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Kwak
Brouwerij Bosteels


- From:
- Brouwerij Bosteels
- Belgium
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Strong Ale
Ranked #126 - ABV:
- 8.4%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #20,645 - Avg:
- 3.8 | pDev: 12.89%
- Reviews:
- 769
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Thursday at 06:34 PM
- Added:
- Jun 30, 2001
- Wants:
- 72
- Gots:
- 435
In Napoleon’s time Pauwel Kwak was a brewer and owner of the ‘De Hoorn’ inn in Dendermonde. Mail coaches stopped there every day. But at that time coachmen were not allowed to leave their coach and horses in order to have their thirst quenched along with their passengers. As a result, the inventive innkeeper had a special Kwak glass blown that could be hung on the coach.
In this way the coachman had his Kwak beer safely at hand. Today Kwak is one of the few remaining historic Belgian beers and is still served with respect for tradition in its original kwak glass. Recognizable, special and just as idiosyncratic as the taste of the beer itself.
Kwak is a traditional strong Belgian amber ale, a perfect blend of malt and hops with a great complexity of flavour.
In this way the coachman had his Kwak beer safely at hand. Today Kwak is one of the few remaining historic Belgian beers and is still served with respect for tradition in its original kwak glass. Recognizable, special and just as idiosyncratic as the taste of the beer itself.
Kwak is a traditional strong Belgian amber ale, a perfect blend of malt and hops with a great complexity of flavour.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Hephaistos from Netherlands
3.45/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Not sure how you can call this a pale ale. Poured from a 330ml bottle at around 6-7 degrees in a kind of tullip tumbler.
It is morelike a belgian Double.
Ambre beer, pretty, a bit high in carbonation, small bubble, but very low on the foam and bad retention. 1-2 finger head, white head disolving soon.
Beautiful ambre colour. small bubbles, a bit of life in there.
Smell is like almonds. Bit of gingerbread.
Mouthfeel smooth, good balance in between sweet and bitter, with a bit a herby, bitter aftertaste.
On the lable it says there was corn added to this and some not natural carbonation.
I think both additions are a bit a work around for a not too well made beer. Something off making this short of a top rating.
The the end result is an acceptable beer though.
Thursday at 06:34 PMIt is morelike a belgian Double.
Ambre beer, pretty, a bit high in carbonation, small bubble, but very low on the foam and bad retention. 1-2 finger head, white head disolving soon.
Beautiful ambre colour. small bubbles, a bit of life in there.
Smell is like almonds. Bit of gingerbread.
Mouthfeel smooth, good balance in between sweet and bitter, with a bit a herby, bitter aftertaste.
On the lable it says there was corn added to this and some not natural carbonation.
I think both additions are a bit a work around for a not too well made beer. Something off making this short of a top rating.
The the end result is an acceptable beer though.
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
3.89/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.89/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The pour is amber colored which I'm sort of surprised by because this style of beer usually pours a golden color. The body is medium & the taste is honey, spice, white bread, & mild caramel. Cheers! B
Oct 06, 2023Reviewed by KleinSchwein
2.53/5 rDev -33.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
2.53/5 rDev -33.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
From notes.
Poured from a 330ml bottle.
Pours a reddish brown with an off beige, short lived tight bubbled head. The smell is of caramel , malt , fruitiness and alcohol. The taste is rich and strongly of alcohol , too much for me . Honey and malt fight in the background but they're hard to notice because of the overriding taste of alcohol. The mouthfeel is warm from the alcohol, thick and syrupy, unpleasantly so . Overall this beer is way too forward on the taste of alcohol, every other flavour is overridden and it tastes way stronger than its already ample 8.4%. Some beers can be strong and subtle about it , this isn't one of them . Disappointed.
Aug 24, 2023Poured from a 330ml bottle.
Pours a reddish brown with an off beige, short lived tight bubbled head. The smell is of caramel , malt , fruitiness and alcohol. The taste is rich and strongly of alcohol , too much for me . Honey and malt fight in the background but they're hard to notice because of the overriding taste of alcohol. The mouthfeel is warm from the alcohol, thick and syrupy, unpleasantly so . Overall this beer is way too forward on the taste of alcohol, every other flavour is overridden and it tastes way stronger than its already ample 8.4%. Some beers can be strong and subtle about it , this isn't one of them . Disappointed.
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania
4.07/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The clear pint glass is nearly filled from a tap. There's about a quarter of an inch of light tan head on top of a beautiful dark copper-amber liquid. It straddles the middle zone between translucent and opaque, but it's not cloudy. The aroma is malty, yeasty and hoppy, in that order. That's the taste, too, but with a heavy dose of Belgian-style esters in addition. There's also a hit of alcohol the nose didn't smell coming. The malt is its best feature, then it gets to be too much of a mouthful. It's rather viscose, even for a Belgian ale and the taste of alcohol is distracting. To be fair, this is in the 8% plus ABV category. This is an institution onto itself and for that reason, a must try, especially when it's on tap. Lovers of the Belgian style should like this even more
Aug 18, 2023Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota
4.01/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
330ml bottle. Bottling date marked on label is '07/01/2021', with a suggested best by date two years hence (07/01/20230, so a little past best by.
Clear, medium amber colored body. One thin finger of light beige head. Later this is an island and a ring. No lacing.
Aroma is green apple, raisin, fig, and toffee.
Taste is rich toffee, raisin, fig, date, and green apple. All sit on a base of dark sour bread. Sweet but has a sour note. Some spice in the aftertaste.
Smooth and silky mouth feel. Alcohol ABV% is warming. Quiet carbonation.
Balance of fruit and toffee, with a sour bread note. Enjoyable mouth feel.
Aug 11, 2023Clear, medium amber colored body. One thin finger of light beige head. Later this is an island and a ring. No lacing.
Aroma is green apple, raisin, fig, and toffee.
Taste is rich toffee, raisin, fig, date, and green apple. All sit on a base of dark sour bread. Sweet but has a sour note. Some spice in the aftertaste.
Smooth and silky mouth feel. Alcohol ABV% is warming. Quiet carbonation.
Balance of fruit and toffee, with a sour bread note. Enjoyable mouth feel.
Reviewed by Beersnake1 from California
4.06/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 750ml bottle at fridge temp. A few chunks came out with the pour. Not a ton of head, but some. Color is a medium brown with a hint of red. The nose is rich toffee, dark bread, figs, sherry, raisins, and a bit of apple. Really smooth.
The taste generally follows the nose. Very malty. Rye bread, Belgian yeast, toffee, bitter oak, raisins, almost a hint of citrus peel, and lots of plums and dates. Very enjoyable. Sweet, but not too sweet.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly sweet aftertaste. Overall, really glad I got to try this.
Jul 16, 2023The taste generally follows the nose. Very malty. Rye bread, Belgian yeast, toffee, bitter oak, raisins, almost a hint of citrus peel, and lots of plums and dates. Very enjoyable. Sweet, but not too sweet.
The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly sweet aftertaste. Overall, really glad I got to try this.
Rated by NCSapiens from Indiana
3.99/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Interesting yeast and malt with a lot of character and a cool glass.
Jul 11, 2023Reviewed by kdd230 from England
3.67/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
330ml. bottle in Vientiane, Laos.Pours a clear amber colour with a small white head. Aroma of bread, yeast, toasted malt. Taste of spice, alcohol, malt, Balanced sweetness with a small amount of bitterness. Average carbonation. Very pleasant.
May 17, 2023Rated by sokol_1993 from California
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got one in Paris. Quite a good beer, a mouthful of taste, but quite heavy, so it's an after dinner drink :)
Apr 28, 2023Reviewed by mikeinportc from New York
4.17/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bottled 5/11/2020, so ~9 1/2 months after the 2yr BB suggestion . Let warm to almost room temperature [58F, +/-]
Deep orangey-copper, with light, quickly-dissipating light tan head.
Smell is mix of dried fruit (prune + fig+ date?), a little toffee & caramel, and a slightly boozy almost-brandy aroma.
Taste is brown bread (as in the base bread of gingerbread) , toffee, date, fig, and finishing with a bit spiciness (coriander,allspice,black pepper?) . Light bitterness. Didn't get any banana or orange that's in the description on the bottle.
Feel is smooth, and slightly slick, with light, very,very fine carbonation tingle.Light drying after-effect.
Overall, pretty good. Not an everyday sort of thing , but one I'd gladly have again , occasionally.
Seems as though it'd be a good dessert/after-meal sipper. (I'm having it before. ;) )
Though it's old, by the brewer's standard, still quite good. I'd like to try one fresh for comparison,.
If Orval [which I'm -rDev% on] was a bit fruitier, and sweeter, it might be like this.
Mar 18, 2023Deep orangey-copper, with light, quickly-dissipating light tan head.
Smell is mix of dried fruit (prune + fig+ date?), a little toffee & caramel, and a slightly boozy almost-brandy aroma.
Taste is brown bread (as in the base bread of gingerbread) , toffee, date, fig, and finishing with a bit spiciness (coriander,allspice,black pepper?) . Light bitterness. Didn't get any banana or orange that's in the description on the bottle.
Feel is smooth, and slightly slick, with light, very,very fine carbonation tingle.Light drying after-effect.
Overall, pretty good. Not an everyday sort of thing , but one I'd gladly have again , occasionally.
Seems as though it'd be a good dessert/after-meal sipper. (I'm having it before. ;) )
Though it's old, by the brewer's standard, still quite good. I'd like to try one fresh for comparison,.
If Orval [which I'm -rDev% on] was a bit fruitier, and sweeter, it might be like this.
Rated by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.91/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Splendid looking beer. Aroma is a little off, but the swell doesn't translate to the taste or finish. Nice beer.
Feb 05, 2023Reviewed by BeerGeekExtraordinaire from Illinois
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Love this beer. Poured into a Kwak glass.
I get the aroma of a lot of sweetness. The aroma to me reminds me of a Belgian tripel. It seems to me has an aroma of Belgian sugar.
Medium mouthfeel. It's not light but it's not a stout either. Caramel notes and notes of dates. It's a sweet beer yes but not cloying.
Just a really fun and enjoyable beer
Jan 27, 2023I get the aroma of a lot of sweetness. The aroma to me reminds me of a Belgian tripel. It seems to me has an aroma of Belgian sugar.
Medium mouthfeel. It's not light but it's not a stout either. Caramel notes and notes of dates. It's a sweet beer yes but not cloying.
Just a really fun and enjoyable beer
Kwak from Brouwerij Bosteels
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
1925 ratings
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