REVIEW 118: PAUWEL KWAK

Not the usual glass of choice for Kwak.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  Belgium

BREWERY:  Brouwerij Bosteels

STYLE:  Strong Ale

ABV:  8.4%

PURCHASE:  Draft (pint), $11.50

SERVING:  Pint glass--disappointing, as I was looking forward to the distinctive "Kwak" glass. The bartender said they were out of them. In the pint and from the tap, this had no head at all on the first beer, and literally one wispy layer on the second, which promptly vanished as you can probably imagine. WTF?

APPEARANCE:  Burnt/rusty copper body that looks more like apple cider than beer, especially with the absence of head. Transparent but bordering upon translucent. No visible bubbling and no lacing either.

BOUQUET:  No complaints here. Fruity and malty with a bit of floral hop presence for good measure. Hints at spice--seems to be orange zest more than anything else--as well as other hefeweizen-style aromas like banana. Perhaps a bit of caramel.

PALATE:  Medium to slightly heavy body with average carbonation. Dark fruit is most prominent up front, giving way to a malty mid-palate. Hops are minimal. Finish brings on rising banana and orange zest notes--I was right--combined with other "hefe-spices" like clove and coriander. Rich and yeasty aftertaste that seems characterized by appleskin.

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Truthfully, a bit of a letdown. And not just because I didn't get to drink out of the famed--or infamous?--Kwak glass.

The NFL season kicked off tonight, so here's the analogy I'll use: Jimmy Garoppolo. Who is Jimmy Garoppolo? He's the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots . . . until Tom Brady returns from his suspension. So far, in limited action, Garoppolo has looked promising, and he broke Tony Romo's school records while under center for Eastern Illinois. The Patriots will likely still win more than they lose with Garoppolo calling the signals. But he still ain't Brady.

And Pauwel Kwak is no St. Bernardus.




GRADE:  B-