Struise Pannepot Reserva

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

Aroma: light oak, floral, some butteryness, some red grape skins, vanilla, wood varnish, earthiness
Appearance: plum/tobacco brown, large off-white head, lacing
Flavor: some butteryness, oakiness, old barrels, earthiness, mustiness, pipe tobacco, vanilla and dark fruit skins, butterscotch candies
Palate: very smooth and buttery, silky, soft--like satin sheets, buttery/butterscotch aftertaste followed by a oakiness

2006 vintage, 750ml bottle
Pours a dark brown and purple with a really attractive pillowy tan head, building tall and then collapsing into crevases and mountains, with clingy, sticky lacing. Nose is a plum port and oak note first, then some moderately strong alcohol, some whiskey and some sweet pipe tobacco. Palate is creamy, flavor up front is smoky, with a bite of sharp plum flavored pipe tobacco. Wonderfully complex, but somehow it’s missing the wow factor that maybe is due to this being highly rated and my expectations being really high. Heavy chocolate and banana are noticed when it warms, as well as some tart cranberry and cherry pits. The sweetness of the Pannepot is surely there - I really like that the oak is mellow and complimentory, not overpowering, but I guess I should expect this from a brewer who seems to do everything right. Fantastic stuff.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Pale Yellow(1)->Copper(5) : 4     Still(1)->Volcanic Sparkling(5) : 3
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 4     Lasting: 5     Lacing : 5
Aroma:
Intensity : 4  
Yeast : 5   Bread : 2   Dough : 4   Esters : 4   Phenols : XX   Dusty : XX   Spicy : 2   Apple : XX   Banana : 4   Tropical Fruits : XX   Brett : XX   Barnyard : XX   Leather : XX   Wood : XX   Vinous : 2   Cheese : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX
Malt : 4   Pilsner : XX   Pale : XX   Vienna : XX   Biscuity : 3   Toasty : XX   Hay : XX   Caramel : 3   Honey : XX   Cereals : 3   Grainy : XX   Wheat : 1
Hops : 1   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : XX   Perfume : 3   Orange : XX   Floral : 2   Lemon/Lime : XX   Herbal : XX   Grassy : XX   Piney : XX
Notes : Pepper : XX   Cloves : 1   Coriander : 1   Ginger : XX   Orange : XX   Earth : XX   Vanilla : 2   Oxidation : XX   Bubblegum : 3
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 5   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 5   Sourness : XX   Acetic : XX   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : XX   Farmy : XX   Complex : 5   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 4   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 4   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : 3   Mineral : XX

Comments: A ridiculously complex beer, thick, spicy with extreme sweetness and pure yeast decadence. I recognize the subtlety in the barrel flavour impartition, but it felt almost futile to a Pannepot. I can’t say I found it greater. If anything, it felt a bit more alcoholic, of course woodsier and I found it more caramel focused. Less naturally spicy, but just as gorgeously fruity. Anyway, both are world-class and I can’t imagine anyone who enjoys one and does not the other. A must.

Thanks to BierKonig for the bottle. This pours dark brown with a foamy, dirty white head. The flavor has some sticky sweetness along with notes of dark fruits.It finishes smooth and dry. It’s a tasty, well-crafted brew.

Bottle. Vintage 2006. Pours a dark amber/grown color with a large longlasting off-white head. Has a malty spicy licorice aroma with hints of dark fruit. Smooth malty dark fruit flavor with spicy licorice and vanilla hints. Malty oak finish with hints of dark fruit in the aftertaste. Very nice!

Vintage 2006: Poured a hazy dark brown-amber color with a cream colored head. The aroma was sweet with estery fruit and a mild spice. the flavor had a malty start with a growing sweetness. The sweetness drys out on the finish. Yeasty spice. medium to full bodied and very warming.

Much thanks to egajdzis for breaking open this treat. 2006 version... Appears a murky brown with a small, fluffy, off white head that slowly fades into a small head and clumpy collar. Plenty of lacing is left around the glass. Smell is of caramel, roasted nuts, vanilla oak, light spices, ripe red cherries, roasted nuts,and a hint of dry sherry. Taste echoes the aromas with a hint of anise and cinnamon poking through the cherries, and caramel. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, with the sweetness outcharming the spices, which seem to be abundant in the American released version.

Date: January 10, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, HMoG
Vintage: 2005
Appearance: muddy brown, fine beige head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet ripe fruit aroma, brown sugar sweetness
Flavor: rich and fruity flavor, sweet dark fruits, nice balancing oak, touch of vanilla sweetness

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Date: October 13, 2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: muddy brown, fine tan head, drippy lace
Aroma: rich chocolate and ripe raison aroma with light oak and an array of spices
Flavor: rich dark fruit flavor, dark caramel sweetness is restrained by the oak character, dark chocolate goes well with the ripe fruits, light alcohol has a spicy edge, light bitterness springs mostly from the oak

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***4