As you already know, at Christmas I received a cracking gift of mixed Belgian beers from the well known Leffe Brand. The selection included the bottles that we see everyday, some intriguing bottles from Belgium as well as two branded Chalices. As I write this blog my bar is now pretty much empty, as the selection was a Christmas Gift I was determined not to just drink them within a couple of weeks, but savour them for evenings when I wanted just one beer...and wanted to make sure that it was a good one!
In my previous blog I discussed the Blonde, Brun, Noel & Royale. With the Royale being the current stand out bottle. This blog will discuss the other half of my (now empty) Leffe collection.
But first of all for the elephant in the room. No, I am not talking about Delirium...but the Trappist beer argument that currently surrounds the brand. Earlier in the month I read an article about a man in the US who is suing Leffe for false claims about where it is brewed. The brand itself is very proud of its heritage, and with a recipe that has been used since 1240 wouldn't you be? However over the years, even though the recipe is the same it is no longer brewed in an Abbey. What the American is complaining about is that he was convinced to spend the extra money on the beer under the belief that it was still brewed in an Abbey and still essentially a Trappist beer. Without knowing the cost of Leffe in the US it is difficult to cast an opinion, but do you feel a bit put out knowing that this historic beer is actually mass produced by the same company behind Stella?
Personally, this knowledge has not changed my opinion of the brand. Their have been many great beers within my selection, however small batch Belgian beers still are a cut above - my favourite being De Dolle OurBier ! For a beer lover with many local craft beer stores in my area I am spoilt, however for many people who rely on supermarkets to stock up their bars Leffe (especially the Brun) is still a great tipple for the price, with Morrisons having regular promotions of 2x 750ml bottles for £5.00
So maybe it is more expensive than a bottle of Black Sheep, but due to its mass availability it is clear that it is a mass-brewed bottle of beer...does this put you off buying Leffe in the future.
I started with the Nectar, immediately you know this is a honey flavour beer...which is a new one for me. My honey&alcohol experience has up until now being limited to Jack Daniels Honey. This beer was a bit too sweet for me, their was a hint of the recognisable scent of a Belgium beer...however the honey was the only flavour I could get, and it was all a bit too much. Unfortunately I would not buy this again.
Whilst I was drinking the Nectar, Liz opted for the Leffe Ruby...as her tastes in beer tend to stay with fruit beers. We liked this beer, the sweetness was on par with many 'alcopop' ciders, but not as overpowering as the sweetness in the Nectar. As it is not very high in strength, this fruity offering from Leffe would be ideal for Liz having a beer session, although she does tend to stick to the Delirium Red...which is a whole different experience to the Leffe Ruby. We would buy this again from the supermarket, but only as Bacchus fruit beers tend to be a bit overpriced for what you get.
Moving on from the 'supermarket' Left's, next I had the joy of the Tripel! On pouring this beer, visually it just reminded me of a cloudier version of the Blonde with the scent being on par with the Royale. For an Abbey Triple it ticks all the right boxes for me, with a slight bitter taste buy with fruity sweet notes associated with the Blonde...the big difference being the sharp aftertaste. Even Liz enjoyed this one.
I had being saving the Ritual until last, at 9% this was a beer I wanted to savour. Was it worth the wait? Yes ! Similar to many of the other Leffe beers, the Belgian Blonde style is the basis of the. The taste was similar to the Tripel, but with quite strong floral notes to the flavour. At 9% it really does have a kick, both in the taste and in the aftertaste. I took my first sip and after enjoying the taste of the beer itself I was left with a warming sensation in the back of my throat, not dissimilar to that from a nice whisky...just less harsh. Out of all the beers in the 'Part 2' selection, this one was the best. If you see this online, or are in Bruges shopping for beer then do not be put off by the 'mass produced' stigma of the brand, pick up a bottle...you will not regret it.In conclusion, as a brand I still do love the Brun, when ever it is at a good price I will always pick up a couple of bottles to stock up the old bar. I loved the fact that each of these beers had something different to distinguish them. Even though I did not 'love' them all, the tasting sessions that we have had over the past few months have been great fun and has made me want to buy full selections from breweries so that I can sample everything on offer and have many more beer 'adventures' one brewer at a time!
All in all, the stand out beer in the selection was the Leffe Royale (nothing to do with the matching chalice). this one was unbelievable in flavour...it really does deserve the title of 'Blonde Superior'
Enjoy ! - Sam
