Leffe Radieuse

Brewed by InBev Belgium
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Leuven, Belgium

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

UPDATED: JUL 8, 2005 Tasted from the bottle, a little over date. Poured quite clear, brown with a red tinge. Head formed from the pour, white and large, but died back to a lace ring quickly. Aroma was intense, with esters of plums and berries, and a heavy burnt-sugar waft. Taste was similar, balancing the aroma. Candy sugar, burnt coagulated sugars, and esters of dried light fruits filled the mouth and finished with a slightly bitter astringent swallow. The sense of alcohol, though, was overwhelming, with a warming sensation like sherry or port that just didn’t sit right. Still not too bad a drop.

Clear, brown-reddish body. Brownish head, creamy, mostly diminishing and good lacing. Hoppy, malty (chocolate) aroma. Sweet initial falvour, lightly sweet, lightly bitter finish.

Bottled, 0.33l from Presporska pivoteka, Bratislava. Deep amber color with rich beige head. Aroma, red fruit, caramel. Taste sweet, fruity, roasted malt, with nice long bitter finish. Coffee aftertaste. Nice complex beer.

Pours into a chalice with a decent head, light amber colour and plenty of carbonation with bubbles on the side of the glass. Has nice lacing as well. Smells softly like beer and some vague hints at fruit, some maltiness in there as well. Taste is a mix of malts, grains, and fruity notes. Has a crisp dry finish. A nice ale, not too complex, good for sipping.

Bottle, Cafe Leffe, Strasbourg. I seem to recall really liking this about 5 years ago, but am now really struggling to see why as this was very undwerwhelming. Pured a reddy brown with a medium off white head. Malty aroma with some fruit and spice. Sweet and malty flavour. Really very average. Thought this had much more character, but it wasn’t evident on this occasion.

14/08 0.33 l bottle from an Interspar, Udine. It poured cloudy brown body with medium sized brownish head. Fine caramel and yeasty aroma with typical belgian spices. Touch of tart hops. Caramel, dark fruit and spicy flavor, clove, pepper and cinnamon mostly. Strange sharp bitterness probably from alcohol ruins it a bit. Medium to full in body, with longer, vanilla and yeasty finish with that strange grainy/alcohol bitterish note still remaining. Warming at the very end. Quite fine with enough flaws, I would say about the average for its style.

Some malt and sourness in the nose. Medium, but fast disappearing head. Beautiful amber colured body. Malty taste first, but ends in a rather bitter finish. Quite carbonated, but not that nice warm feel you get from other belgian ales.

Mildly roasty-sweet aroma. Reddish-brown color. Mildly sweet and roasty flavor with an unusual amont of hops for a Belgian ale.