Leffe Blonde - Abbaye de Leffe S.A.

rudyarmand

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have been enjoying Leffe Blonde for awhile. I first discovered it while pub hopping in London last year. It was different from the other great English draft ales that I had been drinking. Back in the USA, I noticed that it was available at Taco Mac in Atlanta. Fortunately I had to return to Europe on business this spring and got to drink Leffe Blonde at Heathrow Airport, Amsterdam, and best of all in Brugges (Belgium). There is an Irish pub next to the Crown Plaza there that had Leffe Blonde on tap and it was truly excellent. My associates and I sampled many different trappist ales while in Belgium, but Leffe Blonde was available in most bars and we loved it! Some people are voicing negative opinions about this beer because it is now being distributed internationally by a large cartel. If that enables me to enjoy it more often in Atlanta, then I can't view that as a bad thing. Try Leffe Brun-its even better!

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2005 15:42:44 | More by rudyarmand

stouty1

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another of the many biers my wife brought me from her trip to France (thank you, honey!). I was disappointed because she was limited to how much she could bring home and she accidentally bought two of these. However...

Poured a sweet nutty brown with a great foamy head which lasted forever (seemed like it anyway). Smells of citrus and a hint of bannana. Taste definitely proved my nose correct with the bannana and fruityness. Almost had a Hefe feel and taste to it. Maybe that's why I liked it so much. I couldn't get enough of this. I am so glad I had a full liter of it. Oh wait, and I have another. Thank God for mistakes!

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2006 14:02:03 | More by stouty1

tugdriver7

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer falls into the "boy am I glad I bought this" category. Being a bit of a purist "Reinheitsgebot-ist" when it comes to malt beverages, I am not a real fan of Belgian beers. So when I saw the display of Abbey de Leffe at the local store, I was attracted first to the amazing packaging. But the BA reviews were good, so I tried it. Absolutely loved it. Rich, clear golden color with massive, foamy head that lasted and lasted (and then laced the glass all the way down). The spicy clove/banana hops hits your nose immediately, but subtlely. And the taste is reminiscient of the best Belgian white beers, but filtered to a smooth, bubbly gold and not too sweet. Extremly drinkable and one of the few I've enjoyed right down to the last swallow. Exceptional. I think I'll have another.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2006 23:52:45 | More by tugdriver7

Mitchster

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Didn't really know what to expect, as this was an Interbrew product and we all know they are seen as devils in the brewing community. I have had a few other Leffe products and really enjoyed them. This one pours out to a clear yellow-golden, forming a nice-sized rocky white head with very good retention and excellent lacing. Carbonation is moderate...not quite as brisk as many other triples/Belgian Pales, which is fine with me. The aroma is crisp and clean with vanilla, honey, cantaloupe, and cloves. Slight mineral profile in the nose. Deceivingly light powdery body with a very weak saccharin syrupiness, but not at all distracting. Dry finish with sharp mineral notes. The taste is like the aroma...lots of cantaloupe and honey, mild apricot and orange with a very mild grassy bitterness towards the end, finishing with big tropical fruits and cloves peppered throughout. Alcohol is not noticeable in flavor or aroma. Grass lingers in the aftertaste. Well-balanced middle sweetness and late hops bitterness. Drinkability is very nice.

This is probably the easiest to drink Belgian Pale that I've had that doesn't skimp on flavor, dumb down for the masses, or deviate from the style. Thoroughly refreshing, and it doesn't cause palette fatigue (unlike Unibroue products...despite being awesome, I can only drink so many) Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2006 00:13:46 | More by Mitchster

Damian

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Drank on-tap at the Thirsty Scholar Pub, Somerville, MA

Poured a clear, straw yellow with a small, foamy head that faded to a thick ring of lace.

Aroma was fruity and sweet. Ripe fruits (strawberries and raspberries) were apparent, along with candied sugar and some cotton candy-like qualities.

Taste was sweet (almost honey-like) and fruity on the front end. Some candied sugar was apparent in taste as well. Yeast became quite noticeable mid-palate, along with citrus fruits (orange and lemon peel) and spices (coriander and clove). Clean, refreshing finish with a fair amount of hoppiness.

Rich, buttery, syrupy mouthfeel.

Drinkability was outstanding. This beer was sweet and flavorful, yet quite well balanced. Furthermore, the alcohol was not at all detectable. One of the most sessionable Belgiums I have had to date.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2006 05:39:45 | More by Damian

billybob

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured a clear golden color with a three finger white head with a easy pour that held to a half inch with a spotty lace. first whiff is of banana aroma that turns to clove and spice. taste, all i could think of was easter ham studed with clove, clove and spice predominate the taste. medium mouthfeel with good carbonation, lots of bubbles coming up through the beer. maybe not the best but still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2007 18:41:24 | More by billybob

BarryNL

Netherlands

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Crystal clear and golden - OK, they cheat and filter it so don't really deserve a lot of praise for the clarity but nevertheless a rich and appetising colour. A nice. bright white Belgian lace head which lasts well.

S: Malty with hints of honey and fruit.

T: Full of rich malty flavour. The aftertaste is honey and there is some nice floral and earthy complexity - probably from the yeast strain used. The hop bitterness balances the beer well, though the taste is definitely on the sweeter side.

M: Rich and fluffy with a fairly high level of carbonation.

D: Highly quaffable. The taste is clean enough that you could happily drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2008 20:37:48 | More by BarryNL

edbeer

Rhode Island

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer tastes as good as it looks. I do have to admit that I was a little disappointed that maize was used as an adjunct but given my love fro this beer I'll overlook it. The pour finished with a white creamy head that looks every bit as good as the advertisements. The taste was smooth and malty with a nice hop balance. This is the kind of beer you can have with pizza or a nice filet mignon. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2008 23:48:57 | More by edbeer

WHYB

New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: lots of clove, nice sweet fruity aroma as well (juicy fruit)

Appearance: Clean/clear golden color, small clean bubbles, white foamy head

Flavor: Spicy, (clove and pepper). The small bitterness, medium alcohol and med-high carbonation dry out this beer which I think would otherwise be considered sweet.
Still has the overall impression of sweet (which is balanced with the high spice) and the slowly drying finish, slight alcohol warming.

Mouth feel
Medium-Full, creamy, and a dry bubbly feel,

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 02:16:18 | More by WHYB

JohnY

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottled into a belgian style tulip glass. Nice head formation torward the top of the glass. Citrus and Coriander on the nose. Formed tiny (champagne like) bubbles that lasted until I was done with this 11.2 oz bottle (not long). Nice lace. Smooth and well balanced. Wonderful golden color. Easy to drink. Perfect summertime beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2006 01:20:25 | More by JohnY

SusurusIgnoramus

Maryland

4.63/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nice golden color with reddish tint. Persistent carbonation, generous white head that diminishes slowly. Smells more alchoholic than 6.6%. A clean, fruity smell
Tastes very refreshing. Definite alcohol warmth. Malty, but not BIG malty. It's balanced well with hop bitterness and a fruitiness that I assume comes from the hops, and maybe yeast? This one is hard to pin down. Mouthfeel is dry, yet refreshing. Crisp, I suppose is the word.

VERY drinkable. Probably the drinkablest(?) Belgian I've had yet.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2008 22:39:56 | More by SusurusIgnoramus

Thickfreakness

New York

4.63/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- Beautiful pumpkin orange hue... 2 1/2 finger snow white head with lacing that clings like spider webs as it disappears.

S- Banana, clove, nutmeg, and freshly harvested wheat! This beer always smells like spring to me!

T- Honey, ginger and banana right up front. Clove, sweet licorice, and jelly beans follow as it warms up. I love how bready, fresh and yeasty this blonde lovely is. Such depth and dimension.

M- I love the carbonation tingle as it dances on your tongue, and the sticky sweet honey taste that lingers for what seems like forever!

D- The only thing you need to think about when drinking this one, is when should I take the next one out of the fridge to warm up. It's so simple and delicious... goes with so many different foods... Chinese, Thai, fish, grilled pineapple/chicken skewers, desert... Mmmm...

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 02:49:02 | More by Thickfreakness

Bestuurder

Ontario (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +31%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

What a great blond. An authentic Belgian abbey beer which can be dated back to 1240 a the Abbey de Notre Dame. Leffe is now owned and produced by Stella Artois. Quite delicious, with well rounded fullbodied taste. With a higher than usually abv at 6.6%, it goes down very easily.

This beer is quite delicious, it hold a very appealing aroma and appearance. Very thick in texture, which make sit even more appealing to the palate. Leffe Blond has a sunny golden color, mellow malt flavours, and a touch of spiciness to deliver full-bodied delicate sweetness; though it takes some time to drink because of the sweetness.

Leffe Blond has a well-balanced malt flavouring worthy of any beer drinker. The aroma brings me back to something in my childhood, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2005 23:12:07 | More by Bestuurder

Boneheadmx

California

4.65/5  rDev +31%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The presentation starts in the beautiful bottle, and it pours out to an excellent straw color with a fluffy head. The smell is of spiced rum for some reason.

The taste is brilliant, with hints of fruit. It's very sweet, and a little light on the hops. This reminds me of the taste of whiskey.

The mouthfeel is fairly good, but nothing too exciting.

This is definitely a drinkable beer and I recommend this to everyone.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2006 03:51:50 | More by Boneheadmx

Bricelyn

Idaho

4.65/5  rDev +31%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Its like looking through a glass of clover honey, the head was disappointing it was a finger and a 1/4 of cream soda head that dissipated quickly but is actually leaving a light lacing on my glass.

It smells like a mix of overly ripe avocados (Not odd for a Belgian ale to me at least) and alfalfa hay bales. Finishing with a little wisp of the alcohol.

First thing that hit me as I took a drink was the carbonation burning my tongue very sprite like carbonation... It has however mellowed out and is quite smooth now on my 4th or 5th sip.

It's got a slight crispness to it that mellows into a fermented fruit, and leaves the palette sticky with a happy coppery slime. Classic Belgian ale

I will be polishing off this brew over the Christmas holiday, I'd call this one very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 06:48:06 | More by Bricelyn

claytri

Maryland

4.68/5  rDev +31.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It poured a spectacular clear orange gold and developed a thin white head. The aroma is full of spice and fruit. The taste is bold and full of flavors. There are several spices and fruits competing for room here. It's a great blend and the flavor filled out as the beer warmed. A good solid medium feel to this with a bit of carbonation. I think there was a little hops, but no more than just enough to keep this from being too sweet, no bitterness at all. This one definately goes on the regular list.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2004 06:28:54 | More by claytri

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

What an awesome beer! Can't believe it's taken me this long to discover such a treasure... almost like a super hefe-weizen, this beer pours a gorgeous bronze color with a nice, frothy head that has decent staying power... The aroma is wonderful - full of banana, fruits, and spices... The taste is super-rich... full of exciting and bold flavors that strongly complement the aroma... Has a superb mouthfeel that sticks to the palate and taste buds... flavor is long-lasting and very satisfying... a relatively strong alcohol percentage is the only thing holding me back from giving this a perfect five, but the 6.6% is really not felt so much, as the alcohol is hard to detect behind a creamy and rich taste... Definitely recommended... a must-try...

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2007 23:58:29 | More by dsa7783

tepickering

Arizona

4.72/5  rDev +33%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i lived in NL for two years and enjoyed many, many glasses of leffe blonde. it was the very first beer i bought when i arrived, if only because the six pack came with a free glass which i needed (all of my kitchenware was on a slow boat). nine years later and i still remember that divine first taste. and to think that a six pack plus glass cost the equivalent of under $4 at the time....

i have had this beer on tap and out of a bottle many times in the BeNeLux area as well as some parts of the US (NYC, DC, austin). very recently had several bottles while visiting the eifel part of germany, very near belgium. it was as good as i remembered. in my experience, the quality is more consistent out of the bottle and definitely better either way in europe than in the US.

at its best, it has a wonderful, complex flavor with a bit of sweetness, but nothing heavy or cloying. this complexity seems to go away somewhat if it sits in a keg for too long or isn't optimally stored in shipping. the leffe i've had in the US was good, just not outstanding. maybe 0.5 points down overall.

for me, leffe blonde is the belgian beer i always go back to. a great 'comfort beer'. there are others i like better in certain ways or for certain times, but this is definitely the best i've had in this particular style.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 19:57:48 | More by tepickering

MarcGetty

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +33.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Leffe is has a quintessential golden color with high carbonation and an usually long lasting head. It's head is quite unusual and makes this beer worth trying by itself. Rich long lasting taste but without a bad aftertaste. A little bit of aroma, very drinkable and always a terrific beer to rediscover.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2005 01:18:54 | More by MarcGetty

nbree00

California

4.75/5  rDev +33.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

One of the most exceptional colors I have ever seen! Pours a wondrous orange and amber color with possibly the biggest head ever ( it literally sat at 2-3 inches, until I could no longer contain myself and had to start drinking it). The taste has a nice heartiness to it, with some great biscuit flavors coming through and a delicate balance of malt and hops. The finish is very clean with a little sweetness. The head alone made this beer a great choice for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2008 23:27:41 | More by nbree00

HopEnthusiast

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +34.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Crystal clear honey gold with 1-2 finger frothy off-white head with good retention and decent lacing.

S: Apples and pears dominate the aroma with only a spritz of floral hops.

T: A clean and simple Belgian light ale with sweet, fruity flavors met with a light floral hops finish.

M: The best part of this beer is the silky feel. Aftertaste is sweetly fruity and carbonation is on target.

D: I really liked this brew, a lot better than Duvel and other light Belgians.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 21:40:53 | More by HopEnthusiast

roddwolff

Mexico

4.78/5  rDev +34.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Deep golden color, large, creamy and compact foamy head, good lacing, the bottle looks like a small liquor bottle;

S: Pungent and fragrant with hops, also fruit essences like melon, lemon and orange together with spices;

T: Biscuity malt, spicy hopss, spices and notes of peach;

M: Sweet and refreshing, the end is very bitter, medium body and high carbonation, I like it hides its alcohol content;

D: An excellent belgian beer, you can easily take several like ice cream peach.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2010 01:01:03 | More by roddwolff

Beerislife652854

Connecticut

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

A - Clear golden body with a compact head of fine foam that laces the inside of the pint glass finely and thoroughly.

S - Very mild, some florals and fruit.

T - Sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Mild notes of honey.

M - Crisp with just the right amount of carbonation.

D - A very drinkable Belgian blonde ale. Light, but not too light.

This is the first time I have tried this style, and I was so pleased with it that I will make it a point from now on to buy a six-pack of this beer at least once a week.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2008 00:25:19 | More by Beerislife652854

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

Hammarby

Sweden

4.85/5  rDev +36.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Light amber with an offwhite head with yellowish tones. The foamy head stays forever. A beautiful beer.
S: Citrus, yeast, red berries, flowery aroma.
T: Some bitterness at the back of the tounge, more at the tip (hmm). The bitterness builds up as I drink. Yeast, definately. Citrus (grapefruit). Some sweetness in the aftertaste, beautifully balanced with the bitterness. Coriander (could that be right?). Very tasty. Complex.
M: Tiny bubbles of carboration, moderately carborated. Light to medium body.

I've had this one before. Can't imagine why I haven't held it in higher esteem. I love this beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2007 16:51:31 | More by Hammarby