Struise Pannepot Reserva

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

2005 vintage, consumed March 2009. As I popped the cap, the cork slowly started to creep out of the bottle neck on its own accord. Sensing an impending eruption, I swept in with a waiter’s tool to ease the stopper out under control. A loud pop confirmed that this was indeed a well carbonated bottle, though, thankfully, no foaming ensued. The pour yields a dark and dense, cloudy, mauve colored body that is crowned with a large and well retained head of creamy, khaki colored foam. Dense, solid sheets of lacing coat the glass almost entirely. Aromas are of stewed raisins and figs, with dark caramel notes and hints of light cocoa in the malt base. Candied orange peel and dark, earthen, wintery spices lend significant balance to the dark, fruity sweetness. Flavors follow suit, a bevy of dark, concentrated fruits showing strong, with raisin and fig being the dominant components. Anise and cocoa are accompanied by heaps of oak and vanilla, which really ties everything together nicely. The spicing is again quite earthy, potent, yet appropriate for this brew. Substantially bodied with above average carbonation activity, the mouthfeel is round up front, transitioning quickly to fizzy and semi-dry on the finish. This is an excellent beer. Not quite as masterful as the original Pannepot, but more impressive than both the Danish version and the Grande Reserva.

Darker brown color with a gentle beige head. Aroma has a wonderful mix of dark fruit, gentle oak and vanilla, light spice, and a nice brown sugar mix that all goes into the nostrils like an angel. Flavor is a smooth and hearty mix of brown sugar, vinous fruits, tangy spices, and a good amount of oak. Mouthfeel is superb and seems to last forever. Wow - I’ve been a pannepot fan for awhile, but always felt that the spices and sugar were a tad disjointed. This pulls it all together and becomes my favorite Belgian beer of all time, and one of the best brews ever - hands down.

750mL bottle, 2005 vintage, poured into a snifter. The cork popped out loudly on this one and pours dark brown out of the bottle and settles in an opaque near-black that is a deep, clear copper when held up to the light. The head is massive, cream-colored and very rocky on the bottom with tons of carbonation feeding the head throughout. Aroma is very sweet with tons of candi sugar and dark fruits, raisins, grapes, plums, etc. Has a cola-ish aroma to it with hints of the wood that leads to a sherry scent overall. The has the same candi sugar up front with some sweet dark fruit with a bit of sourness to them, just a touch. I agree with others that the wood seems to have smoothed the taste a bit and minimized some of the huge complexities that I really enjoy in the original. The booze and wood is definitely present in the finish, leaving a burn going down. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth and medium bodied with lots of carbonation. It’s definitely slightly drier than the original with a bit more wood presence. Needless to say, this is a great beer, and the wood presence is subtle but makes it a different beer from the original.

Wonderfull slick brew with a lovely smooth mouthfeel, a complex, extremely inviting oaky aroma and a vinous, multidimensional taste. Really somewhere in between Pannepot and the Grand Reserva wich is, in my opinion just right. Easy to drink aswell with no trace of the alcohol, finish a bottle of is not the slightest problem.

2005 vintage: Taste is sweet, metallic some nuttiness, caramel, winey, and oak, some alcohol. Lots of wine, dustiness, some sulphur, cherry, cidery. Aroma is metallic, cidery, cinnamon, sugary-sweet, more sulphur, and oak. Lots of rocky head that adheres to the glass even after the head dies down. Finish is sweet, still more metallic flavor, wine, some dryness and sweet nuttiness. Thick, sweet mouthfeel that does not cloy, nor does it get get overly bitter.

750 ml bottle - thanks after4ever!! 2006 vintage; pours clear, roasty brown with fizzt tan head; oh, man this is one of the greats and reminds me of how much i loved my first pannepot; very complex aromas of oak, dates, candy spice, yeast, chocolate and who knows what else; all the same there in the flavors; creamy texture goes down like silk and not a trace of the 10%; pretty much perfection and looking forward to another bottle!!

ZBF 2007 Säuerlicher Geruch, unter dem sich Hopfen verbirgt. Das Bier startet bereits komplex, das Bier ist hier süß, man erkennet den hohen Alkoholgehalt, ohne den Alkohol selber zu schmecken. Weiterhin hopfig-herb mit SEHR malzigem, immer präsenten Aroma, dabei ist minimale Bitterschokolade im Spiel, was sich zum Abgang hin steigert. Dort erreicht das Bier seinen komplexesten Teil, in dem das Bier überaus aromatisch und würzig ist. Herrlich vollmundig, ein super Bier!

Bottle thanks to Gabe. Poured pitch black with big tan head. Aroma had a tart note to it with oak and spices. Taste was very complex. Oak, Spice, dark fruit, vanilla, raisins. Very silky smooth mouth feel. Easy to drink and enjoyed very much Thanks Gabe.