Struise Pannepot

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

Well.... if this isn’t overpriced, what is? Poured out a quick death bubbly head and a solid dark brown brew. The aroma is eluding me as this lacks strength. Quite sweet, spicy with something that bites my nose like a cleaning product would - now I’m not saying this smells like cleaning products so take it easy. Faint cinnamon, cherries, the dullest hint of smoke I think, molasses.... not too much else that I can notice and I’ll admit that I’m not in the mood to search and search for it tonight. The taste is thick, a mouth full of malts that remind me of bogs (no relation to taste), lots of spice, I just got a mouth full of yum yeasty sludge, sweet caramel, more cinnamon, figs or something, man, I’m quite trashed, ginger? nutmeg. The mouth feel is thick and bordering on oily. The aftertaste is short lived but spicy with some alcohol and malts. I’ll be forgoing spending money on this again. Maybe I’m crapping on it because of the price but I don’t think so. Good drink though, very easy to put back - just boring and quite honestly very forgettable.

33cl bottle. Pours a opaque deep brown body with thin creamy tan head. Some sediments too. Aroma is coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, caramel and a hint of alcohol. Very rich and complex flavor of spices, yeast, dried fruits, licorice and rum. Finishes with a little bitterness and roasted malt. The alcohol is well hidden. Palate is full with medium carbonation. Very well balanced, a pleasure to drink.

Bottle @ Ölbutikken. DArk brown with white head. Sweet maltiness fruity alkohol figs dates plum milkchocolate raisins spicy.

07 bottle. Pour is deep murky brown with smallish tan head. Some floaties in there too. The whole room smells like this beer after the pour. Banana, brown sugar, dates, dried plums, clove, cinnamon, light roasted malt, and a touch of alcohol. Flavor is just enormous and oh so rich. Brown sugar, dried fruits, banana, cinnamon, dates, caramel, and a touch of alcohol. Alcohol was fairly well hidden. This beer has outrageous complexity and richness. It is so rich yet so drinkable, I love it. I also love that huge aroma that filled my kitchen for minutes after the pour. Will always have a few of these around from now on.

06 bottle. Pours a dark cloudy mahogany with clear edges, thin tan head that sticks around for entire drink, decent lacing. Left a decent bit of sediment on glass until almost the end of glass, which I then poured in. Aroma of lightly roasted malt, chocolate, slight coffee, caramel, and alcohol. Flavor matches with the addition of a nice spice profile, yeast, and dried fruits. Alcohol a little more up front than I was expecting, but it doesn’t dominate the drink. Extra sediment toward end gave a bit of a spicier flavor, which I think would have been even better to have for the entire glass. Truly a nice complex brew that I would enjoy to have more often.

11.2oz bottle from 2007. Pours a deep mahogany brown body with bits of sediment. Very creamy, inch thick, dense, dark tan head that dissipates very slowly, never completely disappears, and leaves some thick, layered lacing. Gorgeous. Aroma is sweet with lots of deep caramels. Raisin bread, dried fruits, chocolate and cream, a touch of roast, brown sugar, and a hint of licorice spiced booze. Flavor is quite sweet as well. Lots of caramels, nuts, dates, fruitcake, chocolate, plums, and a sweet booze. A light spicing keeps this very well balanced and enhances the layers of flavor. Finishes sweet with a touch of bitterness and a light roast. Palate is full and creamy with a good amount of carbonation. Slightly dry with plenty of aftertaste. Overall, a fantastic beer. Sweet, rich, balanced, and complex. World class.

bottle, dark dark brown colour with beige head. (wonderfull!). Smell: caramel, coffee and sugary. Taste: very complex,caramel, sugar, coffee, rhum, dried fruit, raisins and dried plums, very balanced sweetness, malty, creamy, alcohol, a bit sharpness and bitterness, yeasty. This is a real masterpiece. I really like this one.

Bottle 2007 Pours a dark brown with a good tan head. The head is fizzy and lasting. Produces good lacing. Aroma is of sweet fruits, oak, and touches of vanilla. Has a good carbonation. Has a slight but good alcohol burn, very mild but a nice touch. The flavor is well balanced. The tastes dance on your tongue like subdued pop rocks. Hasa slick texture. A real good mouthfeel. A solid finish with a good aftertaste. This is just a darn good beer.