Pannepot Grand Reserva - De Struise Brouwers

Arbitrator

California

2.68/5  rDev -38%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Re-review of a 2005 vintage bottle traded to me by baggio. Thanks, Rob!

A: Pours an opaque mahogany in the center with ruby translucence at the edges. It's capped by a thin, short-lived trace of tan foam that leaves a milky swirl of bubbles atop the brew.

S: Green apples, oak, caramel, and a mildly tart sour cherry presence. Brown sugar, vanilla, cola-like spices.

T: This beer is tart -- no sourness, but it's a flavor contribution that I find off-putting and clashing with the otherwise sweet body. Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and oak open up the palate, segueing into sweet dark fruits (figs, plums). The finish is mildly tannic, with a noticeably tart aftertaste that evokes cherries, grapes, and cola spices. I am truly confused. It's not infected, that much I believe -- but it's so jarring that I can't get past it.

M: This beer is still on the sweet and 'wet' side up front, but the finish is watery at times. It would be excellent otherwise.

O: This beer isn't quite as delicious as I remember it being. I noticed this vintage was distributed to my local beer store, and I passed up on the opportunity to buy it. Either my palate has evolved, or the vintages are different, but I've lost my excitement for this beer.

~~~~

Previous review: 4.5 / 4.5 / 4.5 / 5.0 / 5.0

Bottle purchased and consumed at Delirium Cafe in Brussels. 2006 vintage.

A: Poured a nearly black, but ultimately opaque mahogany, body with the slightest hints of ruby around the edges where light peeked through. The bartender's expert pour produced a fluffy tan head that filled the top 2 fingers of the glass, retained well, and deposited a few trails of lace down the sides. Beautiful.

S: This really opened up once it warmed to the right temperature. It presented a bouquet of apple, tannins, caramel, spices, vanilla, brown sugar, and dark fruits such as plums and berries. Wonderful to sniff.

T: Bread, crackers, caramel, brown sugar at first. The middle is more fruity, with tart apple -- the result of aging in Calvados casks -- as well as juicy plums, white raisins, orange peel, and possibly berries. I seem to remember the original having some tamarind, which isn't found here. The finish carries elements of coriander and clove. The Calvados contribution is mellow and subtle; whether it was strong before and has simply faded, I can't say. But it's found in good balance in this beer.

M: Medium-full bodied. Moderate carbonation. VERY smooth, and carries not even a trace of alcohol. I'm surprised to find that this delicious sipper is 10%.

D: I requested another and was dismayed to find that I had ordered the last one. I'd have grabbed another in a heartbeat, and now I'm on the trading warpath for it.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 05:55:25 | More by Arbitrator

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Nothing like kicking off a new year with a Pannepot variation. Thanks to Cam for picking this up for me since I didn't see any around here. 2005 vintage.

Pours very dark brown with slight highlights, tiny bit of sediment settled at the bottom. Big frothy beige head retains well as a thick cap leaving a bit of lacing, certainly doesn't look 6-7 years old.

Smell is extremely muted, but definite fig/dark fruit in there, oak and alcohol.

Taste also seems very muted, especially compared to the original Pannepot. Chocolate, yeast, spice, dark fruit, oak, maybe some fruity hops (?) all noticeable but very faint. Maybe the age and/or the long oak barrel aging is to blame.

Like other Pannepi, very smooth full mouthfeel, lowish carbonation, not much alcohol present. Sadly, it's the highlight of the beer.

Wow, quite disappointing. The regular Pannepot is one of my favorite beers and the Reserva is great as well, this really didn't do much for me. Flavor is way too faint.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 21:37:47 | More by Chico1985

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2005 Reserve. Got this as an extra in a trade a little while ago. Thanks alpineclimber!

Poured in to Duvel tulip.

A - Poured a very dark amber colour - completely opaque - with one finger of light brown head that slowly disappeared. Some good lacing on the glass.

S - Intense sweetness up front with notes of dark caramel, brown sugar and toffee. Dark fruit notes compliment the sweetness.

T - Extremely sweet. Lots of brown sugar, toffee and dark caramel. Some spice and yeast notes come through as well. I don't pick up the oak at all.

M - Medium body; light carbonation.

O - This was extremely sweet - to the point that I could not finish it. It was enjoyable for about a third of the glass and then became too much for me to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 12:11:58 | More by TheSevenDuffs

rarbring

Sweden

3.13/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A brown clouded brew, an off-white very small head, little lacing but good curtains.

A smelling mixture of yeast, old concrete and coke.

Tasting of candid, or burned, sugar, some anisette, finishing with some old cherry seeds, rather wooden sour.

Little carbonation, a bit flat and remarkably thin, a light dry finish.

This was vintage 2005, has most probably peeked a while ago.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 21:48:54 | More by rarbring

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From a capped 330 ml brown bottle, best before date on label states 30/11/2013. Also noted is the list of ingredients: water, barley malt, hops, yeast, spices and candy. Noted for the inclusion of the latter 2 on the list.

Pours out a deep murky opaque brown, small beige head that quickly dissipates.

Sweet malt and brown sugar on the nose, candied dates, raisins, faint nutmeg.

Flavour is almost vinuous, green grapes, white raisins, dates, nutmeg, a mild woody nut husk, some sweet candi sugar. Not overly cohesive, nor impressive.

Mouthfeel is fairly light and watery at times, although there's some fullness on the finish.

A rather anti-climactic quad when all is said and done, hopefully it ages well and things come together a bit more over the years.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 23:13:08 | More by IronDjinn

bark

Sweden

3.3/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Vintage 2005.

The colour is dark brown, the liquid is clear. The low head is brown. No lacing.

The smell is heavy. Alcohol, dried fruits, Coca Cola, cinnamon, vanilla. Hints of oranges. It is overall quiet sweet.

The taste is a bit tart. Sweet notes of dried fruits. Toffee. It feels a bit tired and flat. Dried apples in the heavy and alcoholic finish.

The carbonation is light, the liquid is dry.

A beer with an extraordinary smell. Sadly, the taste feels a bit tired and old.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 11:15:51 | More by bark

ptykozoon

California

3.33/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Comment about 100th Review)
'06

Mahogony with a fizzly head that sizzles down slowly. Not really any lacing to mention.

Smell is nonexistent at first. I let it breathe, swirl it, warm it: nothing. Maybe some chocolate but it's a stretch.

Malt, chocolate, some belgian notes, floral stuff, raisin, a hint of cherries. Very subtle. Aged in Calvados bottles my ass. I love Calvados and got nothing. This beer has aged too long.

Lots of carbonation and moderate alcohol presence.

A pretty simple quad. Nothing really going on too much in this bottle..Looking forward to trying again sometime though, something must be off with some of these bottles.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 06:57:32 | More by ptykozoon

badbeer

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber red color with a tan head that quickly dissipates to a ring around the glass. Smell is of green apple, spices, and some wood. Taste consists of caramel, toffee, spices, clove, but this is also very metallic; even moreso than the regular reserva. Light bodied with a rather high carbonation. I'd try this again, but I don't know that I'd seek it out. It seems like I'd just stick with regular Pannepot over any of the reservas. Thanks to pepsican for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 03:59:37 | More by badbeer

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2009 rate.

12 oz. bottle, thanks Brad! Deep mahogany pour with really nice creamy lacing. Initial blast of single malt scotch whiskey. Toffee comes in quite a bit as it warms. Creamy and rich. A booziness can easily be detected from the get-go. The biggest weakness here is a strange astringent bitterness around the edges, which comes off as almost sour and simply doesn't belong in this brew. It's really rich, creamy, has a lot of nice components, but certainly didn't all seem to come together right. Not as good as the normal Pannepot.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2011 02:08:23 | More by JAXSON

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2005 Vintage into a small Chimay Chalice.

Pannepot Grand Reserva 2005 goes in the glass a medium hue of brown with some tree bark like colors. The cap is real thin with dark tannish film like appearance. Smell is old dark fruit with plum being the focus. Faint sour apple with some faded roasted malt scent. Some port like quality with grape and small fig. Cant really pick up the barrel, this is an old bottle here. Taste is way left field at this point, perhaps past the point of no return. Dark fruit and some tartness has taken on effect. It's different and pleasant but not what im looking for in a quad. Plum and some apple with grape, sour grapes, Port like flavors, calvados. This is far off from a normal quad. Feel is a big medium and the carb is tame, yet this leaves a tart zing when sipped. I vastly preferred the Pannepot Reserva to this 'grand' version. Perhaps I should try another bottle of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 03:45:39 | More by onix1agr

kingcrowing

Vermont

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

33cl bottle poured into a St. Bernardus chalice. 2005 vintage.

Pours a very dark brown, it's murky and a bit red on the edges. There's no head to speak of, just some light bubbles around the edges, but there was a pop when I opened it. Nose is very rich and malty, it's sweet and boozy. There are dark fruits and raisins, Belgian candy sugar is there as well.

Taste is a bit oaky/woody. There's raisins, sweet caramel malt and some sharp carbonation. There's lots of rich malts, a bit of dark chocolate, it's quite creamy and smooth with a fairly good mouthfeel. You get a tingling on your tongue afterwards from the alcohol and the sweet malts. It is strong and complex, but fairly easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 21:36:40 | More by kingcrowing

DaveHS

California

3.5/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2005

A-Pours deep burgundy with 3/4 inch of tan head. Leaves stringy, soapy lacing.

S-Stewed fruit, prunes, milk chocolate, French oak and vanilla extract. Very blunt and flat compared to the non barrel aged Pannepot.

T/M-Thin and mildly roasty, with flavors of milk chocolate and vanilla. Doesn't show its age like I thought it would. Less herbaceous than the regular Pannepot. The finish is dry and slightly boozy.

O-Not all I hoped it would be. You'd never know this was 6 years old. It seems the extensive barrel aging has stripped away Pannepot's nuances, leaving behind a perfectly average quadruppel.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 18:55:12 | More by DaveHS

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

sampled at a tasting-- side by side with an 07 pannepot and an 08 pannepot reserva.
This is a 2005 vintage.
Shared by khazaduhm-- aka justin beeber's stunt double.

Ahhhh the nose is nice. Little boozy hints of whiskey with rich oak and leather-- like my condo: It smells of rich mahogany and leather bound books. Walter Kronkite is a friends of mine... he comes by from time to time.
Little bite of vanilla from the oak... mmmm.
Some spices come through too.
This is oaky and spiced, with boozy vanilla notes.
As far as it goes, I think I prefer the regular Old Fisherman's Ale. I just love that beer.

Flavor is nice-- good finish that holds some sweetness still. Unlike the Reserva, the oaking hasn't entirely dried this beer out-- which I find to be nice.

Anyway... it's good.
Feel is solid. Firm and full body good carbonation.
Drinkability is really high.... but for my money, I'll take the regular version every time. The oaking adds some interesting aspects, but takes away a lot of those dark fruit notes and much of the sweetness that I love in the regular version.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 02:45:20 | More by AleWatcher

adkirkish

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grand Reserva (2005)

A: Sour, green apple up front, tart, w/ a light citrus hop aroma, no diacetyl, and a strong apple aroma presence. Belgian yeast presence.

A: Pours Medium to dark brown w/ no head, no lacing, and little to no visible carbonation/

F: Flavors of sour and tart upfront, belgian malt makes up most of the mid body w/ alcohol, and smoky notes on the finish. No hop presence.

M: Little to no carbonation, medium bodied, and finishes dry.

O: A good example of a strong belgian ale. The apple aroma is a good touch. I couldn't really pull out the oak aroma out of this beer. Perhaps lost over the maturation of this beer. I would not age this beer for more than 2 years due to loss of key belgian flavors in this sample.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 20:19:39 | More by adkirkish

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2005 vintage.

A: Brown, almost black, with deep ruby highlights; tan head has a thin ring of retention that leaves some lace.

S: Sour cherries, raisins, prunes, figs, light spicing, brown sugar & hints of cider.

T: Sour cherry, candied pineapple, raisin, fig, christmas cake like spicing, brown sugar, roasted nut, hints of cocao & molasses, definite wood in the finish, modest bitterness, warming alcohol.

M: Slight residual sweetness, a little tart acidity and a drying alcohol finish.

D: Decent, but I'm not fond of the sourness in this one.

Apparently it was aged in French Calvados oak... I liked Biergotter's better.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 01:37:26 | More by Derek

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Masterski for providing this gem. Alex is a great guy..

2005 Vintage on label.

Pours with a creamy tan 2 fingers of head that fades to a ¼ inch cap of foam. A deep brown shoe polish color with some orange tones at the edges. Not much in the lacing category.

The aroma reminds me of Coca-Cola. I keep smelling it and I keep coming back to that. There is certainly some dark fruit here, but Coke is where my brain keeps going.

Dark plum, rich deep malts start the show here. Then I get some figs mixed with a slight tartness. After the tartness fades I am left with a subtle molasses flavor and truly a little cola. (for the record, I haven't had a coke in a long time!)

Medium bodied, slick in your mouth and with tiny pin point carbonation.

This is pretty good, but I was hoping for a little more. The tart flavor held me back a bit to be honest. This is what happens sometimes when drinking an aged beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 00:16:28 | More by Reagan1984

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 750ml bottle (Vintage 2005) into a tulip glass. Pours cloudy dark/ruby-brown with a small, rocky, light brown head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, caramel, toffee), average hops (flowers, herbs), average yeast (horse blanket, earth, leaves) with notes of dates, vanilla, and cinnamon. Picked up alcohol smells as well. Taste of Beligan candy, bittwer sweet, oak, and champagne flavor. Full bodied, sticky texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Average duration, light sweetness, moderate acidity and bitterness. Too much of a barley wine / champagne beer for me. I gave it a name, "The Dark Champagne of Beers".

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 16:23:22 | More by CuriousMonk

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

2005 Vintage. Had to finally try this one after thoroughly enjoying the standard and Reserva versions. It pours a dark cherrywood topped by finger of dusty khaki foam. The nose comprises fig, brown sugar, toasted caramel, light oak, very light vanilla, dates, walnuts, dark fruit, very light cocoa, and a small touch of green apple. The taste holds notes of dark fruits, pear, oak, brown sugar, toffee, clove, light vanilla, and light white wine grapes. The fruitiness is a bit off-putting, particularly the sour-leaning pear and spicy grapes. The body is a straight medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a lightly grainy feel. Overall, it's a solid beer, but I think the barrel-aging detracts significantly from the great base by introducing a number of new flavors that clash with the pre-existing ones. Still pretty good, though, interestingly...

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 05:19:58 | More by TMoney2591

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

350mL bottle from the De Struise bottleshop. 2005 vintage. Drunk 10-10-12, reviewed from notes.

A: Coffee black. Thin creme lacing. No legs.

N: Plastic, biscuit, rose, alcohol. Raisins, plums, and prunes. Cola. Vanilla and tannins. Very complex and sweet.

T: Lots and lots of oak. Very biscuity with a touch of prune and raisin. Lots of bitter herb/cola. Rather surprised this isn't more sweet.

M: Not as quite as round and full as Pannepeut. Lots of alcohol here.

O: A solid beer, if not as good as it's brother. Worth a shot, but I'm not sure if this is better fresh.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 17:20:17 | More by writerLJBerg

OlieIPA

California

3.75/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2 oz. bottle into a Stone IRS glass at approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit

A: Pours highly carbonated and a translucent brown into the glassware, where it then forms a cream colored momentarily. A few rigorous swirls invite the head back, but again, this aspect sinks quickly back into the body of the beer.

S: This beer entices the nose with blueberry, blackberry and oak off at first, but then follows through with some brown sugar, spice and apple-like characteristics.

T: Not as deep and rich in flavor as other Quad's I've run into, but the flavor profile very balance and pleasant to drink. A lot dark fig and spice character that is rounded out by a sugary consistency and flavor that I can't quite figure out. The oak character is robust and easy to detect as well, but compliments the other components within the flavor profile.

M: Probably the thing I disliked the most; very thin and overly carbonated. I think more body would have enhanced and brought forth more flavors that this beer obviously has, but is mask by this fact.

D: Again, not as rich and bountiful as others within the style, but I found it quite easy to drink. Especially for a 10% ABV beer!

Overall: A good beer, but if I were to introduce someone to this style, I would probably go with something else. A try it beer. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 22:54:30 | More by OlieIPA

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I believe this bottle came from wildone as part of CanBIF 5. If not - apologies.

Pours a ruddy brown with a creamy tan head, which eventually fades to a wispy covering. The aroma contains raisin, brown sugar and spice. The body is as you would expect - medium carb and weight. Raisins also come through strong in the flavour, as well as there non-dried, still on the vine counterparts. Beyond this there's layers of toffee, brown sugar and red wine. Its certainly a very juicy quad, perhaps too much so, and I have yet to be really impressed by De Struise.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 01:45:10 | More by bobsy

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.85/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2005 grand reserva, definitely excited to try this.

Appearance:
Jet black with little head or carbonation. In the light the beer actually becomes a very dark brown. Quad-tastic, and it does not look watery.

Smell:
Tons of dark stone fruits, grape and some oak. A strong alcohol also mixes in, but it's subtle and masked.

Taste:
Some chocolatey fruits and a a little wood. This beer isn't nearly as rich as I had anticipated. The aftertaste is tobacco and lots of over-ripe fruit.

Mouthfeel:
This beer is a little hot with alcohol, but provides a lot of tasty fruit as well. The Belgian yeast doesn't come though as much as with other quads, but I'm assuming it's because there is so much going on with the barrel aging. It becomes significantly sweeter when it warms up

Overall:
This beer was quite overpriced, but still tasty. I would have liked to grab a 4 pack of 3 philosophers and allow it to age a couple years instead. Worth tasting, and I grabbed a few for down the road... So we'll see what happens

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 04:07:35 | More by ThePorterSorter

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. 2008 on the label. DFH signature glass.

A: Dark and murky brown. Sediment present and visible. Light crown of tan cream colored head.

S: Sweet smelling. A bit of leather, a bit of oak. Difficult to pinpoint the exact profiles. Very well blended.

T: Brown sugar, caramelized dark fruits with a touch of the oak. the 10% alcohol is very well hidden.

M: medium bodied with light carb. Perhaps a little light, but nothing to complain of.

O: A fine brew and probably at it's peak given the vintage (debatable for sure). Would gladly try another but wouldn't seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 02:47:14 | More by Beerontwowheels

domtronzero

California

3.88/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark mahogony brownish colored, murky, with a short long lasting tannish head. Tons of lacing left throughout.

S - Faint sweet pilsner malts, dark stone fruits, and a very light pleasant alcohol aroma.

F/M - Again, light candy pils malt sweetness, with a bready character. Dark fruity esters are noticeable and ligering. Medium low bitterness with a semi dry finish. Light oaky flavor. Alcohol is light and helps cleanse the palate. Lingering sweet dark fruit flavor.

D - This is a good beer, rich and complex. Rather easy drinking with a nice balance of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 04:48:05 | More by domtronzero

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

33cl bottle.

It pours a slightly reddish brown with not too much head.

You wouldn't have to tell me this was aged in Calvados barrels. It is full on with the calvados scent. I think it kind of detracts form this brew which is one of the best of all time. There is also a lot of basic dark fruit. Some of the original qualities of the beer have been masked. It still smells pretty good though.

The flavor is rich and complex. Lots of caramel and oak. There is also dark fruit, calvados, and dark malt.

I prefer the Reserva, though this is a fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 02:47:02 | More by crossovert