Pauwel Kwak

Pauwel Kwak

This is the first review of my Belgium imported beer collection and the reason for this was my lack of excitement for drinking it. Although I had seen many people in Bruges drinking this beer out of its unique traditional glass I was not overly intrigued to try it, so instead decided to bring a bottle home so that I could really break it down.

To explain this beer in one word is easy …….. It is PUNCHY. This beer packs a serious amount of alcohol, measuring in at whopping 8.4%, which to us Brits is only really seen within the hand of a tramp in the form of special brew. However this should not take anything away from this beer, especially since in Belgium where it is tradition to brew beers with a higher alcohol percentage.

Like any beer testing the first thing to check out is the appearance. This beer is of an amber appearance, which I would best describe as a muddy orange without the mugginess, as this beer is clear with limited carbonation. The head retention was minimal however this was probably due to my inability to pour and the fact that I was not serving it the traditional way . The traditional way of serving this beer in Belgium (as seen below) is in fact very distinctive, which makes it a very popular beer among tourists.

Pauwel Kwak, served in its traditional glass

Moving onto the aroma, which to me is the most exciting part of tasting a beer, not only does it kick start the drink but it gives you subtle hints about what you are about to taste. Pauwel Kwak has a real punchy aroma that is intriguing while very simple. It has a sweet malt aroma with a hint of yeast, however these scents are overpowered by the strong smell of alcohol, which gives the beer a real rugged aroma.

Now onto the taste, which is where this beer really comes alive. As you could imagine from the aroma alcohol is the first flavour you are going to taste and as a matter of fact it will be the last flavour you taste. There is no real depth or variety of flavour and although there is a subtle sweet finish the malts and hop flavours are lacking as the alcohol flushes them out. The real shock of this beer however came in the mouthful; considering its unassuming appearance it is extremely carbonated, packing your mouth full of excitable bubbles, which only manages to intensify the alcohol flavour.

Although I did not overly enjoy this beer I did not dislike it. Pauwel Kwak had enough to keep me on my toes while wanting to taste more. I would recommend this beer to the more rugged individual who likes to feel the hairs on their chest rise.

BEST SERVED … with a pint of testosterone.