Leffe Abbey: Blonde, Radieuse, and Brune

The foundations for Leffe Abbey began in 1152 at the merging of the Meuse and Leffe Rivers in the city of Dinant. Following the changing of its name from Notre-Dame Abbey to Leffe, it embarked on the path of brewing as early as 1240. Since 1240, Leffe suffered numerous setbacks in the form of hostile invasions, floods, plague, revolutions, massacres, and fires. The abbey found itself reconstructed numerous times each time it improved, showing its ability to withstand and thrive against all odds.

During the French Revolution, the Leffe Abbey lost all of its holdings as the Revolutionaries divided the lands amongst the peasants in 1796. This single action ceased all brewing activities conducted by the monks. Obviously, this made for a very dreary life for the monks living in the abbey, who subsisted on the revenue made through making incense and ink. Finally, after a hundred and fifty years of needless suffering Leffe turned back to its brewing roots. Brewing resumed in full strength in 1952 with the production of Leffe Blond.

Following massive public approval and success, the Abbey expanded production to include nine other Belgium Style Ales under license with Loovoet Brewery. This represented the first of many commercial partnerships between breweries and Abbeys, which give the Abbeys payments in the form of royalties. The right to produce Leffe now rest firmly in the hands of InBev and it is brewed next to Stella Artois at the Stella Artois Brewery in Leuven.

Leffe Blonde’s production in 1952 found wide scale acclaim due to a magnificent concoction of marketing and riding a populist wave of a trend tilting in the favor of pilsners and lagers. Claims to Leffe Blonde’s linage insist upon an almost 700-year stretch of production. This fails to appreciate that Blonde Ales originally hail from North America around the early 1800s. However, I would love to hear arguments to the contrary. These arguments must enjoy support by a document with carbon-dated ink from 1240, on 1240 parchment paper, and in correct grammatical format for that age.

Craft breweries introduced Blond Ales in the United States to compete with both massed produced lagers and pilsners that poured out of the North East, due to the lack of proper cooling systems necessary to produce those styles. It is the often forgotten brother of steam beer. A Blonde Ale is similar in profile to a Tripple, but the sweetness characteristics get significantly puffed up. Leffe Abbey’s break in brewing tradition led to the loss of the majority of their techniques and recipes. This does not change the fact that Leffe is one of the oldest abbeys in all of Belgium.

Holding a 6.6% abv Leffe Blonde is a wondrous beer to partake in during a hot day, especially after mowing the lawn. It pours a rich golden-coppery color and shines like a brand new penny in the sunlight. The head is a rich cream that races to the top, only to settle a few moments later in a thin lace, fueled by a torrent of carbonation. Rough handling easily thickens the lace between sips.

The aromas of flowers and hops greet the eager nose as they succulently pour out of the glass. The flavors erupt in a flowery explosion hiding a hint of pear with a slight touch of bitterness. The mouth feel offers a medium creamy sensation, similar to half-and-half. The combined results create a truly enjoyable and refreshing beverage.

For pairings fish done in Sicilian breading styles make wondrous companions, as well as fish prepared in Moroccan fashion.

It does not offer much in the terms of excitement, at least to this author. Leffe Brune holds a 6.6% abv. Leffe Brune pours a rich dark amber color almost representing a leaf fluttering off a branch in fall. The resulting head from the pour produces a soapy like head that is slightly mocha or caramel color. The head clings to the sides of the glass as it descends into a thin lace.

The aromas offer a touch of floral, citrus, and caramel scents. As some reviewers point out on other sites, it is reminiscent of the same smells released by Leffe Blonde. The flavors offer a contrast from Leffe Blonde, thankfully. The flavors reveal the sweet almost brown sugary characteristic, with hints of caramel, and a tinge of alcohol.

Leffe Brune pairs well with sweet dishes featuring brown sugar, apple, or a traditional farm cheese.

Thankfully, Radieuse reaffirms some faith in Leffe in the form of a Belgium Dark Strong Ale. Holding a 8.2% abv, Radieuse pours a reddish amber similar to the meat between the fat on a crispy piece of bacon. The head erupts in a controllable froth of suds, which eagerly settles into a thin lace across the top of the flesh. The carbonation continuously produces the menacing image of a Hurricane as it feeds the lace.

Radieuse creates a succulent aroma of dried dark fruits mixed with hints of caramel and malts. The flavors almost act to counter the aroma by the taste of sweet malts seemingly consuming the experience, followed by a hint of dried dark fruits, and spice. In terms of mouth feel, it falls short of a typical Belgian Dark Strong Ale. It produces a watery sensation that acts to conflict with a medium cream body.

In terms of pairings, it is a wonderful companion to a cheese plate consisting of milky semi-soft cheeses such as Tete de Moine, Testun Al Barolo, and Prattigauer.