I suppose if all the hate directed at Leffe is really deserved, this is the beer that ought to take it on the chin to the greatest extent. As a fan of several Leffe beers (that gets me lots of stick), even in my sympathetic eyes, this is a weak offering. The reddish, rose, pinkish tainted pour offers a decent head and lace (considering what this is), and as long as you a ready for what it is, there’s little to complain about here. Nose gives some light sweetness. Tastes are those of a fruity...
Notes on beers brewed by
Abbaye de Leffe S.A.
Leffe
Leffe Rituel 9°
Leffe gets plenty of abuse from plenty of beer snobs, but if those folks are being honest, it’s really hard to knock the appearance of almost any of their offerings. Rituel 9° is no exception, and it looks resplendent in the Leffe glass. A beautifully clear, deep golden colored body sits underneath a white head that’s better than average, and that leaves good lace. It's also decently persistent. Pretty. There's a lot of deep-seated, estery fruit in the nose, coupled with a touch of alcohol....
Leffe Biere d’Hiver (Winter)
This is one of the prettiest beers that I've seen in a while. A truly deep red-brown pour, with a great head and some fantastic lace. Bone white layers are left behind in the glass. Unfortunately, the look is the high-water mark for it. The beer drinks very light, considering the style and the look. That's both a good and a bad thing. It makes the beer drinkable and easy, but TBH it really lacks the depth that it should have, and that either style (see below) demands. Plenty of caramel, plenty...
Leffe Tripel
Another beer that I enjoy, but also one that many purists frown upon. Is it a classic Tripel? Some would say no, and perhaps prefer to categorize this a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, but for me it has enough Tripel character to carry the beer through, and to keep it relatively stylistically true. Hazed, golden color pour. Nice, lively head. Sweet, candy esters meet the nose, and intensify in the early sips. Paradoxically light, but still with a gentle element of cloying. I know that sounds...
Leffe Radieuse
18/03/22 43 08.03 Leffe is much maligned. I've always liked/enjoyed/loved their beer. Partly nostalgia? Sure. But I simply don't drink beer that I don't enjoy, so shoot me! Radieuse is a pretty beer. A beautifully clear, red-chestnut body with an acceptable, if not great head. Nose offers a ton of malt, and this comes through in the initial tastes. The alcohol blends beautifully with the malt and creates a rich, but highly, highly drinkable beer. A touch of solvent (which is OK), the beer...
Leffe Brune / Brown
Original notes: 11/05/2006 On tap at Pazzo's, Lexington, KY, served in the Leffe glass. Bottle pictured from Jan 2021. Several years ago this was one of my favorite beers - I used to drink it a lot on regular trips to Northern France and Belgium. Since leaving England and coming to the USA, I have not had an opportunity to get hold of any, and as a result I have been craving it for a long time. I was worried that nostalgia was getting the better of me, and that I would be terribly...
Leffe Blonde
HUGE nostalgia beer for me - sipping this outside Cafes in Belgium, Holland and France for years and years tends to leave a warm memory with you when you're relegated to sipping beer in Atlanta!! $8.99, Six Pack, Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. (The store got this in today for the first time, about 20 minutes before I arrived - selection keeps on improving at this place). Subsequently, $7.99, Six Pack, Green's Beverage, Ponce de Leon, Atlanta, GA. I know that for the real purists...