Struise Pannepot

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

Aroma is wonderful, kind of similar to Westvleterens 8 and 12. Dough, red wine, blackcurrant and cinnamon. The taste doesn’t live up to the aroma, but it’s still good. Raisins, chocolate, spices, nuts, yeast, soil and dried fruit. Finish is dry and with a little bit of alcohol. This is a truly vinous brew, slightly acidic and with lively carbonation.

Aroma of dough, liquorish, red wine, black current, cinnamon and dust. Appearance is dark brown with medium brown head. Flavor of raisins, black current, liquorish, malt, species and hints of yeast. The alcohol is warming. The palate is very thick. Overall a very interesting beer with lots of taste.

Serving: 330 ml bottle. 2007 vintage. Appearance: Extremely dark brown with hazy ruby highlights and a monstrous foamy tan head. The head lasts for ages and the alcohol leaves nice legs on the glass. Aroma: As soon as you pop the top, a wonderful fruity aroma fills the room. Rich, dark fruit notes with touches of currant, cherry, and apple. Yeast, dust, clove, and spice all add to the mix. Fantastic! It has a nice, dry earthiness in the background as well. Flavor: Rich, yet light and dry all at the same time. Warming alcohol, a fruity tartness, yeasty dust, some earth, loads of spice, and a slight touch of oxidation on the tongue. Very complex stuff. A slight medicinal note emerges towards the middle of the beer. Bits of raisin, mace, cardamon, and just enough sweetness to help balance all of the flavors. Palate: High, champagne like carbonation that is very fine on the tongue. Medium, slightly dry mouthfeel with a medium-long, spiced finish. Overall: I can see why this one is so highly rated. Truly a stand out beer and a must try for everyone.

At BQ Birra in Milan, 2007 bottle, dark almost black liquid with a medium mocca color head, powerful aroma of raisins, nuts, chocolate, brandy and cherry liquor, flavor of nuts, caramel, dried fruits, warming pleasant alcohol and a nice acidity towards the end, full bodied, excellent beer.

Thanks again to STLWill for this generous offering. The pour produces a ruby edged mahagony with a puffy, airy tan head with good retention, dimpling as it fades. The nose is musty, seemingly tart, with some mild acetic notes, tart fruits, raisins, and subdued cocoa. The flavour is equally musty, dry, with herbal hops, anise, cardamom, raisins, and alfalfa sprouts. The palate is like velvet, though it is eqauly airy and warming. Perfect for the style. Unfortunately, there is a detectable astringency in the finish, though the way it melds with the rest of the flavours, it can be considered a tasteful character of the beer.

2007 bottle. Cloudy amber pour with a medium tan head. Spicy aroma with anise, booze and some tart fruit. Dark fruit flavor up front with some tartness and a nice spicy finish. Very nice and lives up to the hype.

Reminded me a fair amount of Adam, but not quite as odd, and more clearly Belgian. Tons of smooth powdery cocoa chocolate, with the tiniest bit of wood. Raisin and plum in up front in the nose, and some in the finish as well. Fairly high carbonation. Ridiculous smooth. Great palate. A bit of an odd twang in the finish that was not so great.

Pours dark reddish brown with a nice creamy, tan head, but rather short lasting. Good lacing. Malty nose with spices and dark fruit. Flavour with malt, raisins and plums. Full bodied. Ends up more dry. A very enjoyable brew.