Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva

Bottle, 2005 vintage. Good, but I still find the regular verson or reserva much better. Pours dark red brown with minimal head. Fantastic aroma of oak, and port. Flavour of dark fruits and figs, but overall too tart for me.

2006 Vintage from The Cracked Kettle. Bottle into wine balloon. Pours thick dark brown with a large brownish head that reduces but never disappears. Aroma is spicy, and the candy sugar is also apparent. Aside from that just a little yeast/bread. Flavor, as anticipated based on my experience with orginal Pannepot, is just plain delicious. I mean, this beer is a meal unto itself: Lots of spices and chocolate in the flavor. The oak is apparent, but not at all bullish. Funky yeasty aftertaste. Very creamy mouthfeel/finish (like all Struise beers), just so classy and perfect on the "feel" of this beer. I think I still prefer regular Pannepot at this point, but I would take this as a substitute any time. Overall, world class minus.

Bottle @ Ölbutikken. brown color with tan head. Sweet strong cocolate raisin. Taste sweet and strong caramell raisin dark malt chocolate brandy.

This opaque black beer poured with a modest tan head, eliciting a marvelous chocolate and spice aroma. The flavor is subdued and dry, but very delicious, with chocolate, raisin and cinnamon tastes. A very elegant brew.

Rating #800! 2005 bottle at the Kulminator in Antwerpen (yeeeeaaaah!). Amazing very dark reddish-brown pour with a large tan head. Aroma of sweet malt, red wine, oak, dark chocolate, and mild roast. Flavor included all these elements plus coffee, brandy, spices, dark fruits...come to think of it, maybe I should be naming the flavors that weren’t in this beer instead, that might be a shorter list. Awesome full palate with soft carbonation. This beer was absolutely legen...wait for it...DARY!

Bottle from Alvinne. 2006. BB M 14. Pours dark reddish brown/black with a hugh dark tan head. Smells like wine, oak and dark chocolate. Full bodied with mild, frothy carbonation. There’s detectable heat. Flavor is coffee, wine, chocolate and finally dark malt. Then it gets oak notes. Something like drinking smooth red wine while eating chocolate. Finishes dry and towards chocolate. I’d eat this with steak and drink it every night.

Extremely vinous brew with allot of similarities to a red wine. Very oaky, red fruity with somewhat damped flavours and aromas of caramell, spice and banana esters. Very fine brew with loads of red berries, the additional oak aging is a tad too much for me though.

Bottle @ Chris o Shindig Aug 08. Cola and vanilla; soft and tasty with fruit squeezed through. Easy drinking and laid back. Pleasant.