Even the big boys have to create and innovate in this fast-moving beer market now, and Leffe Royale is the recent attempt by AB-InBev to change things up with its iconic Leffe label.
The original Leffe Royale was a bigger, tastier version of the Leffe Blond. It later was highlighted as part of a single hop series, and this beer is the second in that series.
Cascade IPA is very much a traditional style Belgian IPA. Heavy on the malt body, with restrained use of hops. We could be slightly disingenuous and suggest that the relatively low-level of hops is the result of commercial financial decisions, but it really seems to be aimed at a specific market.
It has a sweet caramel malt body, with a fruity hint and the Leffe house yeast character. The hopping and dry-hopping with Cascade lends a fresh and light citrus bite.
Put any ‘mega-brew’ bias aside, and enjoy this for what it is – not a punchy hop-bomb, but an interesting variant on a classic Belgian beer.
A second version of this beer, with a dominant display from the Morpheus yeast supported by Cascade and Chinook hops
A Belgian IPA with Challenger, Smaragd and Citra hops, finished with a Belgian saison yeast
Hop bitterness, with dry spicing and just a hint of wild earthy funk
A bigger, hoppier version of the Noblesse Belgian Pale Ale
A Belgian classic - Duvel - with a current hop-driven twist
The classical Belgian Strong Blond Ale, jazzed up with an extra hop that changes each year
The 2015 special edition Duvel Tripel Hop features the Equinox hop
The 2016 version of Duvel's Tripel Hop, featuring an experimental hop from the Yakima Valley
This is now the permanent feature in the Duvel range, with the Citra version being voted the favourite of all the Duvel Tripel Hop varieties
The 'other' Duvel Tripel Hop in the range shows of Cashmere hops
The favourite of the Duvel Tripel Hop series is the Citra hop version
Five old-world hops are used in this fresh grassy Belgian IPA
The original Belgian IPA, from one of the three breweries in the 'Brewers Town' of Watou.
A seasonal batch of Hopus brewed in Spring, which is dry-hopped with Citra
by Brasserie d'Achouffe (Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat)
Best described as an extremely hoppy Belgian tripel style
A Belgian IPA with a strong citrus character and nice earthy bitterness
A Belgian IPA using Mapuche hops grown exclusively for Leffe on the plains of Patagonia
Another riff of the Troubadour Magma, this one is a more sessionable, last of the summer sun type of beer
The 2016 variation of Troubadour's flagship beer Magma features Maris Otter premium malt
The 2017 variant of Magma sees a change in malt and hop quantities, resulting in a fruity, earthy and dry IPA
The 2019 variant of Troubadour's Magma is a beer that has been made more sessional, with the addition of El Dorado and Nelson Sauvin hops
A perfectly balanced Belgian IPA, deceptively drinkable for the 9.5% ABV.
Not really fitting in to a style category - inviting sweet malt backbone with a good dose of hop bitterness.
Ella hops from Australia provide a tropical fruit character to this crisp and refreshing Belgian IPA
A Belgian style IPA, taking a step back to an older style IPA recipe
The second incarnation of this beer, featuring Columbus, Simcoe, Amarillo and Centennial hops
by
An Anglo-Belgian style IPA, with a big malt body and balanced hop character
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