Struise make some of our favourite barrel aged beers, but owing to limited availability (and cost), we don’t often get to feature them in our monthly beer packs. But the stars have aligned, and we get to present this little beauty this month.
Pannepot is the beer Struise first gained recognition for, soon after starting off as and is the base beer for a multitude of barrel aged versions. It is a spiced strong dark ale that has been nicknamed the Old Fisherman’s Ale, brewed in recognition of the dark beer favoured by the seasoned fishermen of French village of Panne.
This iteration was brewed in 2019 and then spent three years aging in a mix of wine and port barrels. And its no surprise that the aroma of this beer is all about the barrels. Lots of sweet red wine character, ripe berries and a touch of woody funk.
The flavour is also initially dominated by the red wine and port flavours. Sweet and thick, with raisins and berries, but in behind that is the Pannepot itself. A rich dark malty body with dark chocolate, caramel, plum, raisin, wood and a slight herbal acidity.
This beer has slept the whole period over which Covid played out but is now primed and ready for your drinking pleasure. Be sure to let it sit for a while if it has come from the fridge. You will get a lot more out of the flavours as it warms and opens up.
by Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs
A lovely Belgian strong dark ale, balancing sweetness and bitterness so well
by Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs
A strong dark ale full of dark fruits, caramel malts and a gentle hop and yeast spiciness
by Brouwerij der Trappistenabdij de Achelse Kluis
A classic strong dark ale from one of Belgium's renowned Trappist Monastery breweries.
A Belgian Strong Dark Ale aged in both sherry and whiskey barrels
A strong dark winter beer which uses old whiskey barrels to impart an added dimension and depth of flavour
An intriguing dark ale, brewed with spices (ginger, coriander & cardamom)
A dark beer that was the first beer produced by the De Dolle brewery
A Belgian strong dark ale brewed with star anise and orange peel
The most well-known of the Golden Carolus beers is the 'Classic' - a beautifully balanced Belgian strong dark ale of 8.5% ABV
Gouden Carolus' Cuvee Van De Keizer Imperial Dark Ale infused with Het Anker's single malt whisky
A flavoursome strong dark ale, at the top of the abbey beer hierarchy
by Brouwerij Hoegaarden (AB-InBev)
The 'Forbidden Fruit' is a delicious balance of ripe fruits, sweet malts, earthy hops and gentle spicing
A tasty beer somewhere between a Belgian Dubbel style and a Belgian Strong Dark Ale
A Belgian Strong Dark Ale with the addition of caramel sugar and orange peel
A dark winter beer that has torrefied barley and a pinch of cinnamon amount the ingredients
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
The lesser-known dark beer from Brasserie Achouffe
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
The winter seasonal offering from the Chouffe brewery
The best features of a traditional strong ale, and the added earthiness of noble hops used in abundance
A solid malty backbone balanced by a good level of hop bitterness
The famous Old Fisherman's Ale from Struise is a spiced strong dark ale
The 2019 version of Pannepot aged in bourbon barrels
Struise's spiced strong dark ale Pannepot, matured in Bordeaux barriques for a full 4 years
A Belgian strong dark ale with smoked malt and grilled cherries
A strong dark Belgian ale created from 6 different malts, slightly spiced and with a little honey
A double IPA from Struise, originally made for De Molen's Borefts beer festival as a tribute to De Molen Vuur & Vlam
More like a traditional quadrupel than the Pannepot; brewed for the Dutch market.
One of the best Belgian beers you'll ever taste - so much flavour it's impossible to describe.
Beer number two in the Black Damnation series
A massive barley wine aged in Bordeaux French oak barrels that were previously home to Swiss red wine
The sister-beer to Pannepot, this quadrupel was first made for the Danish market
The famous Old Fisherman's Ale from Struise is a spiced strong dark ale
The 2019 version of Pannepot aged in bourbon barrels
Struise's spiced strong dark ale Pannepot, matured in Bordeaux barriques for a full 4 years
A dark blond quadrupel that has been aged in both St Emilion wine barrels and Kentucky Bourbon barrels
An amber ale brewed with barley, wheat and oats and finished with a little Belgian candi sugar.
A delicious dark quadruple aged for three years in Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrels
A big Belgian quadruped aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels for two years
The Struise Tsjeeses is their blond-amber Christmas seasonal beer, with this 2014 vintage being aged in Bourbon barrels
Another masterpiece from Struise, a blonde Christmas Ale full of flavours that come through in layers.
A cracking seasonal blond-amber Christmas beer from De Struise Brouwers
Struise's winter seasonal offering - a 10% strong blond spiced ale
