Struise Pannepøt

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

An excellent beer. Dark brown, thick and heavy like the others. Like a first rate Trappist Abbot Ale. The spices are there still. Aroma has lots of malt, a hint of brown sugar, a little fruit. Great, sweet flavor that is reminiscent of the regular version, but sweet as it is, it is not as sweet and sticky as Pannepot. Lots of sediment in the bottle, it has a grittiness that I really enjoy. I look forward to giving it a try with some age. I feel really lucky that a beer brewed for the Danish market is available in Minnesota.

[Bottle] Pours red with a light tan head. Aroma is banana and very spicy (cardamom I think) sweet. The taste is similar to the aroma with a hint of alcohol in it. Smooth with a very long, somewhat dry finish. Medium mouthfeel. A well done beer, but not quite as good as I remember regular Pannepot or Reserva as being.

(bottle, thanks Olso2116) Pours a dark amber with a light tan head. Nose is very fruity with banana, some peach, as well as some brown sugar. There are also some hints of spice too. Flavor is caramel initially which then yields to a very dry finish, similar to a dry white wine, with a little bit of a yeasty flavor. Not as fruity as I remember the regular Pannepot being, but good nonetheless.

That beautiful brown color I’ve come to expect from the Struisse Pannepot line. Sweet malt and spice in the body. Excellent molasses taste. The cardamom nose really opened up as I drank. Smooth finish.

Akevitt, you beautiful bastard. Thank you for sharing! Brown color with a thin head. Sweet malt and spiced aroma with cardamom the standout. More sweet and velvety malt flavor, slightly salty and actually a bit of sourness towards the close. Maybe some oakiness as well. I think this version is a little less spiced and fruity than the "normal", but it seems more balanced and velvety than the Reserva. In any case, all three are incredible. God bless these brewers!

2006 Bottle, Sampled August 2007
Pours with a mix of tightly beaded froth topped by larger bubble bath sized foam, both which add up to an initially three finger thick, creamed amber color; the head leaves a touch of lacing on the sides of the glass as I work my way through this beer. The beer is a drab mix of dark amber and brown notes, but shows a beautiful, brilliantly clear, ruby-red color when held up to the light. The aroma is an interesting, rich-leaning, mix of earthy spices, rich-concentrated fruits and dusty darker malt notes. Aromas of prunes, figs apricots, caramelized apples, hints of cherries and fresh cut sweet / tart plums make up the concentrated fruit portion of the aroma. These notes are boosted by malt notes of caramelized grain, brown sugar, and sugar glazed, browned bread crust. The earthy spice notes add a subtle balancing note with touches of allspice, clove, cardamom, fenugreek . Hints of warming alcohol towards the end mix with the fruitiness to sort of give this a brandy-like edge. Really the fruit character (which strangely was the third thing I noticed after the spice notes and malt) is the dominant note in the aroma.

Rich enough to coat the mouth with a little bit of stickiness. The alcohol and some spice-like notes cling to the palate adding a spicy, slightly astringent almost woody note that lingers on in the mouth after the beer has passed down my throat. This beer is definitely sweet, but there is so much going on here that I am always distracted by other flavors and sensations before I think too long on the sweetness. There is that woodiness that I mentioned (definitely noticeable & distinct to my palate, though somewhat subtle) and this pairs with a really subtle not that is almost peat like (a mix of salt, umami and smoke). Soft spice notes of cardamom, nutmeg, sassafras, birch, perhaps a touch of licorice and a bit of pepper in the finish are all noticeable at times, but all are soft enough to actually keep me guessing at what might be the spices & what is from the fermentation character; this is of course the sign of a beer that has been spiced properly, as I don’t want to be hit over the head by spices in a beer, but instead want them to add a nice, yet subtle backdrop that always keeps one guessing. I definitely like how this beer feels so rich, but does not become cloying or sticky.

I am not sure of the difference between Pannepot and Pannepøt, but they are certainly different. This beer seems to be a touch sweeter, and not nearly as aromatically fruity as Pannepot. I’ll definitely have to do a side by side of these two to explore them a bit more in depth. As the beer warms up it loses a touch of sweetness, yet strangely notes of brown sugar and even molasses become evident. Still that woody, almost peat like, spiciness is quite noticeable and it starts to mix in with a touch of warming alcohol towards the finish. Definitely another really tasty offering from the Struis Brouwers. I can’t wait to crack my bottle of Aardmonnik!

Bottle. Pours a rich, thick brown with deep amber highlights. Aroma of dark fruits, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, loads of spices and some alcohol. Wonderful dessert beer presence on the tongue: sweet, sticky caramel, some spices, gingerbread... This one’s fairly complex and it hides the alcohol quite well. Fairly rich and chewy mouthfeel. Finishes with a hint of hops and some nice spice notes.

Not as complex as the Pannepot but very close. Pours dark brown with off white head. Aroma of fruit and spice. Nice fruit flavor with a spice finish.