Leffe Blonde

Brewed by InBev Belgium
Style: Belgian Ale
Leuven, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

11.2oz bottle - BBD: 01/10/12 Poured in a snifter, pours a very clear orange with a nice off white puffy head that sticks around. Nice lacing. Smell is spicy, citrusy Belgian yeast, coriander, clove, breadiness, etc. Taste is quite the same, medium maltiness, slight sweetness upfront - then spicy cloves on the backend. Barely any perceptible alcohol. Mouthfeel is smooth, some light graininess, medium to medium light carbonation, somewhat watery, but very drinkable. In short, this is a close to excellent, easy to find REAL Belgian 6pk beer that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Recommended.

Remarkably crisp and smooth blonde... Extremely citrusy and light flavor and body, hints of hops on the finish.... Very good beer...

750ml bottle from P&M in Bonn. Pours a clear, honey golden body with a thick, frothy white head. Dissipates to a fine layer and clings to the sides. Decent lacing. Peppery nose with hints of coriander. Some sweet, summery malt and a pinch of alcohol. Sweet, white grape up front followed by clove and allspice. A dash of black pepper rounds out the spiciness. Light body with no real bitterness. Finishes fairly dry with some lingering spice and grape as I exhale. Fairly high carbonation enhances the lightness of the beer. A touch minerally. Very low level alcohol presence doesn’t detract. This beer is a pleasant surprise!

I have mixed feelings on this beer, I can appreciate it’s design and the taste works well, but for me, the fizz and the aftertaste don’t quite make it smooth enough.

UPDATED: NOV 3, 2011 Aroma: Banana and caramel notes.

Appearance: Amber body, frothy white head with good retention. Surprisingly clear considering the full flavour.

Taste: Very sweet - toffee and banana. Spices are evident. Strong alcohol taste. After a while, the sweet flavour becomes cloying.

Palate: Medium body, slick with little carbonation.

Overall: A unique tasting beer, but a disappointing revisit of what used to be one of my favourites.

bottle from el corte ingles, lisbon. Slight sweetness and malt aroma. Golden/yellow color and nice small head. Low carbonation. Overall nice.

The aroma is nice and sufficiently rich, if a little weak in intensity. There’s the yeast-derived notes of orange peel, spices, and a bit of banana, crisp malts, and a touch of hops. The beer pours a clear orange and grows a white, foamy, in-your-face head. The mouthfeel is thin and heavily carbonated; too heavily for my taste. The notes on the nose don’t work as harmoniously in the mouth, in which the malts feel bitter in a more industrial sort of way, and the yeast notes also feel less refined. Still, it’s a good beer, but I wouldn’t call it a premium one.

I feel like the great taste of this beer is in danger of losing its nobility from the macro that pimps it. For now it still represents with a full aroma that wafts through the back of the throat with grace.