Struise Pannepot

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

2006 edition: Eclipsed crimson. Ornately thick, lathery beige froth deposits clingy lace. Extravagantly fresh aromas of raisin bread, caramelized malt, plums, black cherries and dark rum. Elegant wafts of creamed coffee, earthy yeast, cocoa, vanilla, bubblegum, cinnamon and clove. Creamy, tiny-bubbled carbonation gently caresses the palate. Spicy alcohol paves the way for a vibrant, tongue-coating rush of banana pudding and vanilla- and putty-accented yeast. Alcohol augments the dryness but is exquisitely cloaked, and its sparse remnants are blanketed by the pillow-soft body and delicate yeastiness. Vibrant rum-infused plum flavors are enriched by a rich and squeaky-clean bready malt undertow. Dainty whispers of wafery malt contribute softness to the deep malt frame. Body is perfect as the malts are well-structured and the esters equally lustrous. Finespun bubblegum flavors add to the estery luster while a dusting of cocoa bolsters the earthiness. Sugary residuals flash their sweetness before a cleansing leathery dryness and astringency cleans things up. Never remotely cloying or medicinal despite the copious amount of sugars in this. Finishes immaculately attenuated with an equilibrium of plum, raisin, and chocolate malt notes. Notes of rummy alcohol and leather linger. Man, what a fantastic nose! So rich and aromatically malty, yet extremely subtle with a dizzying array of yeast-derived complexity at the same time. In my opinion, this beer has always relied too heavily on the candy sugar and has consequently suffered from overt sweetness and subpar attenuation. Gotta say, though, that this bottling has drastically improved over the past year as it is now remarkably cohesive and elegant rather than cloyingly medicinal. It’s now clear to me - and I say this without hesitation - when this beer brings its “A” game, it’s is on par with the best Belgian Strongs/Abbot 12s of the world.

2006 Vintage. Lots going on with chocolate, dark fruits, molasses, nutmeg, cherry, over a very dark brown body. It’s one of those very complex beers that I keep getting different flavors from, like the flavors are unfolding.

Bottle. 2006. High alcohol Belgian candi sugar aroma. Chocolate, caramel, raspberry, molasses. Huge head. So huge in fact that I had to get a second glass because it was going to take 10-15 minutes before the head dissipated enough for me to sample it. The first glass I poured about 2/3 full and then watched it slowly rise, rise, rise to almost overflowing and then it overflowed a bit. If ever a beer was bottle conditioned, this would be it. Opaque body with frothy head that basically doesn’t diminish. Leaves scattered, frothy lace; actually more like residue. Very sweet. Highly carbonated. Alcohol is not overly harsh, though quite noticeable. This is a dessert beer. Could probably be poured over ice cream, though that would make for a fairly expensive treat. Has a sweet hop thing going on in the finish that is tough to beat. Whatever that is, it’s what makes the difference between this being a good beer and being a great beer, which it is. It’s perhaps a little sweet for me and initially a little overly carbonated, but the spritz tends to die down after awhile. Excellent. Thanks El_Borracho for hooking me up with this brew!

33 cL bottle, 2005 on the label: dark reddish purple body with a persistent, light tan fluff…the aroma is wonderfully and amazingly complex: zesty, fruity yeast, vanilla beans, oak and soft tannins. Bittersweet raisins dusted with Baker’s chocolate dust. Sweet and ripe, lightly tart plums. Dark red grape jelly and complex yeast roll over the tongue a top a lightly tingly carbonation. Clean finish that leaves sticky, fruit flesh throughout the mouth. Simply outrageous! WOW.

Thanks to Holdwine for giving me a chance to sample this wonderful beer. The defining charcters of this beer for me was the incredibly soft palate for a beer of this abv, and the underlying zesty sourness that keeps the big, thick, beer in perfect balance.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry & blankboy - courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a deep mahogany-brown with a small mocha head that leaves lots of lace. Fantastic aroma - sweet roast, caramel, dried figs, musky spice, with slight medicinal tinge. Mouthfeel is smooth and silky. Flavour - wow, where did that coffee come from? Very unexpected, but very nice, meshing well with notes of plum & fig, rich chocolate, licorice, brown sugar and yeast, leading to a long mocha finish. Totally lives up to all the hype. Thank so much for sharing, Harry!

2006 Bottle. Pours pretty much black with a thick, tan, frothy head. Wow... the aroma is just sadistically good. Dry malt along with very light cloves and cinnamon. It almost smells like a Christmas ale in the making! Insanely complex taste... It’s got some sweet malt rounded out with a mild yet very obvious spice. I’m not sure I’d stick with my cloves statement, but think wintery spices, not corriander and "typical" Belgian spices. Cardamom? Some yeast, but not overpowering. It may be the description influencing me, but almost salty? Holy damn is this a fine freakin brew!!

Great big brown head of medium sized bubbles. Produced a 1 inch high head out of the top of my glass. Great carbonation throughout. Reduced incredible slow. Rich caramel, toffee and dark fruit (raisins, figs) aroma. Some alcohol and roasted grains, brown sugar, spices , more raisins and figs and a hint of smoke. Damn just about everything in there. Color is a very dark mahagony brown. Rich strong and sweet flavor. Delicious! Loads of roasted grains, heaps of malts, raisins and plums. A hint of coffee late swallow. Gentle warming and a slight tingle on the gums. A little fizzy in the mouth. Finish is creamy and long lasting. A great belgian strong ale. A big thanks to my secret santa and to SoLan for this gem.