Here's Belg-a-Rama 7 Beer #6, Pauwel Kwak from Brouwerij Bosteels. Another one that I could swear I've had in bottles many years ago, but only reviewed for the first time when I tapped it first at the Nile, November of 2005.
(Wrong! I wrote this from a bottle in January 2003: "Hazy light brown in color, smallish creamy tan head. Soft, spicy nose, sweet with notes of caramel, toffee, chocolate. Utterly delicious, there's no other way to describe it. Nice texture, slightly chewy, full of sweet malt, tingly hops. Really hides the 8% well, I didn't feel the alcohol at all. Soft, sensual, sublime.")
Memory fails when I try to determine whether this was new in kegs at the time, locally. I think it was. Also unusual is this mysterious smoke flavor that came through in this one. We went through 3 30 Liter kegs the first time, and they all had this atypical quality. Read it and you'll get more information on this. One thing stands out, is the lack of discussion of caramel malt, when I wrote these notes. That's the biggest thing I get these days, nice undercurrent of bitterness, great balance of sweet malt, spice, and bitter.
The smoke thing really resonates lately, as it's one of my pet peeves, lately, hearing "smokey" as a descriptor for beers that aren't. I think these people have heard "Smokey" being used, don't know what it really should be, and throw it out when they might mean "roasty" or "chewy" "deep" or "viscous."It's over-used and inappropriately used. In this case, I used it right, and Lanny identified it as well.
Sitting down to write about this one fresh, I'd have something different to say, of course, and, yet, here I am sharing that 5 1/2 years old review with you, for old times sake, what the heck. Here it is:
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In the beaker glass, and the stirrup holder, expertly poured by that consummate professional feloniousmonk at the Blue Nile. Thanks, Al! Cheerio, muchacho!
Appearance: a hazed amber hue, under a milky layer of foam, rather slight, but sure, and leaving a lasting ring.
Aroma: Sweetness, fruit (apples, melons, cherry), malt, hop....a rosy nose, with a slice of spice. Glimmer of smokey character as well. (Note: when this keg was first tapped, my first impression was smoked peppers, and the smoke comment came from others as well. Odd, in that I never got a hint of it in a bottle, but here it was, very evident from the tap. Toward the end of the keg, it's smaller, but still there.)
(Additional note: the importer of Kwak told me this may be a result of the brewery's new equipment, and our kegs were from the first batch brewed in it. He also sampled some himself and remarked on the smokey flavor, something he'd never tasted before. So, Smokey Kwak, only at the Blue Nile while supplies last!)
Taste: smoked peppers, smoked anything comes largest, and after that, a unique mix of fruit and spice, more from malt than from hops. This never wavers throughout the tasting.
Medium bodied, supple mouthfeel, unremitting tastiness, quenching, and utterly drinkable, at the very least. A bit more grain becomes clearer toward the end, herbal, but never coming close to the dominance of the fruit, the malt, and the smokey spice.
"Unique" is a word that just keeps coming up when it comes to this one. Not just from me, but from all over, and, you know, I like that.
Here's to Pauwel, his kooky beer, and his wacky glass. Towards the end I have to chug-a-lug a bit more to get it out from the bottom of the bulb. Gurgle, gurgle, goes the smokey sweet beer.
Ah...
Ain't life grand?
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