Struise Pannepøt

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

2006. 11.2 oz. Dark red-brown pour with a thick tan head. Lot of carbonation at the opening. Little floaties. Sweet malt aroma with hints of dark fruits, brown sugar, and spice. Has the taste of the fruits in the aroma followed by some dryness, like a sherry. Head clings to the glass. Very tasty.

11.2oz bottle. Pours a murky, deep brown-garnet colored body with bits of particulate floating around. Finger-width, dirty tan, soapy head that leaves a swirling surface of foam and a soapy lacing. Has a very atmospheric-like aroma to it. Light Belgian spicing and booze mixed with some brown sugar, fruit cake, and caramels. Flavor is a little more rich than the aroma hints at. Moderate malty sweetness and a good amount of Belgian spicing and yeasts. Moderate caramels and toffees along with some more of that fruit cake flavor initially. Mostly dark fruits such as prunes and dates. The mild spicing comes in during the middle and becomes more noticeable in the finish. The finish is where the complexity of this becomes evident. Brown sugar, toasted toffee, and a hint of dark chocolate accompany the spices and dry, malty finish. Nice lingering spicy malt taste. Palate is medium bodied and hides the 10% very well. The booze just barely comes through in the finish and comparably lighter than the aroma. Overall, a nice tasting beer that grew on me more and more. Not as exceptional as some people have scored this, but a nice beer nonetheless.

11.2 oz bottle Pours a dark murky brownish copper red with a thick pillowy off white dark head. A nice soft dark fruit nose with plenty of spices. Interestingly slightly tart and deeply malty with a rich balanced character. Flavor has a big fruit flavor, just a boatload of dark fruit, raisins, prunes, plum, nuts, Belgian yeast, and a slight red wine like character, as I noticed 17thfloor said, some metallic notes that dissipate after some airing out. Medium to full body and a perfect carbonation. Excellent beer all around.

Raisins dark fruti, spices, alcohol.. The spice blend doesn’t seem as good as in the regular one, the taste is not nearly as complex. This is more like an amped up bruin or something, simple and it works but not even close to the original. It doesn’t even look pretty, the head is weaker and the color is muddy.

Bottle @ Skortila. Dark brown colour, beige head. Aroma of sour fruits and chocolate malts. Flavour of cherry, raisins and plums. Chocolate malts and brown sugar.

This dark brown ale poured with a nice tan head, eliciting a malty aroma. The flavor is marvelously complex with a predominance of chocolate malt, but otherwise quite balanced. The alcohol is well-masked, and the flavor just keeps getting better as the glass empties.

330ml bottle, vintage 2006, bought at Ølbutikken in Copenhagen, May 08. Huge, off-white head with gushing foam. Hazy, mahogany body with a dark, reddish tint. Spotty lacings on the glass. Sweet, malt-fruity aroma added by a spicy touch. Rather comprehensive taste with a bit of everything. Sweet, succulent prunes up front supported by apricots, anise, late fruits and spices. Some bitter yeast and alcohol in the aftertaste as a counterpoint to all the sweet ingredients. Velvet texture. Medium bodied. Flavourful beer without being top-notch (celebrating VIF-TIL 2-4 at home in Tromsø, 06.04.2009).

Poured brown with a white head. Aroma of fruit and spice. A little different compared to the other. Not as much fruit flavor in this. Spice in the finish. Still good.