Struise Pannepøt

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

33 cl bottle, 2006 vintage, via one of my Danish traders. Pours a dark amber body with some small floaties churning about among vigorous carbonation. Nice creamy beige head. The nose is intensely fruity with great Belgian yeast and a little alcohol. Plums, figs, candi sugar, smells wonderful. It tastes fruity and very sweet with a hefty dose of alcohol and earthy yeastiness. Lots of banana on the lingering finish. Very smooth and well rounded. Mouthfeel is perfect, creamy and thick with a slight clinginess and perfect soft carbonation. Overall, pretty damn good, maybe not quite as good as the regular version, but still quite good.

Hazy brown colour with large beige head.Aroma of nuts and dry fruits nice note of caramel and slight tosted aswell.good mouth feels and all to a great beer.

Big thanks to GMCC2181 for sending this one my way. I was a little hesitant to give it a shot because I saw "Belgian Ale" and "brewed with spices" and kind of got worried, as I’m not too keen on either. However, this one really did it right, and I enjoyed it. Similar to Barley Island’s Sinister Minister, in a very good way. Pours brown, with an amber hue. Very sharp and nice spicey notes that never dominate. Almost like a brown ale with bite. The aroma is somewhat weak, but I think it was meant to be subtle, which it achieved. Was missing that certain "something" that would really make this one something special, but kudos to them for trying, and lots of kudos for sending this one to me so that I could find only my second Belgian that I’ve really enjoyed thus far!

Brandon, Fl. - Kingdom Liquors, 11.2 ox bottle. Pours a dark chestnut brown with almost no head. Aroma of raisins, moist baked brown bread, and sweet cherries. Flavor has some chocolate notes, faint molasses, candied sugar, caramel, and a brief wisp of alcohol. Blended well together, meant to savor through the evening. Went well with a tray of cheese and crackers. Succulent mouthfeel, thick and full. An excellent ale and a surprise find.

From Enjoyit via trade. Thanks Svend! The pour was slightly turbid and brown. Some lighter hints of copper and ruby, but basically pours dirty brown with a scant off-white head. Caramel, tart fruit, malt and light yeast in the nose. Unfortunately I got something weird at one point that smelled like shellfish that was not nice, but it didn’t persist, maybe I’m crazy. The flavor was roasted, spicy malts and thin yeast that quickly transitioned into tart fruit that was reminiscent of grapes/raisins. The mouthfeel was nice and medium bodied.

What’s the difference between this and the non-Danish market one? I don’t know. But this tastes like Belgian goodness to me. Lots of caramel. Dark. We’re watching Hell’s Kitchen, Season 4, begin, and all I can think of is how this show has become a cartoon. The producers must look for people who can’t cook. A stay at home dad? Amateur entertainment. But this beer....this beer...it is pure taste. Nothing amateur here. No cartoon. Very nice.

(2/27/08) Bottle at Cambrinus in Bruges. Dark brown color with a small beige head. Spicy and caramelly aroma. Spicy flavor (too spicy) with with a lot of caramel, licorice and some fruitiness. Medium to full-bodied and lively carbonation. Not really balanced but still decent.

Bottle vintage 2006. Pours dark brown reddish with nice light brown head. Aroma is fantastic. Malty at first then comes sweetness from dried fruit like raisins. Like opening a door to a candy store. In my mouth it explodes with a herbal taste surrounded by dark fruits and roastiness. Long finish. Brilliant stuff.