Struise Pannepot

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

Opaque with a boozy and soapy aroma. in the mouth it is the most undeniable beautiful thing. Thick mollases are met with smooth vanilla and wooded brightness. Vinous and porty. Walnuts and prunes. We’re there.

2006 vintage. Very dark brown with a minimal pale beige head that settles instantly and leaves basically no lacings. Sweet malts and lots of fruit aromas (mostly plums and currants) in the nose. Prominent but mild spiciness. Woody notes, a hint of chocolate and some alcohol. A pleasant and balanced smell, but it’s somewhat restrained - it’s almost like its character is too round. The taste is basically just more of the same. Lost of sweet malts and rich flavors of fruits (plums, cherries, currants). Dark bread. Hints of chocolate, a general woody flavor and pleasant spices (reminiscent of Christmas spices). Some earthy yeast (that really gets bigger when the yeast sediments are poured into the glass, the yeast in this one really packs a lot of flavors). For some reason, in all the versions if Pannepot I’ve had, I think I pick up a taste that reminds me of Coca Cola, don’t know how to describe it in any other way though. A light, not very tangy, tart note and some grassy hops in the middle. The finish is gently bitter with a decent amount of sweet alcohol and some wood, raisins, cherries and spices. Rather full-bodied, very smooth texture. Mild carbonation. A good beer. Tasty and balanced with a very round character. I really like how well the sweet malts and fruit esters go with the spices in this one. But overall, the flavors are a little too round and it almost feels like the beer holds back a little. I wonder how if would come out if everything was turned up a notch of two. Serving type: bottle (Copy of old Beer Advocate review)

2007 bottle. Mahogany color with plenty of sediment, would likely be a reddish-brown without the sediment. dry fruit, sugar, coffee in aroma. Velvety mouthfeel. Superb.

2006 vintage, poured into a St. Bernardus goblet. Pours a deep mahogany with small tan head that fully dissipates. Aroma is very rich and sweet...brown sugar, molasses, dark fruit (raisins, dates, prunes), booze, and a touch of vinegar. Taste is sweet, with creamy smooth mouthfeel and a boozy finish. Delicious!

12 oz bottle. A mellow aroma, yet rich and complex at the same time. Interesting notes of fruity strawberry shortcake, with light bit of funk stand out to me. Also, some prominent yeasty dark malts and nutty toffee, with light candy sugars, and some minor wine qualities. The pour had a medium-large soft, pillowy caramel cream head, a full body, and a dark amber brown color. There’s a very nice rich sweetness to this beer that is not unlike an expensive piece of candy you’d find wrapped in a box. Besides the slight hint of alcohol, this beer feels nowhere near 10% abv even with all the flavors. The feel overall has a lot of sugar crystal qualities to it, but this is mixed with a good full creaminess to add to the uniqueness of this beer. Notes on this one definitely lean toward the malty sweetness, but its really in no way unbalanced . It starts out with a more deep , caramel-toffee, brown sugar cake sweetness, then gives way to some darker fruits, light olive and cheese, toasted malts, and light woody hops in a drier than expected finish. This beer definitely proves its world class status, but didn’t separate itself at all (like I was hoping) from the Pannepøt, which I also thoroughly enjoyed.

2006 Bottle... Poured hazy brownish with a thick, greyish/slightly tan head. Aroma of toasty sugars, floral fruits, and tart yeast. Really wonderful brew. Slight bitterness, roasted grains, dried fruits and coffee. Raisins, and wine-like, port qualities. Dry finish.

Based on recent memory of the slashed-O version, I don’t think there’s much difference. This is definitely good stuff, but I wasn’t blown away.

20th July 2008. Sweet brown beer. a little gingerbread (as described on the bottle). A little milk chocolate. Sweet dry finish but there is some sourness lurking as well. Complex. This was labelled as Cadzand Bruin.