Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva

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

Tasted at Delirium. Vintage 2006. Dark colour with a long head. Coffe and malt aromas. Some barrel notes like vanilla but malt overcomes it. Complex aromas and even complex tastes too. Not easy to drink. It will be great companion with cigar. And even with heavy cheese. A beer like a great wine.

Bottle, 33cl, vintage 2005. Pours a dark nutbrown beer with a light brown head. The aroma is caramel with notes of esters. The flavor is caramel, plums and notes of acidity. The palate leaves a fresh and acidic aftertaste. Overall a very good beer from De Struise.

Bottle from trade with ygtbsm94. Pours a murky dark brown with a small beige head that has great retention. The aroma is distinct with dark fruits, brown sugar and oak. The taste is lively and complex with more fruits, mostly plums, but also raisins granny smith apples and currants; there is fair amount of wood. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. The finish is long and sweet. Overall: A very tasty concoction, this is great stuff.

"(2005)Dark brown body with a thick, THICK cap. Retention is ridiculous. Ugg… unfortunate sour aftertaste that reminds me of a vomit after taste and sweaty feet?!? But some this is not offensive how very odd. Taste on the first sip was ok with a touch of a bloody nose finish. Malts are woody and mildly sweet. Where the hell is the 10% alcohol I can’t detect it at all? Some flavour in here is reminding me of pancakes with a choke cherry syrup poured on top but I have no idea where that would be coming from. the more I drink and the warmer in gets the flavour starts to turn to a red wine with significant oak. Enjoyable beer sweet, sour and filled with wood just like a night at Gullies."

Bottle vintage 2006. The bottle looks really good, the beer in the glass also. Starts malty and strong, modest sweet, not too dry. Then spicy, warming maltiness. Well balanced finish, still spicy and sweet. Very good. Big thanks to Bierkoning for that beer!

Where to start with this one? Aroma is fairly sweet, some chocolate, a definite sense of the oak on the nose with some fruitiness that could be described as faint apple aromas. Chocolate malts, some yeast and a slightly more savoury edge. Looks like an impy stout or old ale in glass, very little head, very lazy/soft carbonation, head is a very small tan/grey brown layer over the beer itself which grows big fast when the glass is swirled. Flavour is simply gorgeous. Very soft but very complex. Not at all in your face, it’s truly like a fine wine with it’s elegance. Quite restraines but very full flavoured. Starts with a nice sweet/savoury attack somewhere between dark chocolate and black olives, a very subtle tartness in the mids probably from being aged in the Calvados barrels. Lots of chocolate, everything from rich belgian milk choc, to bitter dark choc. Strong maltiness but not at all overpowering, the malt/yeast finish reminds me slightly of Marmite, but with a fruitiness somewhat similar to eating a soft cream chees with a slice of apple and Marmite to boot. This beer is indeed legendary and I prefer it to the normal Pannepot by a long shot, the spicing is all sorted out, the beer as a lovely sensual melowness, right at the end there’s almost a rum like quaity of molasses and burnt sugar. A true delight, one of the best Belgian beers I have had in a while. Just to point out my bottle was a 2006 vintage.

Grand reserva 2005. Bottle. Nearly opaque brown with a thin off-white head. Average retention and lacing. Aroma is wood, caramel, toasted malt, dark fruits, vanilla, brown sugar and liquorice. Flavor is figs, dates, raisins, grapes, molasses, brown sugar, dark honey, alcohol, cookies, spices with a long sweet aftertaste. Full body with a slightly visquous mouthfeel. Awesome!

Bottle. Pours a very dark, crystal clear rich reddish0rown, with a tawny hue. A soft one-finger head fades to a persistent ring, with acceptable lacing. Nose is very full, with lots of sourness. Dark fruit, funk, barnyard, very wine-like. Palate is surprisngly light on its feet, very lively and youthful, with great sourness, both dark and light fruit, cherries, red licorice, strawberries, oak is present but subdued. Very pleasant and surprisngly drinkable. Finish goes on for at least 90 seconds.