Struise Pannepot

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

33 cl bottle, 2006 vintage. Dark brown with a small brown head. Sweet but not a very heavy aroma of raisins, yeast and even some alcohol. Sparkling mouthfeel that turns into a soft warming drink. Caramel, malts and some bitterness from hops in the flavor. Otherwise well hidden ABV but the finish has a bit of exploding alcoholic taste.

bottle at bruges beerjtke. pours dark rusty brown, almost black, good thick sustained head, tastes of dark fruits, almost rum. excellent beer.

12oz bottles, 2006 vintage. An unusual beer, but one of my favorites. Deep chocolate brown; most noticeable in the aroma and taste are the herbs and spices, which make it go in a very different direction from other dark Belgians where dark fruit and caramelized sugars are at the fore (though those flavors are present here too). The spices add a maritime quality, a sort of beer version of Scotch whiskies that taste of the sea. I’d love to try other vintages and the Reserva.

12oz bottle courtesy of a friend from Cali. Poured into a trappist glass. Pours a dark dark brown with a gorgeous brown head. Aroma of maple sugar, cardamom, cinamon and alcohol. Taste is incredibly complex and becomes more so as the beer warms. Notes of chocolate, cinnamon, molasses, dark fruit, and an awesome dryness and a slight touch of sour on the finish. This is the beligan strong equivalent of an Orval, its Magic! Incredible beer, I just wish it was easier to find.

pours. Chocolate phosphate brown with fluffy light creader filled head. maple dark sugars and cherry current notes. Nice, well developed and ballanced. Small amounts of dutch process coco are in the finish. (4.1first rate)

Now this is what I’m talking about. Pours a rusty brown with a head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is all candy. Palate is full bodied and sherry like, due to oxidation, which, in this case is a great thing. Bottle is 2006. I would be very interested to try it fresh. But, not sure that that is very likely being that I live in Kentucky. I didn’t write down my notes when I was tasting, so this is all from memmory. I just know that is was fantastic.

A dark brown colored beer with a beautiful almost brown foamy head. A very nice complex aroma of chocolate, dark fruits, like raisins. The smell is already great. then the taste, again the dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, like raisins and prune. All those flavors, they belongs together. How good a beer can be.

(2/28/08) Bottle at Staminee de Garre in Bruges. 2006 Bottle. Dark reddish brown with a big beige head that disappears quite fast. Aroma of malt, caramel, some spices, notes of dark fruits and hints of alcohol. Great sweet flavor with malt, caramel, spices, a bit of fruits and some nice light roastiness. A slight alcohol kick. Medium to full bodied. Great.