Leffe Blonde

Abbaye de Leffe
Dinant, Belgium
Imported by: Import Brands Alliance
St. Louis, MO

Available: AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, VT, WA, WI

The brewing tradition of Leffe beers dates back more than 700 years, to the Abbey Notre Dame de Leffe. The monks passed their brewing to a secular brewer in the 1800s.

ABV: 6.6
ABW: 5.25
Color: gold
Bitterness: 21.2
Original gravity: n/a
Final gravity: n/a
Malts used: n/a
Hops used: n/a

This is a smooth ride with regards to Belgian abbey-style ales — not overly complex, evenly balanced and light enough to be thirst-quenching. Soft on the palate, gently sweet, with notes of honeyed-vanilla and gentle fruit (citrus, banana, melon, currant) with an easy-going finish. A versatile, unchallenging beer that works well solo as well as with a variety of food.
- John Hansell

First off, it’s pronounced “Leff” (French) or “Leff-uh” (Dutch), and not, as I so regularly hear, “Leff-ee.” Secondly, while this is a perfectly acceptable blonde ale of gently spicy flavor and acceptable balance, it is neither a Trappist ale nor anything particularly challenging in terms of complexity or character. The aroma is promising, with an enticing mix of perfumey orange, overripe pear and brown spice, but I feel let down by the body’s low key, vaguely fruity-spicy and honey-accented taste. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but I recall this as having more oomph back in the day. As it stands now, it’s a pleasant enough intro to the Belgian brewing oeuvre and not much more.
- Stephen Beaumont

John Hansell
John Hansell is an equal-opportunity drinker. He writes about beer, wine and spirits. He is the creator, publisher & editor of Malt Advocate, a magazine for the whisky enthusiast.

Stephen Beaumont
Stephen Beaumont boarded his first plane at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back since, obsessing about travel to the point that he gets nervous if he doesn’t have a ticket or two stacked on the corner of his desk. When he’s not running around in search of new taste experiences, he makes his home in Toronto, where a new cultural experience is only as far away as the next neighborhood.