Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva

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

Dark, dark brown and a good long beige head. Notes of oldness, sourness, old ale style, barrel, bread, but all with a weak attitude, not bad meant. Flavor is stronger with similar notes. Smooth and with a sour and good great finish.

Double-barrel aging must give this BSA such a smoothed-out character. I pour the 33cl bottle (Bar Volo) and watch a medium-viscous pour of deep dark brown form a dense tan head that likes to leave hazy dense rings when swirled. It releases aromas that are subtly vinous, yeasty and gently sweet-malty. Taste is very refined and wine-like with muted muscat grape, raisin, and vanilla with some other subtle dry fruit hints and toffee in the background. French oak character is much rounded, and the vinous tanginess holds on to the long finish. Almost light feel but it activates many parts of the mouth senses. Not overwhelming in any respect and good stuff - would be fun to also try regular reserve and original.

<b>2700th rating!!</b> <i>Bottle (330ml) courtesy of HogTownHarry. 2005 vintage.</i> Pours a very deep bubbly amber-brown with an average size diminishing fizzy/foamy tan head. Aroma, which is milder then expected but still very nice, of lightly tart fruit, some sugary sweetness (just the right amount), malt, yeast, some hops and a hint of chocolate -- like I said, milder then expected and less complex but still very, very nice. Flavour of tart fruit, sweet caramel malt, a good amount of oak (not overdone) and sweetness -- not overly sweet which is great -- dark fruit, a bit of metal in the finish and the alcohol is well hidden. Lightly tart bitter finish. Well carbonated. Medium bodied. Not spectacular but still a great beer and I am glad to have had it.

2005 bottle, though I think that is the brew date, not the bottling date. This is my 3rd or 4th time drinking this beer but for some reason I haven’t rated it yet. Pour is murky, very dark brown, with a minor lasting head. This beer retains the sweetness of the un-aged version, while adding some layers of oak as well as some vegetal notes. Lots of white and candi sugar here but no caramel, just a robust, winey, yet very refined sweetness. Lovely body with some light tart notes. Excellent.

Bottle (330ml). Poured muddy red-brown with an average foamy beige head - not much the laces (harumph). Lovely, lovely aroma - complex spice and tart fruity malt, mild astringent oak resin and yeast - alcohol not all that noticeable; very, very promising (8+). The taste - initially I am a bit put off, the dry astringent woodiness is almost too forward, and there’s an odd lactic sourness too, but still the spice/raisin/yeast maltiness is complex and rewarding, so great marks from me! Thick, somewhat squeaky mouthfeel, a tad still (after all that time in-barrel I understand), with a dry tart malty finish. Overall, very smooth, and while the oak is quite mild in the taste, I expect it to mellow further with another year or so of cellaring - very very good, and worth a revisit down the road.

2005 bottle sampled August 2009.

First, let me stress that (regular) Pannepot is one of my favorite beers, period. All of this is to be taken in that context. Pours deep brown with an ample of course head. Rich, lovely, and complex nose: apple and dried fruit, gingerbread spices, plenty of oak (but not way over the top). The flavor is a bit of a letdown, slightly more sour than expected, barrel character obscuring the Pannepot spices, and metallic like biting one’s tongue and tasting blood. Relatively sweet, classic Pannepot yeast bite later in the sip, a bit hot on the close even after four years, Partly, this is just a really challenging beer, I guess. I would have called my first sip about a 3.8 but after slowly sipping for an hour I’m appreciating it in the 4.0 range. Still, I fear this fails to live up to (regular) Pannepot -- the barrel character subtracts rather than adds to the essence of that great beer.

Bottle 75cl, Dark brown almost black coloured beer with almost no carbonation and a small off-white head. Roasted alcoholic aroma, light yeasty cookie malty hints. Full creamy palate. Finish is roasted, bitter with some sweet-sour malty hints. Alcohol is present but stays at the background. very nice balanced.

2006 bottle - Pours dark brown with a big, thick tan head. The aorma is of caramel malt, vanilla, and some spice. This brew has a very sweet taste of toasted caramel malt, vanilla, and spice. It has a medium to full body and is easy to drink for all that alcohol. The 10% abv is mostly buried. It’s an excellent brew. I wouldn’t mind it a little less sweet.