Struise Pannepot

pours a deep brown color with a thick beige head that dissipates slowly. Sticky rings of lacing. Dark fruit, bready malt and sweet spice aromas intermingle nicely. Medium body with a refreshing complexity about it. Flavors of raisins, roasted malt, chocolate and spices are all present. The finish is fruity with a lingering spice and malt aftertaste.

2006 bottle on New Year’s Day 2008, served on the warm side of cellar temperature.

I’ve been hoarding this bottle for a while, ever since discovering how marvelous the mere Pannepøt is. Tonight is the right time to open it up. The beer pours thick black with a huge frothy tan head.

The aroma is complex but not overpoweringly rich: the basic tones are quad-like dried plums and raisins, mild spices, damp earth, a subtle overlay of unsweetened chocolate. I close my eyes and breath in the more subtle tones, and I’m following the smell of an active kitchen far-off down the end of a slightly damp stone tunnel underneath the old city.

Enough dreaming. I open my eyes, remove my nose from the tulip, and take a si....Oh--my--goodness. An unparalleled explosion of flavor. Dark raisin liquor and rich spices carom off my taste buds and splash across my mouth. Sweet oatmeal-raisin cookies rush to the front, laden with cinnamon, and savory bread dipped in oil and vinaigrette. Blackberry juice sloshes against the gentlest of smoked peats. A subtle hint of fresh mint leaves slithers between the strong dark sugars. The beer is incredibly thick on the tongue but never unpleasantly so, the flavor bursting out in all directions from that rich liquid, creamy in its mouthfeel, hot only in the slightest on the back of the throat if I savor the sip too long in my mouth.

Absolutely fabulous beer. I believe I just gave it a 4.6, which makes it my #3 beer. Such rank is well deserved.

2006 Bottle March ’08: a gusher. Interesting.

2006 Bottle April ’08: Another gusher, maybe a bit more mild this time. Doesn’t hurt the flavor one bit. Absolutely divine.

330 ml. bottle. Dark brown color, turbid and opaque with a moderate tan head. Dark fruits and spices in the aroma, raisin, ripe fig, nutmeg and allspice, like rum soaked spice cake, floral, herbal and dark berry notes add an interesting complexity, along with a bit of smoke. Flavor is wow, complex, with lots of dark fruits, rich yeasts, coffee and molasses, a bit of tart blackberry, warming alcohol and spices. Smooth, full body and soft, gentle carbonation.

2006 vintage. The aroma was malty and toasty with a nutty caramel characteristic. Deep dark fruits of raisins, plums and currents filled the nasal passages. Lurking behind was a candylike aroma and a light bit of spice. The beer poured into the glass crystal clear until a chunk of yeasty beasties dislodged and caused a haze. The color was amber brown and the head was beige and low, yet lasting enough to lace the glass. The flavor was deeply malty and smooth with a very slight bit of tart acidity in the finish. The flavor contained more of the dark fruits, but they were not as well defined in the flavor as in the aroma and were somewhat muted. The candy flavor was present, but it was not sweet. The flavor was toasty and nutty and had a bit of spicy hop bittering which was strong enough to keep the malts in check and to allow the beer to finish dry. In the finish the beer had some lasting dark fruity and light pepper spice in the aftertaste. The body was full and thick on the palate. The carbonation was fairly low. Alcohol had a small role in the aroma, no appearance in the flavor, and substantial presence in the warming which occurred post consumption. An interesting and tasty beverage indeed! 11.2 ounce bottle. 1st review of 2008, Happy New Year!

Thanks to Ebenezer’s Pub in Lovell, ME. Pours a dark brown with red highlights. Nice frothy white head. Wonderful nose with Raisins, Plums, Dates, and other dark fruits. So much going on in the flavor. Flavors a lot like its aroma but with hints of brown sugar. Medium bodied with a nice lively carbonation. Awesome Beer.

2006 vintage 11.2 oz bottle pours burnt red brown, cloudy with not much head and some spotty lace. The aroma is dark fruity prune and raisin. The flavor is a bundle of malt, in the middle of the sweetness spectrum, fig, prune, yeast, caramel, some chocolate, very nice. The alcohol is well hidden. More vinious as it warms. The palate is rich and pretty chewy with a nice cleansing carbonation to keep it real. Overall, this is awesome.

pours a dark brown with full frothy head. light sweet fruit plum raisin yeastie aroma. complex, vanilla, yeast, oak, raisin, smoke, all behind and fronted. sweet finish with milky palate, smooth consistency. great stuff.

Had this bottle at Ebenezer’s Pub courtesy of Chris Lively. Dark brown pour. Sweet metallic aroma with hints of caramel and a chewy fruitiness. The flavor is sweet, fruity, some brown sugar, and some great spicy caramel.