Weekend Brews - Week 35 - It's Raining Beer!

It's Friday, and perhaps it isn't raining beer exactly, but it is raining, and I am drinking beer. There's a connection somewhere.

Yes, that's right folks, it's time for another installment of Weekend Brews. For week 35, I decided to once again take my taste buds on a trip to Belgium. I present to you the delicious beer know as Pauwel Kwak brewed by the Family Brewery Bosteels in Buggenhout, Belgium ... try saying that 10 ten times fast. Wowsers.

Now, from what I've seen online, and on the wikipedia page about this brew, it should be served in a special "hourglass" shaped vessel that is held up by a wooden stand. Right ... well I don't have one, so I'm drinking it out of the fanciest stemware I own, so there ya go.

The beer pours a dark amber color into the glass, the color of dark cherries. A beautiful eggshell white head quickly appears and disappears in a matter of seconds. The aroma is intriguing ... a sugary morning breakfast bread smell with a hint of banana, honey and alcohol.

The flavor is a mixture of sweetness (there's that honey note again) and a little touch of bitterness. I'm not getting much of a malt sweetness though, it really does have an aroma and flavor that would make a big bear smile.

The mouthfeel of this beer is smooth and buttery with some light carbonation as it slides down the gullet. Very nice. It may be a strong ale at 8.0 ABV, but you would never know it at first taste.

The Pauwel Kwak is a very good Belgian beer. On a Friday night while dealing with the power going in and out during a tropical storm it's a great little comfort beverage. If you enjoy the flavors of Belgium (and how could you not?), I recommend picking up a bottle. It's a 750 ml, and you can get it at Dorn's here in Gainesville.



So enjoy the storm my Florida friends, and you might as well have a few to pass the time.

Op uw gezonheid!

Overall score for Pauwel Kwak: 4.25 out 5.0

And now it's time for a slice of this ...