Struise Pannepot Reserva

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

Poured a hazy brown color with a medium sized, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, caramel malts, oak, nuts, dried fruits, and some cherry. Taste of more caramel, light spices, vinous, with more cherry, vanilla, and light alcohol in the finish. The age in the barrel has really helped to subdue the intense spicing in regular Pannepot.

Part of our hotel room tasting, GABF 2007. Thanks to whoever brought it (awaisanen? kp? don’t remember). Big, creamy, eggy head. Smell is absolutely decadent in the oakiness and alcohol, swaddled in caramel and brown-sugar malts that occasionally remind of unsweet chocolate. Nice body, has a rich feel like Westy 12. Lots of different flavors packed in this mostly sweet concoction of malts: figs at first, some bright peaches later, some prickly raisin riding the carbonation, definitely some brown sugar around the figs and peaches, and running counter to it the whole time is an oakey oiliness. Very, very tasty. Since this tasting, I’ve had regular Pannepot a couple of times, and like it better, but it’s pretty damn close. Struise, I love you.

Bottle in connection with KØ07, thanks to Carlo and Urbain. Buttery aroma, some malt. Hazy dark brown colour, small head. The flavour is powerful, nicely citric and quite sweet. Also very vinous in its citricness. 8 4 8 4 19

Bottle 10% at Delirium Café, Brussels. Good malty aroma, slightly sweet, perhaps with a hint of anis. Very dark brown colour, nice light brown head. The flavour is also quite sweet with lots of brown sugar. Dark, soft, dried fruit flavour. 9 4 10 4 19

Bottle from PUB’N. Pours turbid ruddy muddy deep brown with 3-fingers of off-tan head. Nose is earthy, peaty, with caramel malt, spicy notes, some cacao, blackberry, oak, and bourbon. The flavor was spirity, oaky, with figgy fruit, brown sugar, cacao, blackberry, and slight rauchy notes. The palate started semi-sweet, but got more cognacy at mid-point, and more oaky bourbony spirity late! Do whatever you need to in procuring this, but keep it legal. it isn’t worth a felony charge, but it’s close.

Courtesy dsnowden. 2006. Very dark brown. Small, creamy tan head. Nose very similar to regular Pannepot (rich and roasty malt, cocoa, spices, light dose of dark berries/fruit) with some subtle oak. Flavor is also very similar- oak adds creamy vanilla nougat and wood with some earth and subtle oak spice- an added layer of richness. Great flavor. Full rich body, creamy with enough carbonation to balance. Amazing how well the palate has held up after 14 months in the oak. I think this brew benefited from being in a barrel that previously had not contained bourbon (would have been good, but not as good). Excellent brew.

In short: A big heavy sweet candy in a bottle. Superb.
How: Bottle 750ml, shared by tertons with sunevdj and I. Drank about 1 year after the beer release. Thanks a lot Nelson!!!
The look: Cloudy light brownish body with a long-lasting medium off-white head
In long: Just like the regular Pannepot this one has a strong candy feeling. Crisp sweet red liquorice wrapped around dried fruits of all kinds. Big heavy trappist-like malted and yeasty body. Some spicy hard candies in there too. Barrel aging did change the taste but I didn’t get much wood/barrel in the taste if any at all. Seemed crisper with a stronger spiciness sensation than the regular Pannepot. Also present was a little sweet Sherry wine flavour and a much welcomed light cherry sourness. Don’t know which one I prefer, I’m rating this one higher right now but I’m due for a Pannepot re-rate since I like it more and more very time. Thanks again to Nelson for opening your cooler in exchange for floor-space at my hotel room. That was an excellent deal to me, usually people who offers beers like that don’t ask to sleep on the floor, they ask to sleep in my bed and do dirty things to me… and I say yes :(

A Mes rate: Draught at ZBF. My last beer of the festival on the Saturday and more than fitting to roll up our 1000th rate. Sim and I shared this on the train back to Antwerp accompanied by Mads who was fittingly drinking an Aardnon if I remember correctly. Almost stouty character. Alcohol is a little more pronounced or is that just my imagination? Nope it definitely is. Much more chocolate than the regular and almost gone are the liquorice and candi sugar. The oak is very clear and gives it a superb earthyness missing from Pannepot. Considering its strength being clearly apparent it is gloriously mellow and dare I say it, downable. These guys can pretty much do no wrong and I am proud to pass this mile stone with one of their finest.

Bottle from Cracked Kettle. Very mellow and smooth at first with flavors of malt, Annis, plums, and oak that grow strong, very rapidly. Somewhat carbonated with a slight numbing in the mouth from the alcohol. Overall, a very good find.