Struise Pannepot Reserva

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

2007 vintage from The Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. Pours an opaque dark brown with a bigger fluffy head that reduces to a certain point and then stays. Aroma has a lot of brown sugar, some chocolate, molasses, maybe a little plum. Nice complex aroma. Flavor repeats the chocolate and molasses, but comes a little more with the dark fruit. I’m also detecting a cognac-like flavor hiding in the background. Very complex. The mouthfeel is simply perfect: Thick and velvety. As soon as I completed the first sip I truly said to myself, "That’s so Struise", in reference to the velvety mouthfeel and finish. There is really something special, I’m convinced, about Struise’s approach to mouthfeel. Or end result thereunto, at least. Overall, world class. Thanks Struise.

Bottle courtesy of Immy at Immy’s Backyard Throwdown. 2005 vintage. Murky brown pour with a short tan head. Aroma of dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, custard and sweet malts. Taste is light cocoa, dark fruits, custard, caramel, light spice, yeast notes, brown sugar, oak and vanilla notes. Very tasty! Body is medium and chewy with dense, tingly carbonation. Ends with more dark fruit notes, soft spice, oak, caramel, custard, brown sugar and chocolate. Yummy!

2005 bottle shared by Immy at Immy’s Backyard Throwdown. Pours a brown color with a big frothy head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma is toffee, berries, chocolate, cherries and herbal notes. Taste is chocolate, cherries, berries, burned caramel, spice, herbal notes and bread. Full bodied. Damn good beer.

Bottled vintage 2007. Courtesy of bierkoning. Thanks Edo! Dark almost opaque brown color, medium-sized brownish head. Aroma of plums and earthy oak barrel, also some cognac. Sweetish plummy flavor (plums, figs, dates), vinous mouthfeel, some oak and earth. Also apply Calvados notes, although less than in Grand Reserva. Quite sweet stuff, sweetness covers alcohol very well. Still I prefer my Calvados and Pannepot in different classes.

"Mystery" sample at Portland International Brewfest. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw bottles of this sitting at a booth! Poured dark brown with a small white head, light lacing. Aroma was vinous, caramel, brown sugar, oak and fig/plum. Flavor was plum, fig, light chocolate, caramel, quite a bit more sour and vinous than I’d expect from having had regular Pannepot so many times. Nice bit of oak finish. This was the 05 version, and it was very tasty.

Bottle @ Ölbutikken. Dark brown with a white head. Sweet strong figs plum oak vanilla. Good strong beer for the cheesplate.

Thanks to kiefdog for bringing this to a tasting. 05 version. A: Pours a nice dark brown with a small tight off white head. Okay retention with light spotty lace. S: Wonderful malty aromas. Tons of caramel and brown sugar. Mild spices blend well into rich dark fruit. T: Flavor of rich sweet malts, chocolate, and spice. Dark fruit, oak, and a touch of sour on the back end. Lots of flavor going on here. M: On the fuller side of medium. Nice mild carbonation, with a light sour finish.

Many thanks to mreusch for this 2006 bottle! Pours a dark cloudy brown, with frothy light tan head. good lacing, sticks to the glass. Brown sugar, oak, berries, apple, and plum in the nose. Flavors of dried dark fruits, pepper, toffee, sweet malt, raisins, chocolate plum, fig, brown sugar, clove, cherry, wood, and some slight sourness. Excellent beer, very complex, some warming alcohol heat coming through. A must try if you can get your hands on it. Thanks again mreusch!