I had received this bottle of Pauwel Kwak shortly after the new year as a belated Christmas gift. Beer, no matter how far past the occasion, is still an excellent gift by me. After deciding not to have it until the weather warmed up, the Belgian Strong Pale waited patiently in the basement.
Finally, with much anticipation I finally opened it up with the wife one late evening last month.
Appearance
I don’t have the traditional glass that was created specifically for this beer so my Duvel chalice had to do. The beer is a lovely golden amber with ruby hues. It’s quite active and with light sediment. The head was fluffy and white.
Aroma
This beer simply smells wonderful. There’s a bit of caramel sweetness and fruits. There’s also a little something else that I can’t quite place my finger on. It’s sort of reminiscent of creme soda, but nothing like that — if that makes any sense at all.
Taste
It’s got the nice candy sweetness of Belgian beers with a mild hoppiness. Malts dominate the palette for the most part, but are accompanied by a bit of banana and a little honey. That creme soda impression still lingers in my mind. There’s a nice warming bit of alcohol heat, but it’s subtle.
Overall
This truly is a unique brew. I love Belgian beer and haven’t run across anything like this before. It’s thoroughly drinkable and memorable. I will be keeping my eyes out for it in the future.
Rating: 4/5
