Pannepøt - Old Monk's Ale - De Struise Brouwers

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.96/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

11.2oz bottle served in a Duvel tulip
2011 vintage

A - Pours a deep dark brown with a thin mocha cap

S - Vinous berry fruit, grapes, cherries, brown sugar, apple skins, a tiny hint of banana, dates soaked in alcohol, fruit cake,

T - Dark caramelized malts, licorice, berry fruit, tangy grapes, cherry wine, tobacco, very soft acidity comes across. Spicy yeast shows but maintains a certain delicacy. The malts have a charred toffee flavor with a layer of old leather and earthy wood. The spiciness continues through the dry finish. Notes of tobacco are left on the the aftertaste.

M - Low carbonation, medium body, wet middle body while finishing semi dry.

This is the only vintage I've had so I can't compare to a fresh one. The tangyness was more than expected and the fruit almost overshadowed the malts. Light oxidation was and added to the overall flavor. Good layering with a tangy fruit twist.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 23:09:14 | More by StaveHooks

joecast

Australia

3.99/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Doesn't make a big first impression but grows on me. Quite mild compared to some other quads but shows off the stewed dark fruits in the aroma.
Taste has that aspect as well but not as strong as in the aroma. Lesser dark malt character than the color implies too. Mild chocolate gives some sweetness and rounds it out.
Maybe not one of the top beers but seriously well made and easily drinkable.
2010 330ml bottle

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 10:36:10 | More by joecast

scottfrie

California

4.24/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

330ml bottle into snifter. 2011 bottle.

A: Pours a murky mahogany color with a finger of soft light tan head. Fine sediment sat in suspension in the liquid.
S: Dark fruits, sweet candied fruit, molasses, candied sugar, caramel, holiday spices, raisin, and caramel fill my nose. I get hint of cocoa, musty earth, and red grapes as well.
T: Everything from the nose with the addition of anise, vanilla, pepper, booze and allspice. The finish is fruity and sweet with molasses, and the aftertaste is earthy, spicy and full of bitter hops, dark chocolate, a red fruit skins.
M: Thick and heavy body, viscous, smooth and sweet mouthfeel, not quite syrupy but definitely sticky, and low frothy carbonation.
O: Definitely a complex, rich and powerful quad. Sweet, fruity, bitter, and spicy. Will probably be awesome if aged longer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:09:50 | More by scottfrie

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with a small off-white head.
Nose shows cocoa, caramel, soft spices, nutmeg, bready malt and grainy notes.
Flavours include cocoa, burnt fig, bitter roast, astringent spices and booze.
Carbonation could be lower.
Was expecting more.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 05:14:39 | More by CrazyDavros

DirtyBirdSpecial

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2011 Bottle into a snifter

A: Nice murky brown, with a single finger of beige head that shrinks down after a few moments. A centimeter of foam remains throughout around the rim. Looks beautiful. Leaves some nice lacing when given a swirl.

S: Fruity, molasses and raisins, malty sugars, delightful yeast aromas and only a wee bit of warmth from the alcohol.

T: Gotta say, the first sip brought me to enlightenment. Buddha aint got shit on this wonderful liquid. Dried fruits abound, along with other flavors mentioned above. Not quite as sweet as the nose and I appreciate that. Little heat, booze is well masked.

M: Light yet viscous, great carbonation for a quad. I've had many quads that could have been better with the right amount.

O: In my opinion, a great representation of the style. I would expect nothing less from this brewery. Excelsior!!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 21:28:09 | More by DirtyBirdSpecial

herman77

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2007 got as an extra from olympuszymurgus

A: Very dark brown with a small, creamy beige head. Great head retention, almost looks nitro-ish. Okay retention.

S: Rich and deep. Raw brown sugar, molasses, plums and dates. Some nutty banana bread.

T: Lots of dark fruits (plums, raisins, dates) and molasses. Almonds? A bit of spice; cinnamon and nutmeg come to mind. Seems like all the flavors have just melded together into one tasty package. Still some booze on the backend.

M: Thick and chewy. Low carbonation, what is there has really fine bubbles. Haven't had a quad this thick before.

O: Haven't had a 5+ year old quad before. This seems like it can't get much better though. Good drinkability, ABV is somewhat hidden.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 03:40:16 | More by herman77

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2009 bottle poured in a chalice.

Beige head, dark brown with lighter brown and red on the bottom of the curve.

Big dark fruitiness wafts out of the glass. Spice, dark bread and sweetness. Sort of reminiscent of a doppelbock.

Smooth and medium bodied. Dark fruits, spice, brown sugar, and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 06:37:42 | More by MattSweatshirt

deebo

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottle of 2010 vintage poured into a big ass chalice. $4.60 Euro for a 330 ml bottle.

A-This brew is darker than other quads, dark chocolate color and murky with a couple fingers of tan creamy head that breaks down fairly easy without lacing the glass. Looks pretty well carbonated.

S-Even at cold temperature this beer has lots of aroma. Notes of rich, caramel, bready malt; tons of beautiful fruity esters big time ripe dark fruits, I'll go with raisin as the closest fruit to compare to . There is a fair amount of peppery spiciness in here too along with an inviting soft alcohol nose.

T-Similar to the nose, this beer is big and complex. Lots of sweet, bready malt with ripe dark fruits with a vapory alcohol finish that dries the mouth out just a bit inviting that next drink.

M-A very drinkable 10% ABV beer, mouthfeel has plenty of malt body but doesn't seem heavy. A bit above average in the carbonation which works well to cleanse the palette and carry all the flavor popping out in each drink. Alcohol is vapory but not hot at all-very nice.

O-Damn this is a tasty quad. I don't have a fresh one to compare with, but this beer is damn near perfect right now. Equally tasty as a sipper or a gulper I wish I had more of this beer. A little more expensive than my favorite quad, St. Bernardus, but in the same class. Well done beer that brings me back to Belgium.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 03:35:36 | More by deebo

sweemzander

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11.2oz bottle poured into a tulip glass. 2011 vintage.

(A)- Pours a near pitch black color, but much more like an inky purple color in its highlights. Produced a nice cap of tan froth.

(S)- A rich bready yeasty profile with a great juicy plum and grape dark fruit components. Borderline magical in how good this smells. The combination just works.

(T)- Similar to the smell. The juicy dark fruits are there, but the biscuit-like bready yeast takes center stage creating a subtle spice and bitterness to the finish.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Mildly bitter from the heavy yeast, but countered well with the rich and juicy dark fruits this has.

(O)- Overall, an excellent Quad. Can put this up with the greats of the style and it would fit right in.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 02:27:40 | More by sweemzander

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 vintage. Tasted 27 November 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours a very dark brown. At the thin edges, it's a deep amber brown. Little head, and little lacing, thanks in part to a gentle pour to keep all that sediment in the bottle.

Smell is fruity and deep. Figs, leather, some strong sugary notes. Also has a light alcoholic pinch that tickles my nose. Inviting, though not as complex as my favoritest quads.

Taste is sugary but kinda stingy. Nice, but I'm really only getting one flavor. Sugary, more like plums here, with a touch of astringent herbal flavor. Fades to a smooth bitter in the finish.

Mouthfeel is a bit of a dud. Pretty flat, and it feels like it needs that carbonation to keep the flavors coming.

I've liked other De Struise beers a lot more than I like this one. It's not bad, not in the least, but it's not one I'd go to again, what with all the delicious quads that are readily available. Doesn't give me anything I can't find elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 14:06:39 | More by zeledonia

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Yet another variation of Pannepot that I had no problem throwing down ~$9 a bottle for. 11.2oz/2011 vintage.

Poured into my Fantome tulip a dark murky brown full of floaties. A small off-white head turns to a thin ring after a bit of time and stays that way.

The scent offers big-time yeastiness, dark fruits, caramel and bread.

Taste - Yeast, red wine, caramel, brown sugar, black cherries, some dusty cocoa, lots of spice and acidity. A little plain and not as solid compared to some other Pannepi.

Mouthfeel is smooth and full-bodied, a little high on the carbonation. Some alcohol warmth but pretty well-hidden.

Good by quad standards, kinda average for a Pannepot.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 21:35:50 | More by Chico1985

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of Bu11zeye: Poured a deep dirty cloudy brown color ale with a large foamy head with great retention and some good lacing. Aroma consists of bubblegum ester with some candi sugar and some light spices. Taste is comprised of a sweet malt base which is well balance with some bubblegum ester and some light spicy yeast at the end. Very well balance with no apparent alcohol and a full body with great carbonation. I thought it was slightly less complex then the regular version but I would have to do a side-by-side comparison

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 14:21:34 | More by Phyl21ca

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011

A-dark brown with almost no head. Tan around the rim.

S-dark grains with syrupy dark fruits. Some cinnamon.

T-comes in with a dry taste of dark bitter fruits and cinnamon. It's a bit syrupy. I get some slated caramel too. It's pretty heavy. Matching after-taste

M-dry medium carbonation with a dry finish

O-this is surprisingly no where near as awesome as the oak aged version. It's definitely an awesome beer, but there are many quads out there I'd rather be drinking. It hits pretty hard too, this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 01:39:39 | More by AdamBear

writerLJBerg

Oregon

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

330mL bottle purchased a couple years ago. 2007 vintage. Drunk 10/10, reviewed from notes

A: Very dark, opaque brown. 1/4" cream head. Decent legs.

N: Saturates the nose. Raisins and plums dominate the forefront. Some spicy pepper and mild chocolate. Lots of Belgian yeast and some toffee. Cherry components and a hefty bready/biscuity whiff. A little soy.

T: Very spicy and flavorful. More raisin and plum. A little bit of smokiness. Very biscuity. Some bitterness in the back end to help balance the sweetness, and this never gets too sweet. More and more prune.

M: Very well done. Viscous and full mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden.

O: This has aged spectacularly. Rounded and complex while maintaining a great drink after drink simplicity.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:27:01 | More by writerLJBerg

brystmar

New York

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 bottle date.

Didn't realize this was a different beer from Pannepot until I opened it. Yeast tried its hardest to escape the bottle during the pour, but careful hands kept most of it inside. Pour color is a much dirtier shade of brown with plenty of goop floating around in my glass. Big bubbles form the tan head, not the best retention.

Malt and spices meet the senses. Boozy flavor profile start to finish -- significantly moreso than Pannepot. This can work depending on the beer, but with Pannepeut the alcohol distracts me from enjoying what's underneath. Malt-heavy base returns at the end, sweeping everything together for a slightly sweet finish.

Good, not great. Pannepot is far superior.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 04:58:27 | More by brystmar

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle poured into an Ommegang chalice. 2010 bottle.

Appearance - Deep brown cola colored with a small khaki head. Settles to a collar and an island of bubbles.

Smell - Fruity and yeasty. Dark fruits dominate. Cola aroma reminiscent of other De Struise beers. Sweet malty aroma.

Taste - Fruity flavors at first. Immediately yeasty. Extremely yeasty, really. Cola flavors less intense, as is the sweetness. Dry and slightly bitter in the finish. A little bit of earthiness.

Mouthfeel - Really highly carbonated. Way too much. Dry and rather bitter.

Overall - Eh. Nothing near the beer that Pannepot is. I have a fresher bottle that I'll try.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 00:33:30 | More by Alieniloquium

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

2011 vintage. Poured from a bottle into an Orval chalice. It is very quad-looking in its appearance: very dark, murky brown with a thin cinnamon head and lower carbonation than I expected. The nose has that yeasty, puffed-pastry scent that all great quads have as well as notes of dark fruit and alcohol.

The flavor is outstanding. Huge, sweet notes of brown sugar, figs, and raisins all dancing with rich sticky alcohol warmth. This is like liquid holiday cake. The flavor is incredibly complex and seems to change with every sip. The balance between sugary, cookie-like sweetness and boozy, spicy accompanying flavors is nearly perfect. The body is very full and the mouthfeel is slick and creamy.

I don't know what the hell some of the other reviewers are drinking. This beer is incredibly good. I expected to be dazzled by Pannepot, but this one caught me by surprise. An absolutely phenomenal beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:17:58 | More by deadonhisfeet

safaricook

Netherlands

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Shop: Bierkoning, Amsterdam
Glass: Westmalle chalice
Name on Label: Pannepeut 2010, Old Monks's Ale
Image on Label: old sailing boat with 3 masts
ABV: not indicated
Expiry date: 20NOV2016
LOT: 49372011

Beige medium to fine bubbled head of a good finger at start. Reduces fast to a thin layer. Dark brown body with a ruby shine with only sparsely carbonation visible.

Smell of roasted malt, bread, coffee and alcohol.

Typical Quadrupel sweetness but not overly sweet. Some bitterness that can be connected with the strong coffee flavor, bread clearly in the aftertaste. Rich taste.

Drink ability is really good for such a strong beer. Tingling on the tip of the tongue and down the throat. Not creamy in the way of a stout but rather some oiliness. An emulsion due to the richness of the organic extract.

Nice Quadrupel that is a great representative of the style. In my opinion there could be a little bit more of fruity aromas that could balance the coffee taste. Great beer for a slow evening in the colder seasons, which means practically any day in Amsterdam.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 19:30:30 | More by safaricook

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer is dark brown and fairly hazy with an inch of thick, foamy tan head. Aromas include yeast, malt, caramels, figs. The flavor is a notch better. Alcohol content masterfully hidden. Really creamy and smooth on the palate with an elegant and graceful finish. Cheers to Urbain.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 19:01:58 | More by Huhzubendah

Bendurgin

Maine

3.4/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle says 2011. Poured into a goblet. This one pours a dark cola color brown with a thin tan head.

Belgian yeast is the first noticeable aroma with hints of spiced plumbs. Dark fruity malts. Plumbs and other dark fruits on the pallet. Faint hints of cocoa linger in the background with spicy yeasty notes in the background.

The body is medium and seems to have very little carbonation. Overall this one is fair enough. Not my favorite variation from the guys.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 04:04:00 | More by Bendurgin

Auracom

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2007 Pannepeut purchased way back at The Bruery Provisions last November. 4 oz. poured in an FFF Rastal on August 17th, 2012.

A - Semi dark brown, very little light tan head that amounts to bubbles, marginal lacing.

S - Plentiful pitted fruit, toasted oak, roasted malts.

T - The Belgian yeast is pretty potent, lots of raisin bread and dates give it a classic old ale sweetness. Slight appleskin and brown sugar combine with a little cherry oxidation.

M - Medium body, great carbonation for the age, semi-sweet finish.

D - The winter fruit is well contained and doesn't overpower the complexity that resonates through the rest of the drink. Good yeast character and very nice feel for a 5 year old brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 16:01:17 | More by Auracom

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle picked up in Vermont about a month ago. It always amazes me the distribution they get there. 2011 vintage. Poured into Founders snifter.

A- Pours dark brownish purplish licorice black. Slightly translucent around the edges, but mostly opaque when sitting in the glass. When pouring a thin layer of light mocha head forms that quickly recedes and leaves some spotty lacing. There are definitely quite a few yeast sedimentation specs floating around. Maybe a tiny bit lighter then I remember Pannepot being, although that was about a month ago I had it.

S- Dark fruits, plum, cherry, licorice, some dark chocolate. Surprisingly more dark fruits and less dark chocolate then I remember '08 Pannepot Grand Resererva having.

T- Dark fruits, a lot of plums, cherries, grapes, some light dark chocolate hiding in the background, slight merlot quality to it. Overall thet taste was decently well balanced however I wasn't a huge fan of the fruity taste.

M- Smooth, medium bodied, goes down very easily for a 10% abv beer.

O- This was a decent quad. I definitely preferred the Pannepot Grand Reserva I had a month ago. I remember that having a less dark fruits, but being more balanced and mellowed out. This beer was a little bit too grape and plum heavy for my tastes and tasted too much like merlot (which sometimes isn't a bad thing). I didn't dislike it, but probably wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:00:11 | More by jaasen64

TBoneJones

Texas

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pannepeut Old Monk's Ale 2011
Pours dark murky amber brown, makes sense as it is bottle conditioned and all.
Very nice beery smell, yeasty, during the pour to a Chimay chalice. Slight boozy raisin smell over the glass. Nice solid coating of lace.  
Taste is boozy up front with nice dark fruity characters, I suspect fig. Curious taste.
I do enjoy the initial flavors of this brew and it is pretty smooth. Oaky.  
Overall an enjoyable sipper. I'm not sure of the difference if this were a Pannepot instead of the Pannepeut that it was (the label indicates a Danish version if that's the difference).

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 02:41:50 | More by TBoneJones

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick consistency. There was a half inch of foamy, tan-colored, fairly long-lasting head. Average lacing.

S: A nice aroma of yeast, malt, and dark fruit. Typically like a quadrupel.

T: Tasted of dark fruit (plums, raisins), spices (pepper), Belgian yeast, and caramel. A well done, not too overpowering flavor. An easy to drink flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is a solidly made, focused, and drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 13:07:12 | More by avalon07

angelmonster

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is the 2011 version.

Pours a murky, dirty looking coffee color. Head is tan and one finger tall. Lots of sediment floating around. Head retention is good and lacing is very good.

Smell is of roasted nuts, sugar cookies, and spice like ginger, allspice or nutmeg. Hops arent detected and smell of alcohol lingers through out.

First taste I'm getting is of a spiced rum cake or maybe some pancakes with maple syrup drizzled on top. Notes of candied fruit or nuts are also there. As typical to the style, no hops detected and alcohol is present but not overpowering.

Mouthfeel is alittle thinner than I was expecting. Its not watery but I was hoping for a more syrupy texture. Head adds some thickness to body and beer is well carbonated.

Overall this beer was good, not the best in its style but drinkable. Body was slightly too thin for the style in my opinion, flavors were just off the mark from being exceptional. Liked the beer but dont think I'd pay another 8 bucks for it

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 04:53:03 | More by angelmonster