Tag Archives: strong dark ale

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva Cask Strength Calvados BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. Cask strength limited edition with medium carbonation

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our barrel room is housing more barrels each year. As our team does not grow as quick as our barrel total, it is needless to say our barrel aged beers are also aging longer. This batch has already 5 years in Calvados barrel aging, and we’re very happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.78
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2011 vintage, cask strength limited edition, bottled on 25th February 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour, with a thin beige head that disappeared quickly, while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Dark fruit, plum, grape, calvados, apple, caramel, and slight chocolate notes on the finish.
Taste: Sweet, brown sugar, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, calvados, apple, caramel, and bitter chocolate on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: There was close to no carbonation even though it says medium carbonation on the bottle. It’s not bad without the carbonation, but I definitely preferred some. I also preferred the cognac barrel over this calvados barrel that was aged extra long. Not sure if it was aged too long or what, but the cognac barrel added some complexity in the aroma and taste, that I’m not finding here.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva Cognac BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. A Dark Strong Ale from Flanders

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark strong ale, Cognac barrel aged for 2 years.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2018 vintage, bottled on 3rd November 2020, with a best before date of bottled date +5 years. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin half finger beige head that had decent retention while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, cola, dark fruit, plum, licorice, clove, cognac, with slightly roasty chocolate and coffee in the background.
Taste: Moderate sweetness, cola, cognac, caramel, dark dried fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, dates, with light bitter chocolate notes on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation.
Overall: The cognac barrel worked well to create a complex, nice and enjoyable sipper.

3 - Indifferent (might buy, probably drink), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Reserva Cask Strength Makers Mark BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10.1%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. Cask strength limited edition with low carbonation

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Our barrel room is housing more barrels each year. As our team does not grow as quick as our barrel total, it is needless to say our barrel aged beers are also aging longer. This batch has already 4 years of bourbon barrel aging, and we’re very happy with the outcome. Enjoy!

My rating: 3
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.84
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.6

Intro: A 375ml bottle, 2012 vintage, bottled on 25th February 2016. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Sweet-ish dried fruit, dark fruit, plum, prunes, raisin, bourbon, brown sugar, red wine grape, slightly vinous, oak, with notes of chocolate and toffee.
Taste: Sweet dark fruit, very lightly tart, plum, prunes, raisin, light bourbon, oak, with chocolate and caramel notes and a very slight char like bitterness on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with extremely low to no carbonation.
Overall: For 4 years in a bourbon barrel, I was hoping for stronger barrel character. I also prefer having some carbonation, and I know the bottle says it has ‘low carbonation’ but actually my feeling is that it’s pretty much next to no carbonation.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, De Struise Brouwers

De Struise Pannepot Reserva Bourbon BA

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Brewery: De Struise Brouwers
Country: Belgium
ABV: 10%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: 27 IBUs. A Dark Strong Ale from Flanders

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark strong ale, bourbon barrel aged Pannepot Reserva.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.21
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 2018 vintage, bottled on 22nd July 2020, with a best before date of 21st July 2025. Poured into a De Struise tulip glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin beige head that disappeared quickly while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Sweet malt, doughy, clove, fig, candied plum, prunes, candi sugar, toffee, bourbon.
Taste: Sweet, bourbon, dark fruit, fig, plum, raisin, prunes, candi sugar, with maybe slight notes of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: An enjoyable sipper. I think the Bourbon BA helped it a bit and was not overly done.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Belgium, Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar

De Dochter van de Korenaar Embrasse

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Brewery: Brouwerij De Dochter van de Korenaar
Country: Belgium
ABV: 9%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Other Notes: A beer to embrace. Belgian Strong Dark Ale / Stout

Brewer Description: (from website) An intense heavy dark beer with 9% vol. Embrasse is a heavy dark beer that is perfectly in between a heavy dark Abbey / Trappist beer and a Stout / Porter. The beer combines roasted malt and coffee / chocolate aspects with a pleasantly light fruitiness of dried subtropical fruits. Bittersweet flavors go together with a pronounced creamy mouthfeel and make drinking this beer to an exceptional delight for lovers of heavy dark beers. Pleasant with a traditional cheese & sausage board / selection of hard piquant cheese.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.99
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 330ml bottle with a notched best before date of August 2023. Poured into a Chimay goblet glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a half finger beige head that dissipated fairly quickly to a replenishing cap, while leaving some lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, bread dough and perhaps a touch nutty.
Taste: Roasted malts, coffee, cocoa, dark chocolate, bittersweet, with very light notes of plum.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Enjoyable, balanced and easy to drink.