Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva

Brewed by De Struise Brouwers
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Oostvleteren, Belgium

Bottle from miketd - thanks man! Nice looking pour with a raisin/burgundy color and a persistent beige head. Aroma is thick and sweet with apples, bread, a smooth and very inviting oakiness, and some light yeast. Flavor is a nice mix of apples, yeast, vanilla, plumb, oak and light spices. Smooth, woody, and delicious Nice use of the barrel. Really good stuff that I hope will be widely available. Struise rules!

[Bottle, thanks Marsiblursi!] Pours cloudy reddish-brown with a small tan head. Really nice aroma--raisins, subdued cinnamon and nutmeg, also quite a bit of fruitiness in there. Taste is slightly tart up front, then a little apple, yeast, oak and calvados. Good, thick mouthfeel with a slightly dry finish. Although this was very nice, I would say that it still isn’t on the level of the regular Pannepot. That having been said, it is better than the Pannepeut or the regular Reserva, and was better than I had expected.

Thanks to Oslo and Guerde. Sparkling brown in color with a small tannish head with a bit of lacing. Tart yet sweet aroma with a touch of dark fruit. The tartness follows to the taste as does the hint of sweet malt with a spice/clove overtone and some hotness as well as vinegar.

All hail the generosity of OSLO and Guerde! Dark brown color with a thin tan head. Aroma of cardamom, cinnamon and a sweet, dark malt. The taste... is very tasty. The oak stands out, with vanilla fading to the end. A strong brandy/wine character. Lots of Belgian yeast and breadiness, though not the strong spicy character. Sweet finish. I wish I had a gallon of this to contemplate.

A 330 ml bottle, 2005 vintage, shared by OLSO and Guerde. Pours a hazy dark reddish amber brew with a thin tan head that has some nice retention. Aroma is quite complex with scents of figs, raisins, mincemeat pie filling, dark pitted fruits and some caramel malt. Taste is slightly metallic from high alcohol, light carbonation, full bodied with flavors of brown sugar, raisins, a touch of black licorice, soy sauce and maple syrup. Finish is semi-sweet, some alcohol presence, with a light raisin and fig aftertaste. This is quite an experience for a collectible beer.

This is the only Pannepot I’ve tried. I need to check out the rest, even though they are hard to get. However, to my rating:

33 cl bottle. 2005 vintage. Pours a dark brown color. Aroma is vinous with dried fruits and spices. Taste is liquorice, spices, some portwine notes, sour apples and peppercake. Wonderful. The best is the slight sourness tickling in the background... mm, amazing. There’s also some oaky notes, and you can feel the presence of a finer spirit, like Calvados (haven’t tried Calvados though - but I guess it is, due to the maturing). Best belgian beer I’ve tried. I hope I will get the opportunity to taste the other Pannepots someday...

Bottled. Dark reddish brown coloured. Light brown dense head. Aroma of prunes, raisins, spice and marcipan. Flavour is quite similar. Very balanced, but also somewhat subdued. Has some sournotes. Medium to full bodied. Alcohol and fruits dominates the end, but a somewhat grapish sourness is there as well. I my book not as elegant and complex as the former versions, but definately still a great beer.

Brown bottle, 33 cl, 2005 vintage, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, received on May 9 2008, savoured on St-Jean-Baptiste 2008; eye: bronze with caramel reflections, opaque, inviting creamy beige head, a bit of lacing; nose: caramelized malt, soya sauce, oak, light fruity, caramel, light liquorice, maple butter fabricated by uncle; mouth: velvety, caramelized malt, candied fruits, dark small berries, light soya sauce, caramel, light spices, hint of alcohol, light fruity, light liquorice, maple butter fabricated by my uncle, slightly dry well-balanced finale in caramelized malt with oak and alcohol, slightly salty, mildly sweet, fizzyness on the top of the tongue, medium-full body, nice roundness, slightly vinous, average carbonation; overall: quite good FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 33 cl, millésime 2005, via Importations Privées Bièropholie, reçu le 9 mai 2008, savourée à la St-Jean-Baptiste 2008; œil : bronze avec des reflets caramel, opaque, belle mousse beige crémeuse, un peu de dentelle; nez : malt caramélisé, sauce soya, chêne, léger fruité, caramel, léger réglisse, en rétro-olfaction, beurre d’érable préparé par mon oncle; bouche : velouté, malt caramélisé, fruits confits, petits fruits noirs, léger sauce soya, léger épices, petite pointe d’alcool, léger fruité, léger réglisse, beurre d’érable préparé par mon oncle, un peu de caramel, finale légèrement sèche et bien équilibrée en malt caramélisé avec une subtile présence de chêne et d’alcool, très légèrement salée, moyennement sucrée, pétillement sur le bout de la langue, corps moyen-corsé, belle rondeur, texture légèrement vineuse, carbonatation moyenne; en résumé : très bonne