFC for $100 million to become the official carbonated yellow swill sponsor of the UFC.  Many talking heads online got upset over UFC throwing shade at the new poster child for culture war politics for what appears to be nothing more than a lot of money.

The indefensible position I will take on this one:  UFC will fare just fine and if anyone can pull Bud Light out of its self-inflicted funk its the UFC.

There are a couple reasons, the first is if one is a real fight fan they probably don’t care at all who paid to sponsor the fight.  I too look fondly upon the “Dynamic Fastener” days where individual fighters found sponsors on their own to make a living in between fights and have some disdain for the UFC requiring all the gear be made by Reebok.  I also recognize the flip side is this also resulted in fewer of those God-awful Affliction T-Shirts in the local population.  Pick your poison there, but if I paid to watch a fight I really just want to see a decent fight.

The other is in order to gain “casual” fans, the best way is to create controversy outside the fight.  From Mike Tyson threatening to eat Lennox Lewis’ children, to Logan Paul being a half-witted asshole that for some reason refuses to box an actual boxer his age—controversy sells tickets.

This culture war business is quite the controversy, no?  In response to this a few fighters commented on the matter, including Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland.  He argued essentially, if Bud Light is actually dropping the whole…woke…thing, they should have no issue with him running his mouth about it at UFC events with Bud Light’s name attached.  Apparently, he promises to run his mouth about it at UFC events with Bud Light’s name attached.  So we’ll have to wait and see.

Then again, the Venn Diagram of UFC fans and trans activists probably struggles to fill up an elevator.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

 

This particular brewer is not going to sponsor sporting events, ever.  To bad though, they can probably use the exposure.  This vintage has a whole is greater than the sum of its parts going for it.  Their own literature states:

The 2016 version highlights quadrupel aged in rum barrels, but blended with portions of quad aged in Red Bordeaux, Cognac, Armagnac, etc. barrels from previous vintages.  Each year of Straffe Hendrik Heritage is its own unique expression, highlighting that year’s barrels and building on their evolving library of barrel aged quads.

My response?  Nachos.

Straffe Hendrik Heritage 2016 Bruges Quadrupel: 4.3/5 11% ABV. Serve in a tulip or chalice at 50-57 degrees.