Leute Bok - Brouwerij Van Steenberge N.V.

bobhits

Kentucky

2.55/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Buttery rich body backed by overly sour green apples. The mix ends up towards the sweet and butter side, but a strange beer. A lovely but not especially great looking beer. The aromas are far too towards the sour and odd side of things.

This is not a beer I'd ever want to go back to. It has some unique blends of flavors but I'm not enjoying this at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 17:54:36 | More by bobhits

Glory

Quebec (Canada)

2.6/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got a glass of Leute BoKbier at the BierTemple in Brussels last year and brought it back home just because its a fecking nice looking glass you should check it out...
Anyways...since a had a Leute Glass at home with no Leute to drink from it, I ordered 24 bottles from Québecbiere.info. And there we go...

Poured in my cool looking Leute glass, the beer is clear and glows a brownish-red colored looking Ale. Head retention is pretty nice. Frothy looking light brown foam that just sits there waiting...It does fades after a minute or two...pretty normal.

First nose is a huge whiff of C02 and beneath that is...well, thats the problem. There's not much. Notes of roasted malt, hints of rusted metal. Thats It ! There's nothing else ! Could it be stale...out of 24, I have 6 left could they all be stale ?
Of course I didin't drink all of them, but the ones I had where pretty much the same. As it warms a little in the glass, I actually get a smell of Brett. I don't know whats going on.

Texture on the palate is quite watery, carbonation is nice for this type of beer though. I get a hint of sweet caramel here and there ends with a little sourness and my mouth is bone dry. Bleh...Very boring. The description on BA says it has 8.2 ABV...rather 7.5 on the bottle. Overall, the mouthfeel is watered down, sweet&sour. Trust me, its not just this one bottle...they were all the same.

In a world where marketing is king, you can foul people into buying your beer just because it comes with a cool looking glass just like I did...well folks...I guess tonight, I'm the foul !

Cheers Lads

WS

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 04:59:53 | More by Glory

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Corked magnum bottle

Pours a clouded deep copper colored ale into the glass...2 finger rocky cap reduced to a sticky surface lace and stays the drink, laces the side well enough. Very effervescent from bottle conditioning.

Aroma is of musty burlap and some sweetness over fermenting fruits and almonds...nice nose.

Moderate malt decernment, medium-light body, peppery mouth feel, spritzy-yeasty-fruity character.

Profile: Up front some sweetness from caramelized malts, then a rush of sour musty tastes much like spoiled fruits...finish is crisp and spritzy but yeasty with the fruits punching through and a light bittering from the hopping....yeasty-sweet aftertaste.

I’m not partial to this one...sharp edges, too yeasty and undeveloped and I’m double pissed off because they fooled me into thinking it was a bock beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2006 00:20:46 | More by pootz

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

2.89/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

A - Appears a nice golden-brown with a two-finger white cream colored head of large craggy bubbles. Spider web like lacing.

S - Roasted grains and Belgian yeasts dominate. Some sweet malt esters.

T - Taste follows the nose, with pumpelnickel rye grains forward. Not as sweet as expected or the nose would indicate; in fact, it's not really sweet at all. Belgian yeasts add a sour cherry fruity character. The whole thing doesnt come together very well, as the tastes are a little jarring. Astringent, coppery finish. Man, this thing is grainy.

M - Thin body with stinging carbonation. Definitely over carbonated.

O - This is a Belgian Strong Dark ale trying to be a Bock, and it succeeds at being neither. Strange flavor combinations, excessive graniness, and a poor mouthfeel made this a struggle. Very disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 22:59:55 | More by TempeBeerMan

fartingdog

California

3.03/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Cellared 1 year (in quite respectable and consistent cellar conditions), wish I'd have reviewed the one I had then that was fresh.

Opened with an aggressive 'pop'. Pours a dark caramelly color like I remembered, but where's the head I remember?

Initially starts out sweet, but is immediately cancelled out by some sour notes and the funk flows in your nose. this beer obviously caught something in the last year and is going down hill in a bad way. Yeast and other pleasant flavors are still detectable immediately, but everything gets replaced by the sourness (this is not an offensive sourness BTW, just NOT what you want in this beer.)

Mouthfeel is still pretty good.

The low marks on this one are in no reflection of a fresh version, I remember being quite tasty. But, for the love of god, DO NOT cellar this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2007 03:49:26 | More by fartingdog

stcules

Italy

3.08/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

The bottle we taste is only 7.5% ABV, and not 8.2%...
It has a very abundant foam, brown, with some side bubbles a little too big. Anyway, it has a beautiful hat of foam, quite persistent.
Dark colour, almost black, with reddish reflexes.
The smell is at the beginning very light, just some hints of malt, and caramel. After a while, you can feel some fruity and alcool, but very light.
At the taste some light fruity, liquorice. The alcool is present, but it doesn't bother. Light red fruity.
Medium-light body.
The aftertaste is a little more fruity (sour black cherry).

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2003 17:42:43 | More by stcules

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.08/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Easily produces a three-finger thick, amber-brownish-tinged, tan colored head in my 25cl tulip glass, despite a careful pour. The beer is a brilliantly clear, deeply amber hued, red color when held up to the light, but is otherwise a dark, concentrated cherry color. The aroma is quite sweet smelling with notes of blackberry jam, cloves, concentrated fruit-caramel and a touch of toasty, yet definitely caramelized, malty / bready notes. The aroma is fairly enjoyable, though it does seem a bit too sweet to be really nice; the sweetness does accentuate the distinct fruitiness though.

The beer has a medium thick heft to it, but is not nearly as sweet as the aroma might have suggested. Still at first blush the beer does not seem complex enough to carry the simplistic, fruit nuanced, sweetness that is here. Flavor notes of currants, sweet plums, raisins, a hint of cloves and even some tart notes that are also evocative of plums or even apples. Somehow this beer really seems to fade for me, it is not so much that it doesn't leave anything lingering on the palate, it is just that it seems forgettable. I am not quite too sure why I feel this way; part of this is the mouth feel, while it does have some heft to it, the beer just seems to disappear on my about half way through each sip. The most prominent flavors are those of the concentrated, sweet fruit notes, which are just too simplistic for me to really get into.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2007 05:54:53 | More by Gueuzedude

ikantspel

California

3.1/5  rDev -18%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

stubby bottle into a duvel tulip

pours a deep dark chestnut color with a ridiculously foamy head that leaves the glass covered in sweet lace

ripened dark fruits, belgian yeast, some barnyard funk, and some slight alcohol in the nose

taste is roasted malts, raisin, and molasses, finishes somewhat dry

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 04:00:12 | More by ikantspel

Westsidethreat

California

3.15/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Lightly hazed prune juice color. Bouyant medium sized bubble head tours over the glass.

S: Yeast, doughy...boysenberry with a touch of oak.

T: Flavor is a repressed double. Minor tastes of brown sugar, purple grapes with a touch of sourness. Metallic aftertaste.

M: Enjoyable texture with good carbonation.

D: Pretty much a let down. There are zero bock characteristics in this beer. Drinkable sure...but nothing special at all.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2006 04:21:41 | More by Westsidethreat

Travlr

District of Columbia

3.15/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Gift from fellow beer travelers at Delirium in Brussels.
Appearance gets extra points because of the cool balancing glass. Very dark brown, large tan head with incredible lacing.
Smell is malt and light spice.
Taste is sweet caramel candy, with a hint of apple.
Not very complex, just a simple, sweet strong brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2009 00:52:17 | More by Travlr

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy dark chocolate brown color with slight amber edges when held to a light source and a thick two finger frothy, tan foam head. Decent retention, slowly fading into a lasting ring. Minimal spots of lacing left behind.

Bready yeast aroma with hints of candi sugar, hops, dark fruit notes, chocolate and spice. Hints of plum, raisin and fig. Smells interesting.

Medium bodied with soft carbonation up front that lingers throughout into a bitter finish. Sweet and malty with hints of roasted bitter dark chocolate malts and dark fruit. Dark cherry, plum and raisin are evident. The dark chocolate notes are most prominent in the finish. I usually like the combination of these flavors but this beer was a bit too roasty and bitter for my liking and had a strange alcohol astringency that I found off-putting.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 22:12:27 | More by corby112

Graham5161986

British Columbia (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

This beer does what many other belgians do - almost explodes when popping the cap.

Once poured into my Duvel Tulip, it has a very dark brown (almost black) colour but with definite ruby highlights when held up to light. The head is simply massive and I actually had to wait a while before pouring the whole thing because it would have spilled over. The head is bubbly and rocky, has excellent retention and is a light tan colour. There's some serious lacing left on my glass. A very pretty looking beer overall.

This beer's nose features light fruit, candied sugar and spice with a good amount of yeast and a touch of leather and light grain.

Taste is quite sweet and sugary up front with loads of cotton candy and candied fruit with good amounts of spice and caramel. The finish is surprisingly dry and crisp given the sugary palate and has a nutty, bread and butter linger. It's a bit too sweet for me and, in that way, kinda one dimensional.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, quite creamy and chewy with a high level of carbonation and, again, a slightly oily yet surprisingly clean finish.

This beer isn't super high in alcohol but it sure is a sugar bomb. That said, there's no way I would want another right away. It's a tasty brew but it's just a bit too sweet to be a regular for me. I would buy it again but I won't be rushing back for more.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 07:20:17 | More by Graham5161986

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.2/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11.2oz bottle served in my Leute Bok stirrup glass. Pours a deep mahogany hue with a thick, dense, four inch, rocky, tan-colored head that eventually settles into a consistent 1/8th inch skim. Sheets of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose expresses prunes and belgian yeast, but is fairly subdued. Taste is a bit more watered down than suggested by the nose and there is also a slightly metallic character in the background. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body (but closer to light), with a pleasant, even carbonation and a slight acidity. All and all, a pretty lackluster BSDA. Not something I need to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 19:04:27 | More by Jwale73

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Wow, this seems like a bock from Belgium. Pourred a deep ruby brew with a nice bubbly head with medium retention time. Mix of spice with usual hops taste from Van Steenberge. Body if medium and alcohol taste is not too evident. This is an above average brew but nothing too spectacular except the use of the bock style from a Belgium brewer.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2003 02:21:07 | More by Phyl21ca

nkwarrior

Tennessee

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Average for a belgian beer. simple, not complex. Impressive head... maybe too much. great color. Aroma is good.750ml bottle poured into a Leute Bok glass. I have visted Van Steenberge Brewery in Oct 2008. Most of thier beers are average in my opinion, this one maybe one of the better ones. will try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2008 01:50:01 | More by nkwarrior

PartyBear

United Kingdom (England)

3.35/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a cellar temperature 330ml bottle into a Leute branded glass. One of the more interesting glasses I have come across, has a pointed bottom, which is rested in a block of wood.

A - Deep red to amber in colour with a decent sized off-white head. Seems well carbonated.

S - A rich maltiness with a hint of sourness behind. Mild fruits, possibly red berries.

T - There are definite malts at the front, though they are quite dry. Spiciness, slightly peppery in the middle, with a bit of a yeasty acidic taste. The finish is bitter, and noticeably alcoholic.

M - Very lively and carbonic. Medium body, with a slightly dry feel.

D - Interesting flavours, although I am not sure the balance is right, felt a bit like they didn't work in harmony. As far as Strong Belgian Ales go, this is not one of the best.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 18:40:30 | More by PartyBear

ThaCreep

Belgium

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Body slightly sweet (the button is still mild) with a finish which blends spices, first powerfully but diminishing over time and become more easily drinkable. As the nose is a bit weak and the flavors are not easily discernible even if the yeast carries the characteristic flavor of roasted malt. The aftertaste has a significant rate of IBU

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-25-2010 10:42:30 | More by ThaCreep

merc7186

New York

3.38/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured on tap at Crabapples in Cheektowaga NY, poured into a pint glass.

A: Amber/Brownish Hue, Passes Some Light, Minimal Head, No Lacing

S: Bitter Apple, Mild Plum

T: Apple, Raisins, Mild Plum

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter

Overall, Im sure it is better out of the bottle but mine was flat.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2012 03:21:18 | More by merc7186

Globetrotter

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Is this really supposed to be a Doppelbock? Given the goat on the label and the word "Bok" in the name, I guess so. But man, this ain't got nothing to do with Andechser Doppelbock or any of a hundred other truer renditions of the style.

I found it in a Moscow grocery store at about $3.50 for a 33cl squat brown bottle with a dark label featuring the goat perched with front hooves on a beer keg. The back label is only in Flemish (no French?), but what I could decipher indicates that the brewery thinks this beer isn't sweet. Uh-huh. The Russian translation slapped on the back dodges the issue, but states that the beer is bottle fermented and filtered. Can that be? Never mind. Ingredients conform to the purity law. Best before 7/8/04, I opened it on 11/19/03.

Pours a deep, dark burgundy (too dark to tell with the lighting in my house whether or not it's filtered) under a big pinkish tan head that lingers long and leaves a bit of lace. The nose is fruity - cherries mainly, with a bit of malt. The mouth is heavy with sweetness and mildly carbonated. The taste opens with a little bit of malt under a whole lot of cherries and grapes and a bit of spice. The finish maintains the fruity sweetness, while a bit of hoppy bitterness mingles with the fruit in the aftertaste. The winner of this contest is a no brainer, though. Fruit, fruit, fruit. Call this a Belgian Doppelbock, with the emphasis on BELGIAN. It's a decent strong ale, but nowhere close to a good Doppelbock.

My bottle also claims 7.5% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2003 19:17:43 | More by Globetrotter

sulldaddy

Connecticut

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I am splitting a 1.5 liter bottle with BA Stopper. Pouring at room temp into a stemmed bock glass the beer is a little foamy on the pour with 4 cm of fluffy beige head rushing up with gentle pour. The head recedes to a sturdy surface layer quickly.
Aroma is pretty malty with caramel and brown sugar mostly and perhaps a bit of fruit. Not overly complex but definitely appealing.
First sip reveals an average body with very mild almost non-existent carbonation. THe flavor is similar to nose with sweet malt from start to finish. This is a decent brew, but thought it might be a little more complex being a Belgian Bok. I liked it well enough, but probably wouldnt buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2006 01:49:38 | More by sulldaddy

dsa7783

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Copped a 750 ML bottle from Gary's in Madison, as it was recommended to me by one of the employees there... Interesting, attractive bottle with a characteristic Bok goat on the label... Pours an outstanding dark-brown, slightly tan color with an immense frothy head which bubbled over my glass... smell was deep, dark, full of malts, licorice, and brown sugars... taste seemed highly carbonated, with obvious malts, dark sugars, prunes, figs, toffee, and a noticeable root-beer flavor... overall, the flavor wasn't a knock-out and was somewhat bland and not completely flavorful, although it didn't disappoint, and was crisp and refreshing with a decent mouthfeel... must be said that drinkability was very good, without any hint of bitterness or alcohol detected despite the hefty 8.2% ABV... a pretty good stab at the style, and not bad at all... interesting brew... Worth a try, but I wasn't blown away...

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2008 23:20:27 | More by dsa7783

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

BB 11/07/2013

Beer is a reddish brown, with a large off-white head. Very solid looking head and great retention- head just sits there.

Nose is VERY faint. A bit of dark fruit and sweet malt. Hard to pick up anything. The whiffs are fine.

Taste better, but not a standout. Fairly sweet, with juicy dark fruits. Raisin and fig, with sweet bready malt. Finish has a slight bitterness. A bit of spice. Kind of thin, and certainly not complex.

Medium bodied, certainly light for the style. Strong carbonation.

Overall, decent but not a great beer. There are so many good BSDAs out there that I certainly wouldn't feel the need to drink this one again, though it is relatively enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 00:58:17 | More by jrenihan

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.46/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 330ml bottle with a BB of March 2013, so it's just out of date. Picked up ages ago in Lidl as part of a Belgian selection box. The goat on the label reminds me of German bock bier, though I'd be surprised if this is similar.

Poured into a Delirium chalice. Bottle conditioned. A dark, hazy reddish-brown colour with plentiful carbonation. Forms a large head of creamy beige foam with excellent retention; this slowly subsides to a thick surface layer. Aroma of rich malt with notes of fruity yeast esters, raisins, caramel, a mild nuttiness, faint grain and a hint of brown sugar. Slightly sweet, with a warming whiff of booze in the background.

Tastes of sweet, fruity malt with a yeasty character and a mild finish. Notes of caramel malt, fruity yeast esters, subtle nuttiness, mild brown sugar and faint clove. Slightly sweet and quite dry. No hops to speak of, and the flavour doesn't linger. A light yeastiness upon swallowing, followed by a twinge of alcohol. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with decent body and prickly carbonation that mellows out after a while. An aftertaste of dry, fruity yeast and caramel malt.

A decent brew that goes down nicely. Looks great, and the aroma is well-rounded. The flavour is somewhat less interesting - it lacks depth and seems to hollow out after the first few seconds. The caramel malt and yeasty notes are pretty average. Body is OK. Overall, a drinkable beer but nothing special. Worth sampling if you stumble across it but no need to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 23:24:21 | More by jazzyjeff13

sabrills70

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750ml corked and caged bottle with no freshness date. Pours a dark mahogony with a two finger head, decent longevity and very nice lace. Big malt a cadni sugar aromas mixed with sherry, dried fruit and big yeasty smells. Again big malt and brown sugar flavors, sherry and dried dark fruits. the flavors are all there they just don't blend very well together. Perhaps this one needs to age a bit. A well made beer, just not smooth and balanced enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2008 01:00:15 | More by sabrills70

saintwarrick

South Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This brew pours a slightly cherry red, very light for this style, I have to say. White head billows up pretty easily. Aroma is solid, a bready maltiness, some faint sugars and dark fruits like raisins and figs. Taste is very light and thin, not too thin, but noticeable for the style. Dark malts, brown sugar and fruits are the norm, but there's nothing that really sticks out. Alcohol is well hidden. Finish is slightly dry.

A solid but unremarkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2009 04:56:14 | More by saintwarrick