Leffe Brune / Brown - Abbaye de Leffe S.A.

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Called a brown ale for a reason, the color is silky and sexy. The head conjured up quickly in a rush of carbonation and was thick on top but built upon a row of bubbles; it disappeared quickly.

Reminiscent of a Rauchbier the scent was of beef jerky, cloves and leather. Sort of sweet Sort of Smokey this aroma is very nice.

The taste is kind of confusing. Seems like there's a lot going on but yet nothing. I got some of the tastiest clove flavors but it got washed away in a carbonated rush that I thought tasted like Sprite. Caught some smoky flavor but it got washed away in a wateriness. Both the carbonation and wateriness lend to the feel which is very light and easy.

Overall, it's very interesting. Not off putting at all it made me curioser and curiouser, to quote an old story book character.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 21:51:54 | More by KYGunner

pacino77

Maryland

3.64/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

generally speaking, i only grab a leffe if i'm strapped for cash and am trying to stretch bucks and still have something resembling the experience of drinking a nice belgian. it's a bizarre and probably mostly unsuccessful compromise (as most compromises are) because i wish the whole time that i was sipping corsendonk instead of slugging leffe, unless i can take a step back and temper the averageness of the brew with the beauty of being a being in time at all, and in my own humanness, rejoice. so, then, as a stepping stone to realizing a higher plane of consciousness, i am a bit indebted to this beer, though my getting there is traceable quite readily to it's just-a-hair-above-mediocre character. it does look nice in a glass, though its head was thin and weak and it smelled a bit like dried montmorency cherries.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 02:20:14 | More by pacino77

merc7186

New York

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle into plastic cup at CitiField.

A: Brownish Hue, Passes Mild Light, Off White Head, Some Lacing

S: Chocolate, Mildly Bready

T: Bananas, Chocolate, Mildly Bready, Mild Belgium Yeast

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Filling

Overall, not a bad drinking beer, has nice balance but seems a little forced on the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 01:18:43 | More by merc7186

Jeffreysan

Maryland

4.73/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle with a “best before” date of 27/4/13, into a Leffe goblet

Appearance: poured a dark brown with reddish/mahogany highlights as light passed through the beer. After poured, the beer was capped with a thin whitish head that dissipated into a small lacing of bubbles crowing the beer.

Aroma: strong aromas of dark bread and roasted malt, with a faint hint of smoke and spice. Cloves, maybe?

Taste: According to the label, the beer presents a sweet caramel yet bitter taste. I get the sweet caramel, and a lot of malt, but I don’t get any bitterness. First taste, as the beer is cold, is very malty. A lot of dark bread, and toffee, with a nice sweet and slight alcohol finish. As the beer warms up to almost room temperature, (which is how I prefer all my Belgian beers) I get dried stone fruit, like prunes or raisons.

Mouthfeel: For a dark beer, there’s a nice effervescence, making the beer crisp and refreshing. It’s a great beer for both winter and summer.

Overall: I love Belgian brown ales, and while not being the best Belgian brown ale out there, Leffe brune is my absolutely favorite Belgian brown ale. Hell, it’s probably my favorite beer period. I can (and have) drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:36:51 | More by Jeffreysan

breakingbland

Michigan

3.89/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle dated 16/07/14 ("best before" date) into a tulip.

Appearance: Poured a lovely reddish-brown with a 1+ finger light tan colored head that stayed awhile until it devolved into an irregular layer of foam.

Aroma: A nice, typical Belgian fruity/spicy funky aroma with malt and hops.

Taste: Some funkiness is present, but just as the label says, this Belgian has a major hops flavor component. It's a nice balance, however, between the hops and malt, with the malt having a caramel character. As it warms up (probably warmer than the recommended 41 degrees F serving temp), the maltiness comes to the forefront even with the hops, making it more like a typical Belgian. In any case, a pleasant grapefruit hops bitterness lingers.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body which gives this darkish beer a light body in the mouth and makes it a refreshing brew. The carbonation feels medium-light on the tongue. A whipped cream foaminess develops as the beer lingers in the mouth.

Overall: I enjoy the funkiness of a Belgian beer, but I like this one even though the hops predominate more than in other Belgians. It drinks easily and has a refreshing feeling overall that I enjoyed. I'll look for this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 16:23:13 | More by breakingbland

Smurf2055

Washington

3.31/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured into Chimay Goblet.

Dark mahogany with a small off-white head.

Smells like caramel and toffee.

Somewhat syrupy, very pleasant. Very crisp. Sweet yet bitter.

Very carbonated. Very full body. Complex and rich. Nice lacing.

It’s a nice beer, but there are better out there. Pretty good for a cheap stand in though.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 23:28:13 | More by Smurf2055

FLima

Brazil

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Brown ruby color. Made lots and lots of thick off-white head and leaving strong laces. I am sure some will underrate its appearance just because it is an Inbev brew.
Good scent of Belgian yeast, dark fruits, caramel, toasted malts and earthy hops.
Sweet flavor, lots of prunes, caramels, brown sugar and a mild but noticeable bitterness from its hops. Hints of pepper and cloves.
Full body with low carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden.
I found this more interesting than the Blond version. Solid and quality beer from a massive producer at competitive prices. Definitely worth it, leave prejudice apart. As other Belgian examples, I would prefer them to be less sweet, I believe it is easier to hide flaws behind that.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 21:09:41 | More by FLima

tonton

Hong Kong

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the 33cl bottle into my Ikea glass (read my earlier reviews for a description of this glass). Pours a deep brown with a quickly dissipating 1.5" white head. Not the most beautiful brown.

Compared to the excellent Leffe Blonde, this just doesn't measure up. It's a good beer, but seems to lack the complexity, feel, and aroma of a better beer. Plenty of hops and some overroasted malts. Not much else.

I expected more.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 13:54:50 | More by tonton

Rob44

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.75

A draft version at Jacob Wirth's in Boston. Superb spicy flavor, if I had to guess there must be a
significant amount of wheat malt in this beer. It's almost a cross between a root beer flavor
and coriander wheat beers that I've tried. An excellent unique taste, the only knock is a bit
of thinness in the mouthfeel.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2013 20:24:53 | More by Rob44

fank2788

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2oz bottle served in a tulip
Very dark brown, just a shade lighter than black in the glass with a huge light khaki colored head that takes a while to subside. The smell is of wheat bread, dark caramel and belgian yeast in the form of banana and clove. The taste is similar to the smell with the yeast character in the forefront and the rest of the flavors bouncing around behind. The finish is dry but smooth as the carbonation level is low which makes this beer feel nice and thick in the mouth. Overall hop character is limited in terms of hop aroma, flavor and bitterness. Overall I'm a fan of brown ales and this is version of the belgian dark style is reminiscent of an english brown with more yeast character. Not quite as tasty as others of the style but still a good classic example.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:55:17 | More by fank2788

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.71/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Expected more from this classic ale, but should have realized it was InBev before purchasing.

A spectacular looking pour. It's a clear mahogany colour with an impressive off-white head that has great retention and lacing. Sweet aroma of caramel, with underlying roasted malts and Belgian yeast. Although these elements are also prevalent in the taste, the flavours are simpler than I expected and focus more on the residual sugars than anything else.

A simple and sweet beer, with less “brown” or Belgian than I’d hoped.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 18:22:15 | More by hopsolutely

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.91/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 11.2 oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a nice dark brown with a very large fluffy light brown head. Smells of yeast and roasted barley, very nice combination and not that unexpected for a Belgian beer. Tastes of caramel and very slight sweet chocolate, a very nice combination. Beer is carbonated right and for its light/medium body and goes down great. Overall, a very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 02:24:35 | More by cyclonece09

kjcoff

Tennessee

4.85/5  rDev +28%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Like another reviewer, Leffe has become my "go to" beer and the Brune is my beer of choice. There's nothing about this beer that I don't like, other than seeing an empty six pack. The Brune seems to be a bit harder to find but is definitely worth the chase!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 13:04:26 | More by kjcoff

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. brown bottle into a Leffe tulip glass.

Appearance: Deep slightly hazy brown, almost opaque. A one finger creamy foam head that retained a good long time in the Leffe tulip glass. Left good sticky lacing behind as it slowly receded.

Smell: Sweet malts with some caramel and toffe, yeasts give it a nice fruity and slight clove spice aroma. Definitely smells like a Belgian dark ale should.

Taste: Sweet and malty with some good brown sugar and dark fruit flavors. The yeast is pronounced and adds to the sweet dark fruit flavors and adds a little spice to the mix. A delicious Belgian Dark ale.

Mouth feel: Creamy carbonation and a good wet and sweet finish. This is a thirst quencher for sure.

Overall: I really like Leffe Blond Ale, and it's one of my regular "go to" beers. Now that this Leffe Brune is easily available in America in six packs, I will be drinking a lot more of this. I love a Belgian Dark ale that is well made...this one is excellent, and a good price for a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 22:06:47 | More by ChopperSmith

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Two and a half fingers of tan head on a medium brown colored body.
The aroma is caramel, cinnamon and plum. Faint overall.
The flavor is wonderful. Rich caramel and spice with a hit of lemon bitterness towards the latter end.
The texture is soft with moderate carbonation.
It's a great tasting beer and highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 05:27:18 | More by Fatehunter

laramis

South Carolina

3.56/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a deep red brown with a large off white head that produced good lacing and had great retention

S: Dark malts some fruit and some sugar there is also some spiciness, overall enjoyable

T: Similar to the smell some malt notes then the sugar is noticeable giving it a sweet taste overall some chocolate and bread notes, very little bitterness

M: Carbonation is in the middle it seems a bit on the light side body wise, but it finishes smooth

O: I enjoyed this beer it looked great that was probably best thing about the beer, not that it was bad it tasted good and was very drinkable it may not be the best belgian beer but it is easy to find and easy to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 02:22:31 | More by laramis

RoadLizard

New York

3.89/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - My example was a beautiful deep ruby red but didnt make much head. Carbonation seemed lower than I was expecting. Others claim they had chunky head. Not sure.

Smell - Like roasty breads with sweetness scattered about. A little spice too.

Taste - Very much like it smells but the sweetness comes through even more. Caramel, dark chocolates, stuff like that was prominent. Fairly clean finish, no major lingering.

Mothfeel - The carbonation holds up better than I thought by the looks. Pleasant if unspectacular.

Overall - A nice alternative to the Leffe Blond Ale. I usually graba six of both when I buy Leffe. One of each per session is perfect.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:42:43 | More by RoadLizard

JWU

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

10oz. draft served in a snifter

A- A dark brown, translucent, with a fizzy tan head, dissipates fairly quickly, lacing better than I thought it would be.

S- Very nice combo of dark belgian malts, dark fruits, candy sugar, and belgian yeast

T- Starts with a hit of the malt, with some dark fruit following, candy sugar and a light hop bitterness follow, and the sweetness wins out.

M- Pretty full and silky, a light carbonation is spot on.

O- Very tasty, and I'd certainly enjoy it again!

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2013 01:21:17 | More by JWU

Radome

Spain

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Served from a 33 cl bottle bought in Madrid.

A - Beer is chestnut brown with red highlights. Very clear. Off-white head starts several cm thick, with a creamy, moussy consistency. Serious lacing. A very attractive beer.

S - Biscuit-like malt aroma; some brown sugar and dark fruits as well. Interesting yeast notes. Elements are clean and nice, but lacks depth and complexity.

T - A little bit of hops taste and bitterness, but overall it is very sweet. Mix of malt, brown sugar and dark fruits. A sweet, slightly cloying finish.

M - Moderate hops bitterness. Gentle carbonation. No alcohol burn. Body too light for the sweetness.

O - Many good elements, but this beer doesn't quite pull them together. Too sweet and "shallow" in taste and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:47:11 | More by Radome

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

4.14/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Beer pours a dark brown color with some red highlights. A nice fluffy tan head sits atop the beer.

The aroma is a nice mixture of toast and caramel. No hop aroma and pretty low ester/phenol profile as well.

The taste of the beer is certainly the highlight. It is a wonderful mixture of caramel, toffee, candi sugar and a hint of chocolate. Very complex which makes it great for sipping on.

Mouthfeel is wonderfully smooth and silky. Very full as well.

Overall a very nice beer. It is low enough in alcohol to make it a relaxing beer. It is very complex which makes it enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 02:45:50 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

jibjib513

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving type: Bottle to snifter.

Appearance (4.5): Medium-dark brown, with off-white foam. Nice retention and lacing.

Smell (4.0): Caramel? I don't know.. but there is definitely a sweet smell to it. Maybe even a little spice.

Taste (4.0): Smooth, sweet up front, and some spicieness again, with a little bit of bitterness in the after-taste.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Just right, I think... maybe a little extra carbonation.

Overall (4.0): A solid beer, I'm ready for more!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 14:05:19 | More by jibjib513

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into Leffe Chalice

Appearance – The beer pours a deep brown color with a one finger tan head. The head has a very fantastic level of retention slowly fading slowly to give a wonderful level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is big and sweet. The sweet is mainly of cherry and some banana and pineapple. Mixed with the fruity aromas is a good dose of roasted malt, a light nut, as well as notes of a yeasty nature.

Taste – The taste begins on the sweeter side with flavors of cherry and plum mixed with a good brown bread flavor. As the taste advances some yeasty flavors soon come to the tongue and bring with them some flavors of banana and a light spice flavor. More toward the end of the taste, more sweet caramel and dark fruit and bready flavors come to the tongue and mix with a light alcohol flavor to leave a rather dark and sweet but balanced flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the average side with a carbonation level that is just below average. The medium creaminess is good as it keep the beer drinkable as well as compliments well the fruity flavors. The brew however is not so thin that the roasted and yeasty flavors are detracted from. A good solid mouthfeel.

Overall – This is a fantastic brew. It has great dark fruit flavors, a good yeasty and bready taste as well as just the right amount of warming alcohol. Definitely one to have on occasion.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 01:47:13 | More by Darkmagus82

matjack85

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My sister and her husband served these to us on Thanksgiving day. I had tried the Leffe Blonde before but never the brown, so this was a real treat. 330ml brown bottles with no freshness date.

The beer poured a clear mahogany color with so much head that I had to stop pouring before the glass was half full. Took over 3 minutes before the light brown head receded enough for me to drink it. Lacing was also incredible.

Funky Belgian yeast smell along with roasted malt and caramel.

Funky Belgian yeast flavor that's a bit on the sour side. A touch of vanilla, caramel malt sweetness, some kind of spiciness, and a mild hop bitterness round out the flavors.

Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Goes down easy and definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 10:36:49 | More by matjack85

tone77

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a brown 11.2 oz. bottle. Has a dark brown color with a 1 inch head. Smell is bursting with spices, and fruits. Taste is delicious. Lots of spice, malts, yeast, fruitiness, complex and flavorful, the glass is becoming empty quickly. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is a beer worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 01:33:09 | More by tone77

kojevergas

California

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into a Leffe goblet in Holland. Cost was 4 euro for a 25cl pour. Reviewed from notes taken in June 2011.

A: Pours a two finger head, wonderfully fluffy, of white colour, with delicate smooth cream, of excellent thickness, and featuring good retention for the ABV. Colour is a solid dark brown-black. Nontransparent.

Sm: Hoppy. Cream, a light hint of toffee, and maybe even a hint of vanilla. A very light aroma; I struggle to isolate the notes with me broken nose. All apologies, lads.

T: Cream, light toffee, some nutty notes, well chosen dark malts, and maybe a hint of vanilla. More simple than expected, but certainly balanced. The built feels a bit muted, if not bland, but I like the taste in a general sense. Still, I remember it being better from the bottle.

Mf: Smooth and wet. It should be less so on both counts. Not badly executed, but there's definitely room for improvement.

Dr: Relatively high ABV is well concealed. I was surprised at its price in Holland. Good quality, but there are far better brews in the style.

C+

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 20:17:55 | More by kojevergas