Leffe Blonde - Abbaye de Leffe S.A.

StoutHunter

Michigan

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

I picked up a six pack of Abbaye de Leffe's Leffe Blonde today for $8.89 at Liquor King. I was surprised to find this beer at a place that doesn't have a great beer selection, in a sea of crappy beer this Belgian Blonde caught my eye, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 11.2oz bottle into a Tulip.

A- The label is pretty simple but it has a nice clean look to it, it poured a pretty clear golden yellow color that took on more of a darker golden color when held to the light with four fingers worth of fluffy white head that died down to a thick rocky layer that stayed till the end and left lot's of nice lacing. This was really good looking beer that had lots of nice head.

S- The aroma starts off with light biscuit and bread like aromas along with some sweet grains, those aromas quickly give way to a large amount of Belgian yeast that imparts a very dominating banana aroma followed by all those typical spices that come with the Belgian yeast with the clove and a little bit of nutmeg sticking out the most. The aroma is nice and full of bananas and spices, I like it.

T- The taste seems to be very similar to the aroma, it starts of with some sweet, bready, and biscuity malts that have a higher amount of sweetness. After that comes a pretty big banana flavor that is followed by all those Belgian yeast spices that I picked up in the aroma. Towards the end there's some more sweetness with hardly any bitterness and a sweet banana and slightly spicy aftertaste. The flavors are good but it was a little too sweet for my taste.

M- Fairly smooth, a little chewy, a little sticky, slightly creamy, on the light side of being medium bodied, with a nice amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was ok, but it got to be a little too sticky.

Overall I thought this was a goof beer and an above average example of the style, it was full of flavor with the Belgian yeast really dominating all aspects of this brew. This beer had ok drinkability, it went down fairly smooth, but the higher amount of sweetness and stickyness would prevent me from having a bunch, three in a sitting is enough for me. What I liked most about this beer was it's appearance and aroma, they were both pretty good with lots of nice head and a pretty bold aroma. What I liked least about this beer was the higher amount of sweetness and the slightly sticky mouthfeel, if the sweetness was a toned down a little it would for sure improve this beer. I would buy this beer again when looking for something cheap and flavorful but I don't think I will be keeping it in the fridge that often, I recommend giving it a try, it may make for a good gateway into the style. All in all I thought this was a good beer for what it was and it was a much better choice then all the other beer available at that store, this is one solid Belgian Blonde.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 03:35:23 | More by StoutHunter

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - huge amount of head on this thing, like other Belgian beers. White with only a slight orange hint. Body is clear as day and a yellow wheat color. Very strong, beautiful lacing.

S - Belgian yeast, banana, and clove. Pretty average and the low point of this beer.

T - Nice sweet...I don't know...Belgiumness? Cloves, banana bread, and malts.

M - Great carbonation and solid body. Nice all around. A little buttery on the finish.

O - A great Belgian beer. Sweet and just what you look for to compliment that yeast. One of my go-to's.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 00:48:31 | More by RuckusDu

TheRealBigC

Nevada

2.88/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Booooring. This is like a macro Belgian that has mass appeal by being very basic and inoffensive. It's yeasty and crisp. Mild fruity notes, etc. I see this beer featured in Belgian Beer classes at the Total Wine over here and I guess it should be there because it is famous and a decent introductory Belgian, but for me, if I'm looking for a Belgian, I'm looking for a bigger one. If I'm looking for something lighter, I'm going with a lager or something I can session. As such, Leffe doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 00:08:40 | More by TheRealBigC

harrymel

Washington

2.13/5  rDev -40%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Best by 22SEP13

Golden with some white sheet and excellent clarity. Smells like standard belgian yeast with some metallic tones and a bit of banana and petunia. Pretty uneventful nose. Flavor is buttery with banana and some soil along slight coriander and bits of belly button lint. Medium bodied with mild carb and a slicking finish. Not impressed with this and will likely not visit again.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 05:00:40 | More by harrymel

enbotellabuey

New Mexico

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer is not too bad. It's certainly not the best Belgian pale/blonde I've had, but I would say that it is a average to above average for the style. The head is good. The aroma is quite good--very pronounced bubble gum. I like that. The initial taste is good. Very good fruit flavor--reminiscent of Juicy Fruit gum. The aftertaste is the problem. It is definitely a little funky. I can't quite put my finger on it. It has a great fruity start, a pretty pleasant bite in the middle, then a funky aftertaste that brings to mind artificial sweetener. The aftertaste sticks around for quite a while, so it makes you forget the better aspects of the beer. It gets better as it warms up, but it still retains that peculiar, bitter, and slightly metallic aftertaste. I will try this beer a couple more times. Perhaps pairing it with some cheese will help.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 04:59:29 | More by enbotellabuey

gradestarr

4.15/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deecint!!
This bottle pops with more force than almost anything else in glass. I hit the dog who was laying peacefully by the front door from 25+ feet away in the kitchen when I popped this particular one with the corner of my flip phone. (by accident obviously) Following a pour into ___ (anything concave) there is a fatty off white head!! It is on the ridiculous side but hey cool i guess these belgian goldens are supposed to be carby. Good lacing n whatever.
Smells like bananay and yeast. Little bit of some overripe fruit. Good, pretty strong.
It's not quite a trippel in ABV but seems just as complex in the assortment of malt, sweet fruit and spice flavors in the front and in the middle and dry feeling once a sip has been sipped. Really satisfying; light but flavorful as anything.
Umm there are a shload of bubbles.. as mentioned before. That and light is how it feels in your mouth.
And all told for $8.49 for the sixer, it's a darn good deal for an Belgian that's authentic in taste AND origin.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 06:08:39 | More by gradestarr

jktdet

4.83/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great brew, citrus with a nice sweet hops taste. Aroma is amazing. Super refreshing and easy to drink, great for Texas summer entertaining. If you are after a great and very consistent summer ale you found it here. I travel a lot through Europe and this beer is always consistent. Even back home in Texas a 6 pack of bottles tastes as expected and I have had several Leffe's in Brussels. Something you can't say about all Europeans beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 20:54:16 | More by jktdet

hypoboxer

4.43/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Leffe is by far my favorite "go to" beer when entertaining. It's fairly easy to find in my local stores and is exotic enough to introduce them to Belgium ales.

The taste is crisp and the carbonation is perfect that allows it to go with many dishes. The smell is also very welcoming.

This is a fantastic Pale Ale, coming from a fan of IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 17:52:50 | More by hypoboxer

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a bottle at Cork City Pub in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours a crystal clear deep golden yellow in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a two finger tall dense bright white head that slowly reduces to a small thick patch near the center of the beer, a thin film covering the remainder of the surface, and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant lacing is observed.

S: Moderate aromas of bready malts, floral hops, and spicy yeast.

T: Upfront there is some malty sweetness that is soon combined with banana + clove and some yeast spiciness.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thick and with some dryness in the finish.

O: This beer is enjoyable but is not anything super special and is quite easy to find - might be a good beer for people to introduce themselves to Belgian beers. Easy enough to drink but a little too heavy to be sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 14:16:51 | More by dbrauneis

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bought this as part of a "best of Belgium" variety pack. Never really tried this beer, and hate the fact that it's now owned by InBev. Oh well. Here goes. Poured into a chalice glass for review.

A: Pours a clear blonde with rocky white head with ample carbonation.

S: Cloves with a medicinal note. Spices, pepper, and typical Belgian yeast all come to mind. I enjoy the aroma quite a bit.

T: Tastes somewhat syrupy sweet with a dark sugar or slightly burnt sugar note. Tastes of slight banana with some cloves and spices - again with the peppery notes. Not bad.

M: Feels a little too full for what I would perceive to be a Belgian blonde. A little too heavy. I can't have more than two of these in one sitting (well, I certainly could, but choose not to) on a hot, muggy summer day.

O: A nice beer. Enjoyable and different than mainstream macros and the usual craft beer selections. However, I do truly hate that this beer is now owned by InBev. While I like it, I think I'll probably avoid it for the most part. I give most of the credit that some Belgian brewery came up with the recipe only to later be bought out by the evil giant.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 23:18:28 | More by jwhancher

Glibber

Idaho

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I purchased both the blond and the brown at the same time, and again was impressed with the straw clear color, and healthy white head that left lacing all the way up the glass. The citrus and carbination made this a refreshing beer. I preferred it over the brown- which suprised me. The beer is one of the cheaper exports from Belgium, and while not amazing, is pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2012 02:17:22 | More by Glibber

u2carew

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.
A) Opens with a cork psst and pours with a two finger head - white and thick. Sticky lacing on the drink down. Clear golden body.
S) Bright fruity esters - definitely Belgian. Banana, orange, and hints of clove. Yeasty.
T) Vanilla. Hints of oak. Some banana notes. Quite sweet upfront then tapers off quickly. Subtle hints of grain.
M) Smooth. Creamy. Light body. Chalky in the finish.
O) A very easy drinking beer and tasty. I found myself taking big swigs and nearly chugging it because it is so smooth. I will finish the whole 750.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 01:01:03 | More by u2carew

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a clear light orange amber. Light head and lacing. Aroma of wheat and Belgian spices, light malt. Moderate body. Sweet malt and light fruit with a sweet, light finish. Overall rather subdued; a tame Belgian pale ale. I still enjoyed it and will pick it up if more assertive Belgians aren't available.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 03:57:06 | More by LiquidAmber

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Best by August 28, 2013:

Into my chalice:

A: golden yellow body yields a large half finger white head that lasted for a good two minutes. Rapidly rising carbonation was seen. No rings and no lacing was seen.

S: centered around some banana and lighter lemon and other citrusy notes. The smell reminded me a bit of a hefeweizen.

T: exceptionally bready and sweet. Malts came in very powerful backed up a bit by some spice. Banana came back with a punch but nothing obscure.

M: medium, smooth and creamy, pretty drinkable beer

O: good for the style and good for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 00:04:52 | More by kangarooAdam59

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into Leffe chalice glass

Appearance – Pours a deep golden/orange color with a billowy white head. The head has a fair amount of retention, but fades slowly over time to give a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is very classic of a Belgian. A biscuit aroma with a strong presence of yeast cake, banana and a lighter lemon citrus aroma. There is also a light pepper spicy aroma mixed with the rest.

Taste – A sweet and somewhat bready flavor met the tongue. The sweet is mainly citrus and a light caramel in nature with the breadiness a mix of biscuit and malty bread. Soon after the initial taste the yeast that was detected in the nose comes to the taste. This is soon also meet with flavors of banana and spice. These flavors take the taste to the end and leave a quite sweet yet satisfying flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The body is a above average in thickness and chewiness and the carbonation level is quite average. The chewiness of the brew is really very nice for the style and allows al the flavors to coast and sit on the tongue.

Overall – This is a very affordable Belgian beer with a fantastic flavor and feel. A great session Belgian!!

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 01:27:07 | More by Darkmagus82

madeofsteel

Michigan

4.48/5  rDev +26.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a very slender, subtly seductive foiled bottle. Poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a hazy pale blond color with an impressive inch- thick head, which lulls into a quarter inch in about a minute, leaving thick, patchy lacing. This stuff looks appetizing.

S - The first thing I notice is a spicy Belgo-yeast, then faint grassy hops, slight citrus, and maybe honey?

T - Sharp grassy hops in between a delightful sweet chorus of banana, bubble gum, possibly coriander and honey. There's almost a peppery quality to it.

M - Mellow carbonation and a pleasantly light body make this very drinkable.

O - If you're a fan of Belgians, this one is definitely worth a peek.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 22:18:02 | More by madeofsteel

RickS95

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Extremely pale color, kind of a hazy dull gold. Very clear. The head is bright white and enormous with major retention. After some minutes, the head falls in on itself leaving a little crown. Major lacing.

The scent is pleasant enough with spices (pepper and orange peel), lemon and possibly even some honey. Very floral. Bready and malty.

Tastes like a Belgian with the use of Belgian yeast and spices. Like the nose, orange peel and pepper (and other spices) are the dominant flavor.

There's some complexity here. First, for such a light beer, it's got a lot of body. It's mostly spicy, with some sweet notes in middle, before more spice and some tart in the finish. It's got a warm, spicy, sticky feel in the swallow, with a faint bitterness from the orange peel.

I'm happy I got this beer. It's not exactly what I expected, but was easy to drink and makes a good night cap. Glad I have several more to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 02:15:32 | More by RickS95

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a viscous gold, with a huge fluffy white head that clears quickly.

Sweet honey and malt in the aroma, with banana and pear.

I like the instant sweetness in the mouth, definitely honey and banana maltiness, with a slight bitterness that appears in a flash. It's the high carbonation that keeps this from tipping into sickening-sweet.

Another BA-er put it well: "... problem might be it's too full tasting to be a refreshing beer, and lacks depth to make it a really interesting one. But very enjoyable and easy to drink nonetheless."

Maybe that explains the lower scores, here. It's definitely a positive flavor. And I feel I could drink this pretty regularly.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 03:45:25 | More by martyl1000

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before September 24th 2013. I've been a little curious about this one for a while, but not enough to get a six pack. Hooray for singles!

Pours a beautiful clear golden-amber colour; highly effervescent, with a torrent of bubbles streaming from the bottom of the glass up to the lofty, eggshell-white head. And lofty might even be a bit of an understatement - in addition to being puffy, pillowy and smooth, it's nearly three fingers thick. Retention is respectable, but weaker than most of the other Belgian pales I've tried. It's mostly gone within six or seven minutes, but it leaves behind a complicated doily pattern of lacing on the sides of the glass. Nice aroma, but nothing out of the ordinary for the style - yeast is very prominent as usual, with elements of bready malts, banana, and a light, understated clove spiciness. Nothing fancy, but definitely clean and enticing.

Decent flavour, with lots more bready malts, candied sugar and orchard fruit (peach, perhaps pear or apricot) sweetness. The banana taste is prominent mid-sip, where the light clove spice also comes forward. Leans on the sweet side, but with enough bitterness and spice to balance it. The alcohol is noticeable in the aftertaste, which itself provides some appreciated dryness to cut through the sweetness of the malts. On the light side of medium-bodied, with surprisingly light carbonation for a rather smooth mouthfeel. Fairly drinkable, but not something I'd want to have more than one or two of in a night.

Leffe Blonde started off impressive, but the flavour leaves a bit to be desired. It's certainly not bad - it's just straightforward and plain, which is not an endearing trait in Belgian styles.

Final Grade: 3.43, a serviceable B-. This is a decent brew, but not an exceptional one. I am glad I bought this as a single, because while I could probably drink 6 of these, I could also easily find better beers to spend that money on. Due to the fact that Leffe Blonde is balanced, not complex, and has an agreeable flavour, I might actually recommend this to a newbie looking for a relatively easy-to-find BPA - but I wouldn't count on this stuff impressing a lot of seasoned BAs. In short - it's worth a try, but not something to go out of your way for.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 04:26:36 | More by thehyperduck

thourgood

California

1.73/5  rDev -51.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: brownish gold _ viscous.
S: malt, fruit, acitone
T: bitter and sweet at the same time.
Mg: sickening
Db: I drank several.. but u didn't like it
Ov: not good. I did not enjoy this beer. Too much raw malt taste and no balance whatsoever. Lots of carbonation but viscous at the same time. Gross.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 22:37:46 | More by thourgood

Arno

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Beautiful. Deep golden color tending slightly towards orange. Strings of bubbles. Foamy, good 2 fingers when pouring, but loses the foam pretty quickly. It's not very thick but airy.

Smell: Sweet, honeylike and malty. Somewhat fruity. Banana and ripe pear.

Taste: Very sweet, honey and fruit like taste, followed by a light bitter and malty flavor. Long lasting taste, from sweet to malt to a light bitter.

Mouthfeel: Tingling fizz gives it a fresh touch. It has a semi thick feel giving it a little more body. But it leaves a bit of a slimy effect in the mouth.

Overall: It's probably not the most exciting beer out there, nor is it my favorite one. But it's a beer i can easily drink any day. It's very easygoing with a full, sweet and maltiness flavor with a light bitter to give it some more depth and balance. It's the sweetness that's leading though. The biggest problem might be it's too full tasting to be a refreshing beer, and lacks depth to make it a really interesting one. But very enjoyable and easy to drink nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 21:55:39 | More by Arno

ADZA

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Been a while since i tried this but i thought why not give it a shot and pours a clear golden sunset hue which leaves a creamy three finger head and lacing all over the place,the smell is spicy cloves,bready yeast,a touch of bananna and fresh peaches,the mouthfeel is light bodied and lighter than i expected but easy enough to knock back and has tastes of bready belgian yeast,cloves,herbal eartrhy hops and finished with that bready belgian yeast that dominates and overall the vieux temps yeast used definately dominates and its abit sweet for me but an easy enough session brew.

Serving type: growler

06-01-2012 09:22:11 | More by ADZA

Drinkerofales

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear light golden, with a huge fluffy white head, and a nice effervescence. Some random lacing a great retention.

Smells of malt and yeast, almost clean, but not much going on.

Tastes of crisp malts, light, tails off to a very light peppery finish.

Texture is bubbly, and almost fizzy. Though easy to drink, it's not awesome.

An ok beer, a bit boring and thin.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 18:07:24 | More by Drinkerofales

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

*As I slowly make my way towards connoisseurship I find myself constantly having to update my old reviews.

APPEARANCE: Amber, almost clear with strings of fine bubbles. Beautiful head already clinging to the glass but not as foamy as the Leffe Brune.

SMELL: Very nice. Bread, banana and lots of pepper.

TASTE: Nice and bitter. Peppery. Acidic berries flavour.

OVERALL: I like it a lot. It might not be the best Belgian pale ale but I feel it often gets a bad rap.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 07:58:04 | More by Hoppsbabo

Yoda22

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a clear gold with 2+ fingers of white foamy head that lasts and lasts due to what looks like quite high carbonation; lots of bubbles. Some decent thin lacing. Looks excellent.

S- Smells lightly of yeast, sweet malt, banana and is a bit bready. Pretty good.

T- Taste is like the smell but a little stronger. You can taste the sweet malt and again a little bit of banana like flavor.

M- A smooth light mouthfeel with a solid medium/high carbonation; doesn't bite though, very smooth.

O- Good beer! Easy drinker despite 6.6% ABV - it's like a solid cross between a sessionable blonde/wheat and a belgian strong. And it was really cheap too, $3 or $4 for a 750ml corked bottle. Thumbs up!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:14:30 | More by Yoda22