Specific to the Brussels area and representing one of the world's oldest styles of beer making, lambic beers are tart because they are brewed with at least thirty percent raw wheat as well as the more usual malted barley. The key feature is, however, the use of wild yeast in their production, a process of spontaneous fermentation in which the yeasts of the atmosphere gravitate down into open wooden casks over a period of between two and three years. Draught lambic is extremely rare, but it is served in central Brussels at A la Bécasse. The bottled varieties are often modified, but Cantillon Lambik is authentic, an excellent drink with a lemony zip. It is produced at the Cantillon brewery, in Anderlecht, which is home to the Gueuze Museum (see below). Lindemans Lambik is similar and a tad more commonplace. 10. Gueuze (Cantillon Gueuze Lambic 5%) Adam, make sure you ask if they can get it! If they can get Blonde, maybe they can get Brune too! (worth a shot!) The beer takes on a dark brown colour in the glass, covered by a robust head of froth with the colour of café crème. We’ll start with what should be the lightest of the Leffe family, although still a respectable 6.2% ABV, as you can see Leffe Blond came out considerably paler than I remembered, but make no mistake, despite its pale amber colouration, this is a full bodied ale. It has a full mouth feel, and a substantial head that lasted well down the glass, leaving a distinctive lacing down the glass.

The abbey that first produced Leffe, Notre-Dame de Leffe, was founded in 1152 and has a long and rich history. In 1240, the monks decided to build a brewery. Beer at that time was a much healthier alternative to drinking water, which was often full of diseases. The brewery was a great success. In fact, it was said at one point that the master brewer at the Leffe brewery made a beer that was so delicious, parishioners preferred drinking it to going to church on Sundays. Needless to say, the abbot at the time had to step in!The flavour is well rounded, slightly sweet, slightly spicy, but with all these brews there is something that is distinctively ‘Belgian’. Okay so not quite trappist, but once you’ve tasted a Belgian beer, you’ll spot that flavour whenever you are fortunate enough to encounter it. I suppose I shouldn’t have been that surprised, Leffe is part of the global InBev empire and brewed at the vast Artois brewery in Leuven. It still clutches to its ‘Abbey’ heritage though; the Leffe glass is modeled on a chalice, and the logo shows an abbey building, represented in stained glass. After Blond and Brune, Leffe Radieuese is only available in bottles, but at 8.2% ABV it’s not something you would expect to encounter on draught. As you pour, the head is the colour of a stronger latte than the Brune shows, the beer is a rich ruby colour if held up to a bright light, and the coffee connection follows into the flavour. There are distinct hints of strong coffee and dark chocolate… and a deep rich fruit cake flavour in there, but I also got hints of caramel and even honey.

Once again a type of beer rather than a particular brew, Kriek is made from a base beer to which cherries are added or, in the case of the more commercial brands, cherry juice and perhaps even sugar. It is decanted from a bottle with a cork, as with sparkling wine. The better examples are not too sweet and taste simply wonderful. Other fruit beers are available too, but Kriek is perhaps the most successful. 13. Kwak (8%) Can anyone tell me why we haven’t been able to get Leffe in the western US for going on 6 weeks? What disaster has befallen us! The dubbel was born in abbey breweries but the name is now used as generic term for a strong brown beer. So, in conclusion, Leffe produce a fine range of Abbey style beers. As such they’re industrial rather than craft or artisan beers, but they’re full bodied, full flavoured and well worth seeking out. And while I might not kill for draught Leffe (Jenlain or Westmalle maybe) I agree, as you’ll see from my review –The abbey has been damaged by both natural and human circumstances over the years: the Meuse river flooded the brewery in 1460, and six years later a fire damaged the abbey, but by the 17th century it prospered. The brewery was confiscated by the state in 1796, and in 1809, after making beer only in limited quantities, it was closed. The old kettles were melted down for the weapons industry during World War 1. [2]

i need a leffe…it has been way to long…….. anyone know where to get one on the colorado springs area…. The roasted malt lends the beer a slightly bitter taste with touches of candi sugar, caramel, coffee and chocolate.The dubbel – literally ‘double’ in English - refers to the quantity of malt used. Dubbels tend to be sweet at the start with touches of dried fruits, giving way to a dry and slightly bitter finish. Leffe Brune is my favorite beer. It kills me that I can’t get it since I moved to Michigan. We have the Blond and everytime I’m skimming the beer cooler at the store and the Leffe Blond bottle catches my eye I get excited and then see it is the Blond and my heart sinks. Then any beer I buy tastes like bath water in comparison to my memories of Leffe Brune. If anyone from Leffe reads this, please distribute Leffe Brune in Michigan, USA!!! A am very satisifed with it overall. Not crisp. Full As. Very Caramel. Not watery. It is like drinking a dark FORREST.