If you asked your average craft beer drinker what their first Belgian beer was, I reckon Leffe Blond would be the most common answer. But after talking with lots of our members, it seems a bunch of you have not yet tried this beer.
Yes, it is owned by AB-InBev – the largest beer company in the world. And yes, that means it is a mass-produced commercial beer. But it really isn’t a bad beer, and the fact it is distributed by AB-InBev means you can find it virtually anywhere.
Leffe has a history dating back as far as 1152 in the Norbertine abbey of Notre-Dame de Leffe, but the brewing of beer didn’t start until 1240. Then followed much change over the centuries, through wars and revolutions until we get to 1952 when Father Abbot Nys decided to revive the brewing traditions of the abbey, and the Leffe beers were once again brought to market.
It is a glowing golden colour with a thick white foam. A sweet aroma of bready malt and fruit with a strong hint of banana from the yeast.
To taste it is reasonably sweet early on, with the bready malt and some yellow stone fruit. Banana is heavy from the yeast, which also adds a pleasant spiciness to the beer. It is quite full and rich in mouthfeel though not so much that it is cloying. Finishing much drier than it starts, with a nice lingering bitterness.
The historical beer style of Antwerp recently revived
A fruity malt backbone, a spicy hop bite and a hint of vanilla
A Belgian blond with the addition of coriander and orange peel
From a rustic farmhouse brewery, a hoppier version of the classic belgian blond ale.
The 'house beer' of Brugse - a delicious Belgian Blond ale from De Halve Maan brewery
A light and lively Belgian blond beer from the rustic Brasserie Caracole
This Belgian Blond is named after one of the ascents of the Tour De Flandres
De Molen's new core range Belgian Blond with Sorachi Ace hops
A typical Belgian Blonde style ale, slightly on the sweeter side of things
Brewed to a 1000-year old recipe, this is a great example of an almost-forgotten style.
Good malt body, gentle hop bitterness and classic Belgiam yeast aromas make this a great introduction to Belgian beer.
A strong blond ale, leaning toward a Belgian IPA with a good dose of European noble hops
A hoppy blonde ale which is the official beer of the Antwerp University
Pils and Munchener malts, Amarillo hops, coriander and mango are all fermented with yeast from Westmalle
by Brasserie de la Cambre (Brouwerij Het Anker)
A traditional Belgian blond beer made by the Het Anker brewery
by L'Arogante (De ProefBrouwerij)
A hoppy blond ale, combining three US hops with a solid malt base
The newest beer in the Leffe range - a classy, tastier version of the iconic blond ale
by Mokke Bier
A Belgian Blond with coriander, orange zest and a hint of honey with a touch of saison funk
A balanced Belgian blond ale, with a beautiful hop bite that lasts.
by Brouwerij Omer Vander Ghinste (Bockor)
Light malts, citrus fruitiness and three varieties of hops
An easy-drinking citrus and hoppy blond ale, brewed for the 'Ommegang of Brussels' procession.
The newest addition to the Bosteels range is this Kwak Blonde
A delicious grassy blond beer from 2013's Best New Brewer Belgium
A traditional Belgian Blond Abbey Ale, from a family-run brewery with over a century of tradition.
Dedicated to the hero of Antwerp, a dry-hopped spicy blond ale
Fruity aroma and hoppy, spicy flavour make this an extremely drinkable beer.
A golden Belgian style pale ale, dry-hopped during secondary fermentation for a rich malt body and lovely hop bitterness
by Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A golden blond ale from the Wilderen Brewery & Distillery
A pleasant Belgian blond from the Witkap family of beers
A malty blond ale with a pleasant peppery bite from only the second brewery in Brussels
The biggest and best beer of the Leffe range - a 9% tripel style ale.
The newest beer in the Leffe range - a classy, tastier version of the iconic blond ale
A Belgian IPA using Mapuche hops grown exclusively for Leffe on the plains of Patagonia
Like a bigger, tastier (and classier) version of the classic Leffe Blond
