Leffe Brune Belgian Abbey Beer Large Bottle, 6 x 750 ml

Product Information

spring water, phenolic, wheat, rye, buttery hopes, roasted hops, corn, and some type of coal ash. Not dry and crisp. Also something instead of caramel something like eucalypti sweet sap. Leffe Brune is a dark abbey beer of the dubbel type. The roasted malt used is the base note of the flavour, responsible for the slightly sweet taste of caramel. The finish is zesty and dry. Specific to the Brussels area and representing one of the world's oldest styles of beer making, lambic beers are tart because they are brewed with at least thirty percent raw wheat as well as the more usual malted barley. The key feature is, however, the use of wild yeast in their production, a process of spontaneous fermentation in which the yeasts of the atmosphere gravitate down into open wooden casks over a period of between two and three years. Draught lambic is extremely rare, but it is served in central Brussels at A la Bécasse. The bottled varieties are often modified, but Cantillon Lambik is authentic, an excellent drink with a lemony zip. It is produced at the Cantillon brewery, in Anderlecht, which is home to the Gueuze Museum (see below). Lindemans Lambik is similar and a tad more commonplace. 10. Gueuze (Cantillon Gueuze Lambic 5%)

I have just had my first Leffe, a bottle of Leffe Brune which I came across in Cold Storage supermarket in Kuala Lumpur. Absolutely fantastic and quite a surprise. I had originally gone in the supermarket to hunt down some Tetley’s, but I saw this one and thought I’d give it a go along with the Tetley’s. I haven’t had such a good bitter since a tap Ruddles County and O.P. the last time I was in the UK a year ago. I only bought one and enjoyed it first, but the following Tetley’s are insipid in comparison. For those in or near NYC, I recommend this little Belgian place on 75th between 2nd and 3rd Ave (can’t remember the name) — some decent selections on tap, more in bottles, nearly all in the abbey/trappist style. A fun place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. Neil, keep looking! Where I am its hard to find anything other than the Blonde as well. I would just ask the manager of the places you find the Leffe Blonde if they can get the others for you. This was probably my favourite beer when I used to sit downstairs in E55 when I was 18 years old, in Melbourne. I hardly drank it since then, until now. Just drank the Leffe blonde, now let's try this. The abbey that first produced Leffe, Notre-Dame de Leffe, was founded in 1152 and has a long and rich history. In 1240, the monks decided to build a brewery. Beer at that time was a much healthier alternative to drinking water, which was often full of diseases. The brewery was a great success. In fact, it was said at one point that the master brewer at the Leffe brewery made a beer that was so delicious, parishioners preferred drinking it to going to church on Sundays. Needless to say, the abbot at the time had to step in!

The Brewery

Recently in Spain I found what I now consider the best beer in the world, a draft called Leffe Negra. Why is Negra never mentioned here? It is a Guinness type but much smoother and somewhat sweeter. WHERE can I find Leffe Negra? I would kill for it? Well, after reading Bob the Brit’s great review of all these Leffe beers, I knew I had to try one. Fortunately for me, my local shop had the Leffe Blond – which I tried. This was my first ‘Abbey Ale’, and all I can say is that this beer is very different than other beers – special even. Leffe Brune is my favorite beer. It kills me that I can’t get it since I moved to Michigan. We have the Blond and everytime I’m skimming the beer cooler at the store and the Leffe Blond bottle catches my eye I get excited and then see it is the Blond and my heart sinks. Then any beer I buy tastes like bath water in comparison to my memories of Leffe Brune. If anyone from Leffe reads this, please distribute Leffe Brune in Michigan, USA!!! Made at the abbey of St Sixtus in West Flanders, Westvleteren beers come in several varieties. These two are the most common, dark and full-bodied, sour with an almost chocolate-like taste. Adam, make sure you ask if they can get it! If they can get Blonde, maybe they can get Brune too! (worth a shot!)

Also with easy going mouth watering buttery malted hops. And some type of coal ashness or tar taste in it to. Glad to hear about the other Leffe options — the Brune and Blonde are fine but leave me feeling like there’s something more to pursue. Leffe Brune is full bodied, close to a Stout or a Porter, but not too heavy, very quaffable. ( Terry Pratchett– one of my favourite authors – describes quaffing as ‘a lot like drinking, but your ears can get wet’.) The flavour of the Brune is altogether richer, fuller, slightly sweet, but ultimately satisfying there are notes of dark treacle, and chocolate, and a hint of coffee, but it’s not too sweet. Against these ales, most lagers and British ales pale (no pun intended) by comparison. Straffe Hendrik, a smart little Belgian brewery located in the centre of Bruges, produces zippy, refreshing ales. Their Blond is a light and tangy pale ale, whereas the Bruin is a classic brown ale with a full body. 3. Chimay (red top 7%, blue top 9%) The Leffe Blond does create an enormous head that took a LONG tome to go down, and when it does it leaves an incredible amount of lacing on the glass. The aroma and the taste, are, for me, hard to describe except that they were different – and very satisfying! Bob the Brit, I think, describes it perfectly in his review above, so I won’t try to add to that.

Recent Comments

We’ll start with what should be the lightest of the Leffe family, although still a respectable 6.2% ABV, as you can see Leffe Blond came out considerably paler than I remembered, but make no mistake, despite its pale amber colouration, this is a full bodied ale. It has a full mouth feel, and a substantial head that lasted well down the glass, leaving a distinctive lacing down the glass.

Mark, that is rough! I know the Leffe Blonde supply is pretty strong here in NJ, but I hope that some makes it way out there sometime soon! There are hints of vanilla and toffee in this flavour, it’s not too heavy, in fact, I was pleased to note that I had a large (75cl) bottle of Blond on my shelf for the weekend. The dubbel was born in abbey breweries but the name is now used as generic term for a strong brown beer.After Blond and Brune, Leffe Radieuese is only available in bottles, but at 8.2% ABV it’s not something you would expect to encounter on draught. As you pour, the head is the colour of a stronger latte than the Brune shows, the beer is a rich ruby colour if held up to a bright light, and the coffee connection follows into the flavour. There are distinct hints of strong coffee and dark chocolate… and a deep rich fruit cake flavour in there, but I also got hints of caramel and even honey. Once again a type of beer rather than a particular brew, Kriek is made from a base beer to which cherries are added or, in the case of the more commercial brands, cherry juice and perhaps even sugar. It is decanted from a bottle with a cork, as with sparkling wine. The better examples are not too sweet and taste simply wonderful. Other fruit beers are available too, but Kriek is perhaps the most successful. 13. Kwak (8%) Named after – and allegedly the favourite tipple of – the Habsburg emperor Charles V, Gouden Carolus is a full-bodied dark brown ale with a sour and slightly fruity aftertaste. Brewed in the Flemish town of Mechelen. 7. Delirium Tremens (9%)

A am very satisifed with it overall. Not crisp. Full As. Very Caramel. Not watery. It is like drinking a dark FORREST. The beer takes on a dark brown colour in the glass, covered by a robust head of froth with the colour of café crème.The roasted malt lends the beer a slightly bitter taste with touches of candi sugar, caramel, coffee and chocolate. Can anyone tell me why we haven’t been able to get Leffe in the western US for going on 6 weeks? What disaster has befallen us! And while I might not kill for draught Leffe (Jenlain or Westmalle maybe) I agree, as you’ll see from my review – Gil – good call. Total Wine in NJ always has Leffe Blonde as well. Seems to be available in most of the larger and chain type places. The other varieties are proving to be elusive though!