Leffe Blonde - Abbaye de Leffe S.A.

MadeInOregon

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

THE APPEARANCE of the Leffe Blonde is very nice and appetizing. If a beer makes me salivate, that's a good thing in my book. This one passes that test. The liquid is a crystal clear gold/dark yellow and has absolutely no sediment in the bottle or when poured into the glass. The beer has a large, airy, white head that subsides quite a bit but still looks great. It has an uncanny and impressively thick lacing for being so filtered and not being a wheat brew.

THE SMELL is nice (hops, Belgian yeast, caramel) but is quite faint and left me wondering where all the aroma went.

THE TASTE is great as far as I'm concerned. A lot of folks will hate on this because it is very sweet (and actually tastes a bit like a maibock) but I didn't find anything out of balance. Leffe Blonde is full and rich with Belgian yeast and a nice light hopping. The sweetness can be tiresome though, as there is a definite syrupy quality to this beer.

THE FEEL of this beer is what most surprised me with the yeast producing that nice tingling sensation on the tip of the tongue. Overall, it is sharp, crisp, and spritzy--as I have found a good Belgian ale ought to be. The alcohol is well hidden for a beer so 'thin' and only felt in the stomach.

CONCLUSION: After having Leffe Blonde a couple times in the past, and recently on tap, I again found it to be interesting, light yet complex, and very easy to drink. It is definitely "European" in character but I don't think I would agree with the label's claim of it being "Subtle"; it's smooth but certainly electrifies your tastes buds with the yeast and sweetness. It's still pretty light and refreshing though, especially when compared to other Belgian heavyweights.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 01:05:20 | More by MadeInOregon

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