The Brewery

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The Beer

The Gentse Strop, introduced in 2011, is one of Brouwerij Roman's most popular beers, and a reminder of the historic ties between the cities of Oudenaarde and Ghent. Just what are these ties? Well, Emperor Charles V's home town was Ghent, while his daughter, Margaret of Parma (born out of wedlock), was born in Oudenaarde.

But what about "the strop" or noose referred to in the name of the beer? That was a punishment aimed at the rebellious citizens of Ghent. In 1540 the Emperor Charles forced the dignitaries of Ghent to wear a noose around their necks to punish them for opposing his reign. The rebellious citizens of Ghent have been known as 'stroppendragers', or noose bearers, ever since.

In 1545, just a few years after this defining event, and with Charles' punishment of Ghent still a fresh memory, Oudenaarde welcomed the founding of Brouwerij Roman. Centuries later the brewery is still going strong and is a member of the Belgian Family Brewers, a select marque, which stands for tradition, quality and authenticity.

With Gentse Strop, Roman has aimed to create a beer to match the rebellious character of this historic medieval city, and its feisty inhabitants of course... The city of Ghent was declared "the world's third-most authentic city" by Natural Geographic Traveler magazine, back in November 2008. And since 2011, it has also had this most authentic of Belgian blonde brews proudly bearing its name.

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Alcohol

6.9 % ABV

Fermentation

Top-fermented beer with re-fermentation in the bottle.

Ingredients

Brewed with wholly natural ingredients: water drawn from the brewery's well, plus malt, hops, sugar, and a strain of one of the brewery's own house yeasts.

Colour & Transparency

This Belgian strong blonde is a clear, golden-blonde colour and, when poured and served correctly, is crowned by a firm white head.

It also possesses a finely wrought, and ever-so delicate, pearlisation.

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Serving Temperature

6 °C / 42 °F

Serving Glass

In common with most Belgian beers, Gentse Strop is served in its own elegant, branded, tulip-shaped glass, with a long stem, developed and designed by the brewery itself.

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Character, Tastes & Aromas

The use of high-quality aroma hops results in delicate fruity aromas with a subtle hop bitterness.

This carries on into the beer's taste and its smooth, dry finish: remarkably zesty touches are provided with a dash of mild pepper and coriander.

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Culinary

This beer stands up well to robust flavours. Think of a creamy risotto with dried lime and smoked game, its taste enhanced by cool, fresh herbs.

But just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, feel free to experiment with this beer in the kitchen, either as an added ingredient or as the perfect pairing to one of your favourite dishes.

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Keeping and Storage

Gentse Strop will keep for 24 months in the bottle, if stored correctly in a cool, dry and dark environment. This is a beer that will not improve when stored longer, however.

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Availability

Bottle ✔       On Tap ✖

Gentse Strop is widely available in Belgium through the usual channels of beer-shops, supermarkets and specialised beer cafés. Certainly, in and around Ghent, it's not difficult to find this beer.

The Roman brewery also exports their beers abroad, so even outside Belgium you should be able to lay your hands on some Gentse Strop.

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Other Brouwerij Roman Beers

Adriaen Brouwer Oaked
Adriaen Brouwer pays homage to the 17th century artist and painter, born and bred in Oudenaarde, who immortalised the five senses. The artist gained a reputation as a ‘bon vivant’ and his numerous scenes of life at the inn tell th ...

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Rebelse Strop
When, in the 16th century, the proud citizens of Ghent refused to bow their heads to the mighty Emperor Charles V, he decided to punish them for their stubbornness. He made them parade with a noose around their necks, hence the c ...

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Ename Dubbel
History and beer often go hand in hand when it comes to Belgian beer. That's undoubtedly the case with the Ename Dubbel, a dark abbey beer that shares an interesting back-story with the rest of the Ename family, the Tripel, Cuvée ...

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Ename Pater
The name of the officially recognised Ename abbey beers comes from the former Benedictine Abbey of Ename, close to the Roman Brewery near Oudenaarde. Ename abbey was demolished in 1797 during the days of the French revolution, a ...

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Adriaen Brouwer
In 2003 the Roman brewery – in business since 1545 and a proud member of the Belgian Family Brewers association – relaunched its popular 'Roman Oudenaards bruin' as 'Adriaen Brouwer'. The new name refers to the famous 17th-century ...