Struise Pannepot

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

2008 Bottle that I brought back home from Belgium, Chimay glass. Very dark color. Beige head, aroma of raisin, chocolate, and caramel maltiness. Very delicious roasty chocolate covered cherries. I’ve never had a fresh bottle to compare it to, but this is delicious. Great after dinner treat. Yum.

Our Aussie suds expert dreamt blebs of smoked hickory and his favorite yeast extract, Vegemite. Gremlins and geraniums germinating raw barley and wheat follow the initial nose adding to the complexity. The liquor pours thick and visceral, not unlike Nigel’s (see above) round Smooth Churlish belly. Sour chocolate milk permeates and sticks on the palate and into the nasal cavities as the lace finely winds down the inside of the goblet. Pleasant palate of Kirsch, bubble gum and aged Gouda shows lots of secondary development in the 2007 vintage Pannepot. This has been sleeping in our governments climate controlled warehouse for the past 4 years adding to the complexity of this beer. And people said beer will never age like wine. Pfffffffff

Bottle. Deep mahogany with a small light tan head. Big aroma of toffee, dark fruit, spicy yeast and a bit of alcohol. Flavor of dark burnt sugar, raisins, a tart yeast bite with no alcohol taste. Medium body with lively carbonation that explodes in your mouth and gives a frothy mouth feel. This is a great beer, lots of sweet dark sugary malt and fruit with a nice tartness from the yeast.

Ma guardate una birra decisamente sopravalutata... A me non ha per niente entusiasmato, troppo fredda non e’ buona e sa di liquerizia, mano a mano che si arriva alla temperatura di servizio, 12 grradi centigradi, le cose migliorano, si sentono anche alri sapori di spezie ma la liquerizia e’ sempre e cmq troppo troppo dominante...

(33 cl, 2010) Un liquide à la robe brune limpide. Un petit col mousseux qui résiste quelques secondes. Au nez, d’excellents parfums fruités avec des élans chocolatés. Un arôme de café qui caresse les narines avec une pointe vanillée. Des malts vraiment intéressants. Un alcool qui transporte des fruits : on dirait une liqueur servie dans les grands salons. Des saveurs très douces mais balancées. Des malts qui parlent. Un profil chocolaté avec des flaveurs délicates de café. Du sucre candi et du caramel en doses intelligentes. Un caractère fruité complexe. Des saveurs réconfortées par un alcool floral. Un côté épicé peut-être attribuable aux houblons utilisés. Une bouche confortable, un liquide bien crémeux et habilement traversé par les bulles. Le savoir-faire belge. Une finale complexe, riche et longue sur un alcool fruité et vinique. Chapeau bas à cette succulente bière.

Bottle. 2008. Poured into a snifter. Beautiful dark, red and brown colour. Creamy brown head with great retention. Fig in the aroma with brown sugar and black currant leading to toffee, black licorice, cinnamon, and freshly baked gingerbread. Full bodied and incredibly smooth. Dark fruits, especially raisin and more fig in the flavour, with some mild tobacco, molasses and dark cocoa. Long malty finish.

I told Carlo from Struise to stop experimenting with Pannepot ( reserva, ...) because it’s already perfect! ’Nuff said!

Aroma of raisins, brandy soaked spice cake, molasses, dark chocolate. Appearance is black with tan head. Flavor matches the nose, but with a little waffle cone and coffee notes peaking in, especially coffee. Palate is bubbly and terminates chewy. The finest beer to yet touch my lips.