In my house, we have a saying. “You don’t have a drink because you had a bad day, you have a drink because you want too, dammit!” These are good words to live by. And this particular Saturday, I knew I was going to come home and want a drink. Problem was, I was working all day and couldn’t make a run to get a beer.
That’s where my beautiful wife comes into the picture. She sent me a text asking what kind of a beer I was looking for and I told her anything Belgian sounded good. A few minutes later, I started receiving text messages about how excited she was because of the beer she selected. She was excited for good reason as I came home to beer number 39, Pauwel Kwak from Family Brewery Bosteels.
Pauwel Kwak, which I’m not sure I’m pronouncing right, is one amazing Belgian ale. And, since it’s from Belgium, it is an actual Belgian ale, not a Belgian-style ale. And one would expect the Belgian’s to get their own beer right, which is what the folks at Bosteel did.
And I’m not surprised, they’ve had a few hundred years to perfect this particular beer. There are a few anecdotes on their website that reference back to the times of Napolean. Yeah, it’s that old. But let’s avoid a history lesson and talk about this great beer.
My one request to the wife was that she pick out a beer that’s fitting for fall. And she nailed it. Pauwel Kwak pours to a nice, dark amber color and has a wonderful, malty yet spicy smell with a hint of fruit. But, as always, it’s the first taste that really sells you on this beer.
The best comparison I could make to some of the local beers is that Pauwel Kwak holds similar qualities to Cuir and Autumn Maple. Actually, it’s probably the other way around given the history of this beer. To complete that comparison, Pauwel Kwak holds the spice and fruits you smell through to the taste. What’s more than that, it also coats your tongue with a little maltiness.
It really is just a superb beer. And I owe it all to my wonderful wife, who truly is 52′s Fave. Speaking of “52′s Faves,” I’m adding this beer to that list while also giving it a “Thumb’s Up.” Do yourself a favor and pop the cork off this bottle on a crisp autumn day. You’ll thank me, and my wife.
[...] fitting beer for my current line of “fall like” beers that I started last week with the Pauwel Kwak. My other two choices also came from Allagash. I strongly considered the Trippel as well as the [...]